Blackberry

(See the original movie before the CBC series to see which you like better!) In the late ’90s, Research In Motion was just a humble tech outfit selling modems in Waterloo, Ontario. Best friends and co-founders Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) — a soft-spoken tech whiz who’s the brains of the operation — and Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) — a headband-donning, nerve-grating goof — are trying to sell a product they call PocketLink, a never-before-seen combination of cellphone, email device, and pager. The telecom world isn’t impressed with Mike and Doug’s invention, but a domineering, foul-mouthed salesman named Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) is. Jim sees the device’s potential and brokers a deal to acquire part of RIM in exchange for cash and business expertise. What follows is the gut-wrenching and side-splitting story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of the world’s first handheld computer. BlackBerry is a Canadian story told with tremendous national pride by Canadian talent. The three visionaries at the centre of this tale, despite their device’s ultimate descent into obsolescence, changed the way the world communicates today.

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