Product Details

• Actors: Hayden Christensen, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Zahn, Peter Sarsgaard, Rosario Dawson
• Directors: Billy Ray
• Writers: Billy Ray, Buzz Bissinger
• Producers: Adam Merims, Craig Baumgarten, Gaye Hirsch, Marc Butan, Michael Paseornek
• Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Lions Gate Films
• VHS Release Date: March 23, 2004
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (123 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001Y4LI2
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,480 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Shattered Glass is the best film about journalism since All the President's Men. If that seems like lofty praise, consider this: In telling the true story of fallen journalist and pathological liar Stephen Glass, writer-director Billy Ray had to thoroughly and believably demonstrate how Glass--played in a pitch-perfect performance by Hayden Christensen--could single-handedly betray the trust of vigilant editors, writers, fact-checkers, and copyeditors while he falsified numerous highly praised articles as a hot, seemingly gifted reporter for The New Republic magazine in the late 1990s. Making an assured directorial debut, Ray brilliantly explores the delicate office politics that allowed for Glass's ongoing deception, which was diligently exposed by a reporter (Steve Zahn) from Forbes Online Tool, thus toppling Glass's tower of lies and setting a noble precedent for online journalism. From Glass's ingratiating psychopathology to the anguish of TNR's then-unpopular editor (Peter Sarsgaard) as he discovers the extent of Glass's wrongdoing, Shattered Glass is a riveting, perfectly cast study of ambition gone sour, countered by the nobility of respectable journalists in the wake of a worst-case scenario. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker

If you are searching for the definitive illustration of a tempest in a teacup, look no further. The writer and director Billy Ray has filmed the story of Stephen Glass, the young reporter who forged facts in a string of pieces that he wrote for The New Republic in the late nineteen-nineties. Glass is expertly played by Hayden Christensen as a puppyish geek, digging himself into ever deeper holes. Glass's editors at the time were Michael Kelly (Hank Azaria), who was fired in the midst of the Glass farrago, and then Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard), who fired Glass himself. Insiders may lap this stuff up, but visitors from the outside world will wonder what the fuss is about, and the movie is scripted, shot, and scored with such undying solemnity that fits of shameful giggles may be heard in cinemas across the land. With Chloë Sevigny, naturally, as one of Glass's fellow-reporters.-A.L. (11/3/03) -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THOSE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES..., April 24, 2004

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: Shattered Glass (DVD)

This is a superb directorial debut by Billy Ray, who also wrote the script for this engrossing film. It tells the true story of how one journalist, Stephen Glass (Hayden Christiansen), a star journalist for the self-styled, in-flight magazine for Air Force One, "The New Republic", bamboozled his editors for years with bogus stories. This was to have a devastating impact on a magazine that was well-respected in the political community.

The film is a riveting study of a pathological liar who had the need to be the center of attention. For years, Stephen Glass had regaled his colleagues with journalistic feats, only to have them eventually discover that they were mere mumbo jumbo, as few of them had little more than a grain of truth to them. Stephen Glass is portrayed as a slightly obnoxious, self-deprecating character, who binds his colleagues to him through his smarmy, somewhat ingratiating. personality.

Michael Kelly (Hank Azaria) is the first editor of "The New Republic" with whom Stephen Glass worked. When Kelly finds something questionable in one of the stories submitted by Glass, Stephen is able to explain it away, and the incident is glossed over. When Kelly is fired by the publisher, Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard) takes over under difficult circumstances, as the staff is loyal to Kelly and resentful of Lane. Still, Lane perseveres, occasionally crossing swords with Stephen Glass.

All comes to a head when a reporter from another publication questions the veracity of one of Stephen's stories. An inside investigation by an anguished and angry Chuck Lane clearly shows that Stephen's story is not fact based but, rather, an elaborate deceit, false from beginning to end. Stephen's journalistic house of cards comes tumbling down around him, rocking the integrity of The New Republic. Chuck Lane is placed in the difficult position of exposing the full breadth of Stephen's journalistic perfidy, which ended up being widespread.

The cast of the film is excellent overall, though I did find that Hayden Christiansen's portrayal of Stephen Glass paints him as too obvious a liar. I found it a tad difficult to believe that his colleagues gave him as much credence as they did. Chloe Sevigny contributes a fine performance as fellow journalist, Caitlin Avey, who was one of Stephen's bamboozled friends.

Hank Azaria gives a fine portrayal of popular editor Michael Kelly, which shows that he can handle serious dramatic roles as adeptly as he handles comedic ones. The stand out performance, however, is that of Peter Sarsgaard, whose understated, poignant portrayal of Kelly's replacement, the beleaguered, unpopular Chuck Lane, is sensitive yet very powerful and complex.

