It is not uncommon for filmmakers to omit certain facts and details for the sake of vibrant storytelling, and the movie BlackBerry is no exception. With that in mind, it’s natural to wonder ‘is Blackberry accurate?” To better understand BlackBerry‘s accuracy, it’s important to acknowledge that creative liberties are often taken in movies based on real-life events. Filmmakers may prioritize adding additional drama to increase the entertainment value for the viewers.
Many biographical films like The Social Network or Steve Jobs have also tweaked details. BlackBerry is a biopic that focuses on the rise and fall of the eponymous company. It depicts the story of the founders of this company until the launch of the first iPhone. Overall, here’s an examination of the aspects of the movie that deviated from reality.
BlackBerry Excluded One of the Phone’s Most Important Features
The feature that set BlackBerry apart from its competitors was its secure messaging platform. In fact, that’s what made it popular among government agencies, businessmen, and individuals. However, this feature didn’t get as much spotlight as it should have in the movie. There was an indirect reference to it when the investigators couldn’t access Jim’s encrypted messages.
But, in reality, secure messaging was the feature that sold Blackberrys. Needless to say, who doesn’t want privacy in the digital era of hackers and scammers? Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and many other prominent people were BlackBerry owners. When the first iPhone was released, it reduced the sales of BlackBerry. However, it was no match for the data security offered in Blackberry phones.
Jim Balsillie is Not Depicted Accurately in the Movie
In the movie BlackBerry, Jim Balsillie is shown as an ambitious corporate shark who sees the potential in Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin’s ideas. In return for help, he asks for a large percentage of equity. Additionally, he wants to become one of the company’s CEOs. Mike is depicted as a person who can be furious and selfish.
In the movie, it is also shown that Jim Balsillie wanted to buy an NHL team which diverted his focus from the company. However, the real Jim Balsillie said that his character wasn’t presented correctly. During an interview in a Toronto board room, Balsillie mentioned that “When I first saw it, I was confused for about five minutes.”
OSC Was Investigating the Founders, Not the SEC
According to the movie BlackBerry, the SEC investigated the founders when RIM was accused of making some accounting errors in their stock options. But originally, it was the Ontario State Commission (OSC) that issued a penalty of $5 million to Jim Balsillie and $1.5 million (plus $150,000 in costs) to Mike Lazaridis. Jim Balsillie was also not allowed to serve as a director of the company for a year.
iPhone’s Release Wasn’t the Main Reason for the Company’s Downfall
The movie’s ending implied that the company’s downfall started in 2007 when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. No doubt, the advent of Android and iPhone caused a lot of damage. But this wasn’t the main reason for the company’s downfall, as having competitors is normal in the business world. The company could have saved its reputation and name strategically by putting more effort and thought into rebuilding the product line.
They released a touchscreen version of their phone in 2008 as a response to the success of the iPhone. However, the phone (BlackBerry Storm) lacked many features. In the movie, the fallout between Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin was also flagged as a big cause. But according to a former RIM engineer, this wasn’t true.
The Real Doug Fregin Didn’t Wear a Headband
Douglas Fregin is played by Matt Johnson — who also directed and co-wrote the movie. Doug is portrayed as Mike Lazaridis’ longtime friend and one of the co-founders of the company. In the movie, he’s a bit on the eccentric side, wears a headband, and makes pop culture references. However, in reality, Douglas Fregin didn’t wear a headband or funky clothes.
The Company Likely Did Not Have Movie Nights
In the movie BlackBerry, Doug Fregin organizes movie nights in the office with posters on the walls. This was an addition to the movie that had no connection to reality. Matt Johnson was inspired by the pop culture of the 90s and simply wanted to add this element to the movie. So, that pretty much answers the question, ‘is Blackberry accurate?’
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