Great Film: Shattered Glass
A suspenseful, thrilling movie
As the film opens we meet Stephen Glass, a rising star at "The New
Republic"
magazine. He's sensitive, friendly and unfailingly polite. And, oh yeah,
did
I mention he was on everybody's hot list? He was being wooed by everyone
from "George Magazine" to "Harper's" to the "New York Times."
Unfortunately,
behind the Glass juggernaut was a compulsive liar who took everyone for a
downhill ride. You see, Glass fabricated over 20 stories, inventing
sources,
locations, times, dates, and companies.
Hayden Christensen was fabulous as the ingratiating/creepy Glass. As a
CNN.com reviewer pointed out, this movie proves he can
act.
Christensen's Glass is the ultimate likeable co-worker, who remembers
everyone's birthday, knows how everyone takes their coffee and is so
self-deprecatingly sweet that when things start unraveling you feel sorry
for him. Despite his audacious lies and deceits, you like him and wonder
why
everyone is being so mean. Christensen walks the fine line between good
and
evil so well, you watch in amazement. You feel sorry for him, you're
repulsed by him, you're embarrassed for him...
At times I turned to my friend and said "Man! Is this hard to watch." And
it
was.
Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Glass' editor, Chuck Lane, is wonderfully
understated as the misunderstood editor. (For those at home who care,
he's
also really cute in that nerdy handsome way.)
The movie incisively exposes the world of journalism -- with it's big
egos,
pedantic copy editors, and ultra-competitive writers. I could see many of
my
co-workers (current and former) in the archetypes portrayed on screen
(the
braggart, the attention getter, the know-it-all, the guy who will split
the
most microscopic of hairs just for the heck of it).
It also brings home the incredible responsibility on the shoulders of
journalists. It's easy to forget this responsibility in pursuit of
personal
glory or attention, but it's the reader who gets hurt. Everyone in the
business of journalism should see this movie. But with its twists and
turns
and shocking (yet true!) events, it's a movie for anyone who enjoys a
good
thriller.
Cast
- Andy Fox played by Rosario Dawson
- Michael Kelly played by Hank Azaria
- Adam Penenberg played by Steve Zahn
- Charles 'Chuck' Lane played by Peter Sarsgaard
- Stephen Glass played by Hayden Christensen
- Caitlin Avey played by Chloë Sevigny
- Amy Brand played by Melanie Lynskey