The DVD has first class audio and visuals, as well as an excellent audio commentary by both the director and Chuck Lane. It also has a must see 60 Minutes interview with Stephen Glass, which took place about five years after the events in the film. It is well worth seeing.

All in all, this is an outstanding film that will keep the viewer riveted to the screen. It is one that is well worth having in one's personal film collection. Bravo!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fourth Estate a Glass House?, April 14, 2004

By	mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: Shattered Glass (DVD)

In 1999, "The New Republic" magazine that so prided itself on insightful political and social commentary was plunged into scandal when it was discovered that one of the magazine's star reporters, Stephen Glass, had fabricated many of his stories. "Shattered Glass" is the story of Stephen Glass' fall from bright young star to pariah of the journalistic community. Hayden Christensen plays Glass, whose self-deprecating, obnoxiously ingratiating manner somehow blinds his co-workers to his machinations, all while he makes self-righteous speeches about journalistic integrity. Christensen's portrayal of Glass is convincing enough to paint the man as a real character, but I hope Glass was a better liar in reality than he is in this film, because it left me dumbfounded that anyone would have ever believed a word he said. The film's stand-out performance is Peter Sarsgaard's portrayal of "The New Republic" editor, Chuck Lane, under whose authority Stephen Glass was exposed and sent packing. Chloe Sevigny and Hank Azaria also give memorable performances as fellow journalist Caitlin Avey and Michael Kelly, who was the magazine's editor before Chuck Lane, respectively. Stephen Glass was a pathological liar and a con artist, but far more interesting than Glass are the holes in journalism's fact-checking systems that his success revealed and the willingness of a bunch of the nation's supposedly bright up-and-coming journalists to believe things that were so obviously preposterous. Director Billy Ray has done an admirable job of dramatizing this true story with an impressive script which he wrote himself, based on an article by H. G. Bissinger. "Shattered Glass" is an interesting look at integrity, gullibility, and delusion in those who write the news and those who read it. And Peter Sarsgaard's performance is one of the best of 2003.

The DVD: There aren't many bonus features, but what's there is excellent. There is a "60 Minutes" interview with the real Stephen Glass in which he recounts how and why he started fabricating new stories. There is also an audio commentary by director Billy Ray and the real Chuck Lane, the editor who discovered the extent of Stephen Glass' deception. This is one of the best audio commentaries I've heard on a film. Ray and Lane are both articulate and engaging. The commentary doesn't meander or have awkward silences. Lane contributes a lot of additional information on Glass and the workings of "The New Republic". Ray talks about filming, editing, and story-telling decisions. Sitting through the film a second time to listen to the commentary won't bore you to tears. If Stephen Glass' story interests you at all, I highly recommend both the commentary and the "60 Minutes" interview.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, Outstanding Performances, December 30, 2003

By	crazyforgems (Wellesley, MA United States) - See all my reviews

Find "Shattered Glass." It is an important movie albeit one that works within a small scale. It also boasts several of the year's best acting performances.

Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen) is a young hotshot writer at The New Republic in the late 1990's. The New Republic may not have a large circulation-80,000-but everyone of those 80,000 does something important in Washington. Or so TNR's staff thinks. As the movie tells you several times, "The New Republic" is inflight reading on Air Force One.

Glass is adored by everyone, well almost everyone, in TNR's offices. He compliments the secretaries on their choices in lipstick, he has heart-to-hearts with the bright young women on the staff, he serves as a mentor to the interns. And he produces. Story after story, expose after expose, Glass never seems to stop working at his job--except of course at night, when he attends Georgetown Law.

He is able to produce these great stories because he has one fabulous source for all of them: himself. He simply fabricates facts, people, settings. Although The New Republic supposedly has a prestigious fact checking structure, he slips through the (many) cracks.

Finally, a reporter at an Internet site runs into a number of holes as he prepares a follow-up to one of Glass's stories. Then the house of cards begins to fall...Glass's previous editor, Michael KElly (Hank Azaria), had had a suspicion or two but cared so much for the young reporter that he rid himself of his doubts. But his new editor, Chuck Lane (Peter Saasgard), is forced to delve deeper...and deeper...and deeper.

Great performances run through this movie. Hayden Christensen inhabits this character so thoroughly that you can feel him curling up in your office and trying to "pitch" you. Peter Saasgard is AMAZING--he plays a low key, slow burning, honorable individual with a restrained passion. Chloe Sevigny is great as a brilliant reporter who is blindsided by her loyalty to Glass.

This movie also depicts office politics as well as any movie that I've ever seen. And not just the politics in a newsroom but in most American offices. There's always the unpopular boss, the kid who made a few mistakes that everyone thinks should be excused, the blindly loyal co-workers.

One flaw in the movie: Ray lets The New Republic off the hook for their culpability in this matter. There have been journalists like Glass around for many years-their system failed as much as he did.

Still it is a riveting, well-acted movie.