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Jayson Blair became a household name several months ago when it was learned that he had fabricated numerous stories while reporting for the New York Times. He wasn't, however, the most notorious fibber in recent years. That distinction belongs to Stephen Glass, who wrote 41 articles for The New Republic in the late '90s, 27 of which turned out to be wildly inaccurate or outright lies. His rise-and-fall story has now been turned into an engrossing movie, Shattered Glass.

The movie, written and directed by Billy Ray, picks up the story as Glass has emerged as one The New Republic's most entertaining new writers. Though editor Michael Kelly (in a nice turn by Hank Azaria) wonders about some of Glass's pieces, he can't deny that Glass has a gift for telling a story.

One of the film's many strengths is how it documents the changing nature of political discourse. Magazines like The New Republic, National Review, and The Nation used to be dry, uninspiring reads for hard-core politicos. Though the publications still have a limited audience, they've been forced to alter their format by the shouting matches of the cable news channels and the laugh tracks of "newsy" shows like The Daily Show. It's no longer enough to offer a argument. That argument must now be dressed up in fancy clothes and hilarious makeup.

Stephen Glass was perfect for this new mode of writing. He was knowledgeable and opinionated enough to fit in at The New Republic's inside-the-Beltway culture, but he knew how to tell a good story. He merged the anecdote with the think piece, offering clever thoughts on topics like a Young Republicans' convention and the business world's relationship with computer hackers. The problem came when it turned out that Glass hadn't merely embellished his stories (an unethical though probably widespread
tactic) but made up many of them out of thin air.

The movie also does a nice job of chronicling how celebrity-driven political writing has become. Though Glass was only in his early '20s, he was already being courted by larger publications. And his age wasn't a hindrance; as the movie tells us, the median age of writers at The New Republic was 26. The movie slyly compares TNR's newsroom to a high school club, with the same personality dynamics (the cool kids, the geeks, the envy) and the corresponding lack of rigor.

The New Republic didn't actually catch Glass at his magical game. That honor ironically went to an on-line publication, Forbes Digital Tools. Stung by Glass's scooping of the hacker story, Adam Penenberg (played by Steve Zahn in a small but pivotal role) starts trying to track down Glass's sources, only to find that many of them don't exist. Ditto on his facts and figures. When Penenberg confronts Glass, Glass admits to fudging a few things but stands by the piece. So too at first does his editor, Chuck Lane (played by Peter Sarsgaard). Lane is in an unenviable position, having had to replace the immensely popular Michael Kelly, and doesn't want to rock the boat. But he comes to distrust Glass and then must figure out how to deal with the situation without causing a revolt in his newsroom.

Though the tale has been well documented, the movie Shattered Glass is still enormously gripping. Billy Ray moves the tale along with perfect pacing. Each turn in the narrative keeps us on the edge of our seat. We might know how the movie's going to end, and yet what's on screen is so compelling that we get lost in its drama. Even the exposition designed to educate the audience about fact checking and the intricacies of reporting is interesting to watch.

Credit must also go to Christensen and Sarsgaard for their two incredible performances. Hayden Christensen is best known as the petulant, teenage Luke Skywalker in the new Star Wars movies. But without the looming presence of George Lucas, he's able to act. He's still playing a relatively young man, but his portrayal is so much richer. We understand why Glass's cadre of friends and even those older than him would rally to his defense, despite the mounting evidence of his betrayal. His manipulation and puppy-dog lovability form a powerful combination that only the skeptical Chuck Lane can pierce. Peter Sarsgaard (Boys Don't Cry) gives an even better performance, stronger because it's much less flashy and just as compelling.

Shattered Glass will draw inevitable comparisons to All the President's Men. Both are true-life journalism stories that surmount the obstacle of familiarity to create highly interesting and imminently watchable movies. Both star two up-and-coming actors, ones who will be fixtures in Hollywood for decades to come. And  both are fantastic. 

J. Robert Parks 11/4/2003

Shattered Glass works on the level of actor performance and for letting the audience see what happens when one individual makes a conscious decision to be deceptive. The name "Stephen Glass" was news around 1998. Glass was then 25 years old and a reporter for the New Republic magazine. He was fired for fabricating 27 of 41 stories he wrote for that publication. It would be difficult to write this story for the screen and not name the individual involved, so writer/director Billy Ray (Hart's War) did use the real reporter's name. Cast as Stephen Glass is Hayden Christensen (Attack of the Clones) who proves once and for all that he can do more than gaze longingly at Natalie Portman.

The film begins with Glass back in his old high school, about to give a lecture on journalism to a writing class. His former teacher is there, praising him endlessly as one of her successes. We flash back to this classroom again and again as we see the adventures of Stephen Glass. He is a new reporter on the New Republic and works with editor Michael Kelly (Hank Azaria). Kelly is a friendly and fair editor, but eventually, after a disagreement with management, is fired and goes elsewhere. Enter Charles "Chuck" Lane (Peter Sarsgaard), who gets the unenviable job of editor. Lane is the opposite of Kelly. He is quiet, thoughtful and not a people person. In the meantime, Glass is riding high with one top story after another. It's when he does a colorful piece on youthful hackers and Jukt Micronics (not a real company) that a rival magazine, the now out-of-print Forbes Digital Tool becomes suspicious and Forbes reporter Adam Penenberg (Steve Zahn) starts checking facts. Nothing quite adds up, and editor Lane is notified that this story is suspect. At first, the re-checking seems authentic but then begins to break down. At the same time, we see Glass turn from confident bright boy to sweating young man as his façade of inaccuracies starts to collapse around him.

The scenes between Sarsgaard and Christensen ring true for anyone who has even been in an office situation. Glass innocently asks, "Are you mad at me?" when confronted with a possible accusation and this throws the other party off. It works time and again. Eventually, authority does what must be done and the object of scrutiny scurries to avoid it. Watch beads of sweat come out on Stephen's forehead. In this case, Glass doesn't seem to think he really did anything wrong with his deceptive information. The limelight is more enviable than the truth. Glass lived in a world of fiction, including classrooms.

The cast does quite well in Shattered Glass There is Chloe Sevigny as a top New Republic reporter who really believes in Glass, Melanie Lynskey as a wanna-be reporter who can't quite make the grade, and Steve Zahn (working to keep the smirk under control) as Adam Penenberg, the Forbes reporter on the prowl. It is Peter Sarsgaard, with a serious, thoughtful expression who eventually takes the camera away from Christensen. Sarsgaard does the role of Lane with a less-is-more acting style. However, Hayden does give the role of Glass his best, and Oscar nominations just may look this way, possibly for both actors. By the way, the Michael Kelly character played by Hank Azaria is the same Kelly who was the reporter killed in Iraq the spring of 2003.

Shattered Glass gives the audience a chance to see what goes on in publishing a newspaper or magazine. Stories are assigned, wanna-be writers try hard for recognition, facts are checked, rechecked and checked again, yet sometimes mistakes and just plain untruths creep through. The Internet is a wonderful aid for fact-checkers, yet, it, too, can be compromised. What motivates a person to cover one lie with another? Who knows, but being the center of attention seems to have been the goal of Stephen Glass and that he did get. Glass is now an attorney. He should know all the angles.

Copyright 2003 Marie Asner
Submitted 11/9/03