Shattered Glass (2003)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Billy Ray

Writers (WGA):

Buzz Bissinger (article)
Billy Ray (written by)

Release Date:

26 December 2003 (Greece)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Read between the lies.

Plot:

The true story of a young journalist who fell from grace when it was found he had fabricated over half of his articles.

Plot Keywords:

Washington D.C. | The New Republic | Lying | Teacher Student Relationship | Employment Dismissal

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 10 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Hayden Christensen	...	Stephen Glass
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Charles 'Chuck' Lane
Chloë Sevigny	...	Caitlin Avey
Rosario Dawson	...	Andy Fox
Melanie Lynskey	...	Amy Brand
Hank Azaria	...	Michael Kelly
Steve Zahn	...	Adam Penenberg
Mark Blum	...	Lewis Estridge
Simone-Elise Girard	...	Catarina Bannier
Chad Donella	...	David Bach
Jamie Elman	...	Aaron Bluth
Luke Kirby	...	Rob Gruen
Cas Anvar	...	Kambiz Foroohar
Linda Smith	...	Gloria (as Linda E. Smith)
Ted Kotcheff	...	Marty Peretz

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, sexual references and brief drug use.

Runtime:

94 min | Canada:99 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Australia:89 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | France:U | Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39469) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:S | Norway:A | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Bethesda, Maryland, USA

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

Originally, Greg Kinnear was to play Chuck Lane.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Marty comes in to sit in on the meeting of the editors, Caitlin is wearing a light blue sleeveless top. However when the camera cuts back to the editors sitting down and checking the paper for "comma errors", she is wearing a dark blue button-up shirt with short sleeves.

Quotes:

Stephen Glass: I don't know what you're talking about, okay. Those are all real people.
Chuck Lane: They are?
Stephen Glass: Yeah.
Chuck Lane: Look at me... and say that again.
Stephen Glass: (beat) Those are all real people.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Wild Thing

Brilliant

I had been recommended Shattered Glass a half-dozen times by a friend. He said, after watching it - it's not a great movie, but it is really, really good. I'll disagree. Shattered Glass is a great movie.

It's not a great film (aye, there's the rub), but it is a great movie. It's entertainment, pure and simple, but it's also entertainment with depth. In that respect, it's a little like Spider Man 2.

In Shattered Glass, you'll find steady direction, sure-handed editing, an interestingly designed narrative, characters that are drawn well-enough but not so well that they overpower the story's forward movement, etc. You'll also find excellent performances.

Peter Sarsgaard, Chloe Sevigny, Steve Zahn, Rosario Dawson - they're all excellent (which they've all proved in other movies as well). Hayden Christensen, though, who was so wooden in Star Wars Episode 2, is amazing. His portrayal of Glass, though not perfect, is revelatory; he can actually act. Given time and the aid of excellent directors, Christensen will really blossom. Shattered Glass is, simply put, a solidly made movie about a journalist without the requisite integrity.

But why isn't this a great film and only top-notch entertainment? Well, it really comes down to the simple fact that Shattered Glass only scratches a surface that, in light of Jayson Blair and those of that ilk, deserves a little more attention. Of course, though, this is a film about a single event. It's not about compulsive lying or, really, lack of journalistic integrity. It touches on those subjects without delving into them. That is my only complaint. As a movie about a lying journalist, though, it's fast-paced, thrilling, and entertaining, and I think everyone will enjoy it.