The Official Shattered Glass Discussion Thread

Rented the movie tonight and I'm about to watch it. If the trailer is any indication, this film should be outstanding.

 

This movie is great. Bought the DVD yesterday and saw it for the first time last night. Loved it. Man...you can literally see and feel Chuck Lane beginning to boil-over with anger as he's discovering the truth. It's pretty intense. Hayden & Sarsgaard play very well off of each-other during these nail-biting scenes. Incredible.


But....HOLY NO EXTRA FEATURES, BATMAN!!!


I hear that the commentary track is great...and I watched the 60 Minutes interview after I finished the movie last night, and I thought that feature was good...so it's cool. Could've had more, though. I think it was overpriced for the amount of extras we get...but oh well. *shrugs*

 

I picked up SG yesterday as well. I can't say I thought it was outstanding, but it was good. I was impressed with Hayden's performance, even though his character was highly annoying to me. I guess it's because I already knew a lot about what would happen and what Stephen Glass had done that I had difficulty even liking him. To me, he seemed nothing more than a weasly little ass-kisser. But Hayden did a wonderful job at it. Peter S. did a good job, especially at the end when he takes on an I'm-not-playing-your-games-anymore attitude.

Overall, I'd give it a "B".

(And I do think it was better than the indie darling Lost in Translation).

I happened to check out desiringhayden.net this morining. Apparently, he's still in Spain promoting the film and was on TV yesterday morning for an interview. He discussed a project he's got coming up with Robert Duvall and also apparently said (which he has said before) that he'd like to go to Cambridge and get his degree (I assume he means Cambridge the school, not Cambridge, Mass. where Harvard is). I hope he does go, if that's what he wants. Even though he doesn't need a degree to be financially successful, it is a very fulfilling sense of accomplishment to stick it out and receive one. So good luck to him!

(I heard somewhere that he was offered or was close to being offered a tennis scholarship to Harvard when he was in high school. Can anyone verify that?)

 

Aaaahhhh, how quickly things can change....truly, like in the blink of an eye. 'Cause after I was so distressed that day, I actually ended up chatting with my mom about one thing or another....and in the course of conversation, when I related to her how impossibly frustrating and very much distressing it had been for me, for my search to be so awfully fruitless before, and the state of mind that it put me in....and it was then that she asked me if I'd checked at the other Future Shop outlet, a ways out of town....if they might have it, where the other one didn't. You can imagine my reaction, I'm sure.... *blink* *blink* I'd really had absolutely *no* idea that they had another store here....only to be expected, I suppose, when I get that far out of town (long trip on the highway) like, you know, pretty much *never*....but she suggested that I try there, and if they in fact had it and I needed a ride out there and back, she'd help me out....ahhh, I love my mom!

Got to admit, though, that I wasn't necessarily daring to get my hopes up when I called them....really prayed that they'd have it in stock, so's I could put a hold on a copy, but if *they* didn't either....well. I just plain shuddered to think it, really. So I called them....pressed the point....and guess what? All the way out and gone, out there - they actually *did* have two copies in stock (you know, I really am surprised by all these low numbers, eight copies shipped to the store in-town and now a scant *two* at this other one, but whatever) - and they'd gladly put a copy on hold for me to pick up! And you can also imagine what a tremendous, weak-kneed relief this was for me....really like that proverbial weight lifted right off my shoulders, and it just did *wonders* to help lift my spirits....really buoyed up my mood, and again, it's all because of the sheer importance of having that especial something to look forward to so eagerly and voraciously, and to put all your energies towards it.

So....thanks *so* indebtedly and tremendously to my mom, who got me all the way out there and back again.... (nice trip, too) ....I now finally have "Shattered Glass" in my possession, and I can't *wait* to delve even more into it later tonight....a fine treat or reward after doing some more refreshing/studying for this math assessment test tomorrow....ergh. Still, I simply couldn't help myself last night, and even stayed up almost till two in the morning, watching almost a full hour into it and having the commentary on....ohhh, *incredible*....and it really does give one an even greater respect, awe and admiration for just how deep they all went with this story, how very exacting they all were....how, in a film that deals with what happens when one little weasel lies about the facts - well, everyone else involved in *this* was so clearly determined to get all the facts straight....literally to "tell it like it is"....a marvellous accomplishment, in my book!

