Review of Shattered Glass (2003) by Ashley T — 07 Nov 2009

Most movies about writers are pretty self-indulgent, and quite often also boring. But this true story about Washington journalist Stephan Glass is anything but. Events unfold like a mystery as the editor of the New Republic discovers his star writer may have fabricated one of his pieces.

Hayden Christensen plays the accused, and proves he can actually act. We watch the whole thing from his point of view. Throughout, flashback and voice-over -- devices I normally loathe -- are used to great effect to win sympathy for a rather unlikable character.

Glass points out his strategy early on: act humble and you'll go far. But he takes his own advice a little too far. At staff meetings, he describes his outrageous ideas with great enthusiasm, only to talk himself down at the end, desperately seeking encouragement and approval from his peers.

The magazine's support staff are all well-cast, especially Peter Sarsgaard, who subtly steals every scene he's in.