Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34617 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-10-04
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Synopsis
SHATTERED GLASS recounts the rise and fall of Stephen Glass, the real-life journalist who ruined his career by writing fictional articles for The New Republic magazine. The film, set in scandal-frenzied Washington D.C. at the end of the Clinton era, portrays Glass (Hayden Christensen) as a mild-mannered, precocious, and charismatic journalist whose successes quickly accrue. Glass is a darling to the magazine's staff and to the sources who feed his stories. But when Christopher Lane (Peter Sarsgaard), replaces editor Michael Kelly, Glass finds his work under much greater scrutiny. Glass's writing, in fact, has been fishy all along, and he is finally found out by an Internet-based media reporter (Steve Zahn) who does his own fact-checking, introducing the trope of what a good journalist can do. As more of the facts emerge, the film pits integrity, honesty, and trust against Glass and his desire to entertain. The film boasts a number of excellent performances from its youthful cast, and offers poignant commentary on the world of media.

Customer Reviews

Excellent story-driven film
I was motivated to write this review by the reviewer who gave the film one star; can't believe anyone could find this film boring. A very 'straight' treatment of the subject - no attempt to psychoanalyse Glass, for example - makes an very compelling and dramatic film. Shows what can be done with a low budget and the right script. Loved it.

Never suspend constructive disbelief
SHATTERED GLASS re-creates several days in May 1998 when the disconcertingly young writer phenom for the "New Republic", Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen), was revealed as a fraud when it was discovered by a rival publication that a recent piece Glass had written on a convention of computer hackers was completely bogus. (As the audience learns at the film's end, 27 of 41 of Stephen's articles for the NR, the "in-flight magazine on Air Force One", were wholly or partially "cooked".)

Rather than painting Glass as overtly malicious, this film is more sympathetic. It depicts Stephen as so craving the affection and respect of his colleagues at the NR that he'd go to any extreme to contribute a sensational story for the magazine. It left me wondering what Stephen's home life was like while growing up. However, in contrast to last year's hit CATCH ME IF YOU CAN wherein the featured scam artist was presented almost as a folk hero, at least the creators of SHATTERED GLASS had the honesty to portray its protagonist for the pathetic puppy he apparently was. Christensen was eminently believable as Glass - I despised the character from the very start.

The "hero" of this film, if there can be said to be one, is the NR's new managing editor, Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard), who must determine the extent of Stephen's lying ways without alienating the rest of the young staff writers, who already consider him to be the toady of the Big Boss. Sarsgaard's Lane did a splendid job of causing me to suspend my cynicism for a brief moment and actually believe that the NR's collective mea culpa at the finale was actually brought on by a hiccup of journalistic integrity than the fact of getting caught. Funny, though, how the Big Boss wasn't shown as being moved one way or the other. Where was the righteous indignation from that corner?

For me, SHATTERED GLASS was more of an opportunity for incredulous fascination than entertainment. I suspect that a viewer's appreciation of the film would be enhanced by regular reading of the New Republic, something I've not done even once. (I'm therefore not burdened with the sobriquet "intellectual".)

And, as we learn before the final credits roll, the real-life Stephen Glass has since finished law school. Isn't that just too precious for words?

You must absolutely see this fantastic film!!!!!!!
Shattered Glass is a complex, moving and exciting film. The best thing about it is the haunting and Oscar-worthy performance by Hayden Christensen, of whom I was really and pleasantly surprised. If you appreciate witty scripts, succeding efforts in bringing a story to life and making the audience reflect and great performances you must see it. Anyone who doesn't appreciate it lacks sensitivity, sense of humour and most of all the brains to understand it.