And this commentary....hoo boy....not only am I really liking Billy Ray even more, but I am also *really* very impressed and fascinated with Chuck Lane, too....he really does give such great, you-were-really-there insight to the whole TNR debacle, and even to Stephen too, as much as anyone can ever claim to really understand the guy or know what's going on in his warped little brain. I really am only even further impressed and curious....so much so that I think I'm gonna dig into this article by Buzz Bissinger, see what that was like at the time; I don't think I really recall much of it myself, guess I was paying rather more attention to other things....but certain aspects I *do* yet remember, I'm twigging to something there, so yeah - now the whole thing, 'specially with Chuck's commentary so far, has *really* got me wondering even more....

Oh....a quick question, though: there actually *is* no little insert inside the DVD case, right....like something listing the individual chapters, and so forth....reason I bring it up is that, at first, I was mildly startled when I opened the case to

 

I've been waiting to see this for a long time - it never showed where I live. I just watched it and thought it was a very good movie. Hayden and Peter were excellent. Hayden conveys so much with just a simple facial expression.
The trailer is on the DVD, you have to click on the Lion's Gate logo on the main menu.

 

Rented it last night and enjoyed it. Like stacysatrip said, it was good but not outstanding. I have a few questions, though. Was there supposed to have been some kind of romantic relationship going on between Glass and Chloë Sevigny's character? If so, that couldn't have been more underdeveloped. And that lost shot of Hayden that ends the film, is he finishing a slight smile or just beginning one with that subtle face change?

 

I finally watched this movie twice yesterday and I have a couple of things on my mind, it's kind of long so bare with me.

This is a good film, but not a great one. Obviously the work of an inexperienced director (Billy Ray), it contains one fatal flaw that holds it down: it makes the mistake of telling the story from several perspectives, employing an almost anti-"Catch Me If You Can" structure (never revealing the main character's actions as they happen, only showing the impact on others) while at the same time using a
highly subjective bookend device which brings us directly into the main character's inner thoughts. The result is slightly uneven, and emotionally less
involving than it could have been.

The film begins with celebrated journalist Stephen Glass (pretty-boy non-actor Anakin Skywalker) being proudly presented by his former high school teacher to her journalism class. Glass espouses his knowledge and journalistic philosophies to wide-eyed and hopeful students. At this point, Glass is certainly the main character. We are with him; we hear his thoughts and learn his philosophies. So far, so good.

But as the second act begins, the perspective changes, and suddenly Adam Penenberg (Steve Zahn, excellent) who would ordinarily be an antagonist, the man who exposes our hero Glass becomes the main character. Instead of Glass, we now observe Penenberg's thoughts and actions as he becomes determined to expose Glass.

(Perhaps we should expect him to behave immaturely; interestingly, he and much of the staff is under thirty.) As the second act continues, another character, new editor Charles Lane (Peter Sarsgaard) initially a secondary character becomes more prominent, eventually becoming the true main character. By the end of the film he wins the
approval of the employees who once scorned him. At this point, Skywalker is barely in the film. He has become the opponent, and unimportant to the story;
his function has been served.

But throughout most of "Shattered Glass" the supporting cast does just that. The action is mainly controlled by Zahn and Saarsgard; Glass merely reacts,
defending himself, back-peddling. We never see what goes on outside the office except when we cut to Zahn at his place, or Sarsgaard at home trying to
figure things out.

All of this would be well and good and I actually prefer this approach of not showing the actual cons to Spielberg's. But director Ray tries to have his cake
and eat it to. By beginning and ending the film with subjective views of Glass and occasionally cutting back to him in the classroom Glass is introduced and concluded as the main character.

