SHATTERED GLASS
Directed by: Billy Ray.
Produced by: Craig Baumgarten, Marc Butan, Gaye Hirsch & Adam Merims.
Written by: Billy Ray, based on the Vanity Fair article by Buzz Bissinger.
Director of Photography: Mandy Walker.
Edited by: Jeffrey Ford.
Music by: Mychael Danna.
Released by: Lions Gate.
Country of Origin: USA. 95 min. Rated: PG-13.
With: Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgaard & Chloë Sevigny.
DVD Features: 60 Minutes Interview with the real Stephen Glass. Commentary by: Director Billy Ray & Chuck Lane.

In the late ‘90s, The New Republic, an important Washington insider magazine, has as its youngest associate editor at 24 Stephen Glass. Smart, entertaining, and very attentive to his coworkers, Glass is an ambitious journalist on the rise. Admirer of Pulitzer Prize winners Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Glass touts the philosophy that writing is "the art of capturing behavior," thereby letting his subjects tell the story. But there is a problem: a competing journalist can’t find verify any of the facts in a feature story written by Glass. Increasingly seduced by illusions of grandeur, Glass insists that all of his facts are sound. One question leads to another, bringing the reputation of TNR in question. Shattered Glass deftly captures the workings of the weekly magazine and the back-stabbing office politics with an well-executed and polished performance from Hayden Christensen (as Glass) and Chloë Sevigny as a loyal fellow editor. Most impressive though is Peter Sarsgaard's understated portrayal of a Charles Lane, who's the young yet earnest head editor who uncovers the truth. Credit also goes to Billy Ray in creating a compelling film without sensationalizing the story's facts and clearly bringing this true story to the screen without losing sight of the dramatic tension. While gripping entertainment, especially when Lane interrogates Glass, it's a serious and thoughtful film about today's media where journalists strive to become stars with their name in print on spectacular stories that supersede honest reportage. It will likely be of interest to those who enjoyed the exposé dramas à la The Insider and All the President's Men.

David Nudo, formerly in advertising at The New Republic, now at The New York Times
November 15, 2003

DVD Extras: The 60 Minutes interview is the most compelling extra, as it provides viewers with the real Stephen Glass. The interview takes place after the story in the movie ends, so it allows viewers for a chance to place the story in a wider context. We learn that Glass was treated for pathologically lying and is now living in New York City. In the commentary, it is interesting to hear Chuck Lane talk about himself as a character on screen mixed with the artistic notations of Billy Ray on lighting and specific camera shots. After watching the extras and comparing the information given to the film, it is evident that the movie is very much based on fact (according to Chuck Lane, even to the detail that his baby did indeed have a fever). Lisette Johnson
March 30, 2004