I sat to the left of Social Network screenwriter Aaron Sorkin at today’s Four Seasons luncheon on behalf of Sorkin, David Fincher and Scott Rudin‘s film. Screenwriter Stephen Schiff was three seats away, director-screenwriter James Toback sat to his right, and Sony production executive Elizabeth Cantillon sat opposite. I don’t know why I’m discussing table seatings.

And then it was time for Sony production chief Amy Pascal, who hosted the luncheon, to deliver remarks, and then for Sorkin to say a few words.

Before this happened we talked about (a) what Sorkin described as an unfunny, overly prolonged run of snippy, somewhat defensive comments from critic Armond White at last night’s New York Film Critics Circle ceremony following Darren Aronofsky’s opening salvo; (b) the deep awfulness of The Green Hornet (entirely me talking, him listening), (c) the Green Hornet metaphor I created in my head about Jay Chou‘s Kato representing the more dynamic and forward-moving Asian economies and Seth Rogen’s Britt Reid representing the smug, flatulent and coasting-on-past-glories U.S. economy, and Sorkin being intrigued by this and asking if this metaphor is in the film, and my saying “no, I just thought it up during my agonizing experience of watching,” (d) Arizona and that fruitcake snap of the Jackie Coogan-ish shooter.