The other main problem with the film, in my view, is Anakin Skywalker's performance. Skywalker continues the same monotonous, infantile, lifeless
delivery that completely killed "Attack of the Clones" and didn't help "Life as a House." But here he has added something worse: he speaks so hurriedly and
slurred, emphasizing the wrong words, breezing over important ones that much of his dialogue is incomprehensible (Luca$ evidently curbed this mush-
mouth tendency, while novice Ray was not smart enough to do so).

Speaking in this trendy, fast-paced manner that many teenagers now favor making two-syllable words into one syllable, letting words trail off without enunciating is positively disastrous in a movie. "Client" and "terror" become one-syllable words; "terrorist" becomes two. "Then you'll help me? "becomes
"Thenyulhellme?" By racing through his lines, Skywalker not only diffuses the power of the script, he comes off as a mealy-mouthed, James Dean wannabe delivery important dialogue like a speed freak with a speech impediment reciting a laundry list.

Some of his acting is downright embarrassing, coming off more like a first rehearsal of a soap opera, a script read-through before the acting begins. The
awkward dialogue doesn't help. And much annoying soap opera-style character name usage -- a typical problem in a young director's work -- is employed ("What do you think, Caitlin?" "I'm no

 

Um, actually, I think the guy's name who played Stephen Glass is Hayden Christensen. As far as I know, there's no such actor (or non-actor) as Anakin Skywalker. In fact, I'm pretty sure there's no such person as Anakin Skywalker period.

Am I wrong on this?

 

You're correct. Ninja_Gayden is a sock who has been banned numerous times from these boards and keeps on registering to basically state the exact same things over and over again.

The word Gayden is a reference to Hayden.

 

LOL! I'm sorry but LOL. Apparently I am the only one who finds magnet's return (again) amusing. Dude, I shouldn't be doing this but I'll give you props on your ability to constantly get in here and frustrate the hell out of the people on this board. That being said, JUST GO AWAY! You have made the point you need to make. This is childish to keep registering and also to be posing under similar names to other users. We have tried to be open and friendly in the past but that doesn't seem to work. We respect your opinions and you have the freedom to state them but dude, you know what you are doing and it just isn't right. Please leave us alone.

 

I find it interesting that Ninja_Gayden finally saw the movie yesterday and then off the top of his/her head created a review that was word-for-word the same as jt1999's review on IMDB.com back in November of 2003. Of course Ninja_Gayden, in a true Stephen Glass-like manner then made the review his/her own by changing Hayden Christensen?s name in the article to ?Anakin Skywalker?. An amazing feat of channeling! What are the chances!

 

I picked up my copy today.

It's a little pricey given the skimpy DVD extras, but then again I almost never watch that stuff anyway (SW and Indiana Jones excepted).

--MissPadme
not feeding the troll

 

I watched it again today, uninterrupted (my son was distracting me yesterday), and I do really like it. It didn't come across as a thought-provoking, psychological thriller to me, but I think that's because I basically already knew what was going to happen. Still, a good little movie, and I think the entire cast did well.

I'll say again that Hayden's CHARACTER was annoying, but I still appreciate the performance he gave.

 

Well, that's the whole point of it, though, really - I mean, Stephen Glass *is* a smarmy little weasel....deceitful, manipulative, treacherous, self-aggrandizing, unapologetic....he *is* infuriating by nature, and there's of course absolutely *no* question that you just wanna reach through the screen and smack some real, genuine *sense* and reality, period, into the guy....because the way he acts, who he *is*, is wholly unconscionable and it simply cannot be borne. And *that* is what we reasonable people of course find so annoying and aggravating....the fact that someone so *low* as this actually is out there, and even trying to profit off the wrongs that he committed against others. The whole point of it, really, is that he is *not* a good person....he's pathetic, he's only to be reviled, perhaps - and I also believe that he may have some *serious*, deep-rooted psychological issues, e.g. pathologically lying, and the like....but he's *not* good, that's the simple fact of the matter.

And it's this, indeed, that I feel makes the schism between Stephen Glass and the rest of the world so blasted obvious and maddening....at least as far as who he is and what *he* did is concerned!....and more than ever, it can only bother a person. Anyone even a *wee* smidgen different from the type of scandalous little liar that Stephen Glass is, will *obviously* only be bothered by the whole thing. It's not supposed to be comfortable, nor are we supposed to countenance it all that well. What I *do* find, though, is that it really makes me think....and that more and more, I'm seeing circumstances similar to Stephen's continuing to erupt (a recent case featuring a Vancouver newspaper columnist who fabricated and copied other peoples' work for her own, comes to mind) - well, it just seems as true and darn well indicative now as it ever it did, this whole story....really does make one question a great many things.

Heck, I know that *my* view of the media, including the formerly-trustworthy and reliable newspaper outlets, will never again be the same....pause for real, serious thought, indeed....


Dawn. (also not feeding the troll)

 

There is a new picture & quote from Hayden in the April 2004 issue of In Style Pages 294-295

In Style: How do you assert your independence when you're off camera?
Hayden: "I play hockey games that don't have an association with any organized league. It's just a bunch of guys getting together for pick up hockey."

 

Ahhh, *so* great! Have I lately mentioned just how much I *love* him? So cute....*so* perfect.... *happy sigh* I adore anecdotes like this.


Dawn.

 

Ok, I'm gonna stop feeding the troll as well. But I did have a weird premonition first. What if the troll IS INDEED STEPHEN GLASS. I seriously would not discount that possibility at this point. Remember that magnet first appeared on the OFFICIAL Shattered Glass message boards pretty much as soon as they opened and I think Stephen Glass would be the kind of person to do that. Wouldn't that be hilarious if this whole time it has been the REAL Stephen Glass posting on these message boards? Just a thought.

 

*snickering* You know, come to think of it, that actually would explain an awful lot....all the errors and inconsistencies and the generally inane and nonsensical feel of this little troll's postings....h'm, h'm....now I suppose one can definitely see the similarities. *still chuckling over it*

Calls out: "Smarmy, lying little weasel! Smarmy, lying little weasel!"




Dawn.

 

I don't know- I think even Stephen Glass is above that sort of juvenile ****.

 

Well, now, I dunno - maybe we shouldn't be putting *anything* past him. I mean, the guy's clearly "touched in the head", as our dear a_g has said elsewhere, natch - and his moral compass just so obviously does *not* point anywhere near magnetic north....and given the myriad and innumerable tricks and schemes that the guy has shown such a real penchant for pulling....hey, I'd believe it quite readily, for sure - just how low he could in fact sink. Wouldn't put it past him at this point. And besides....haven't stranger things happened here? Ahhh, I rest my case.


Dawn.

 

LOL.. Papillion.

Sadly I won't be able to purchase this fine motion picture until Wednesday when I get paid. I think I'll get it as a birthday present to myself

Love that quote from In Style, I might have to check that out.

And those pics from Spain... *thud* (especially that tousled bedhead look )

 

Well, the Shattered Glass DVD as been out for a while by now. I saw it in the cinema, but I really enjoyed hearing the commentary on the DVD by Billy Ray and Chuck Lane. It makes you realize how very carefully thought out everything in the film is.

I'm continually impressed by how cleverly the film is put together, and how interesting and fast-paced it is, given the subject matter. I thought it was interesting and brave for Billy Ray to change the protagonist in the middle of the film, but he really pulled it off.

Yesterday I watched a film called "Rogue Trader", with Ewan McGregor, which has a few things in common with SG - it's about a real person who also lied and cheated (he ended up bringing down the ancient and venerable Barings Bank almost single-handedly with his illegal commodities trading.) It wasn't a bad film, but it dragged in places. It wasn't nearly as cleverly scripted as shattered Glass. I give Billy Ray high marks, and I look forward to his next project.

As for the performances - I thought they were top notch, and I really appreciated that it was put together as an extremely well-balanced ensemble piece. Every character, however small,had an important role to play.

 

"I give Billy Ray high marks, and I look forward to his next project."

I look forward to it as well, Geo3. Do you have any idea what he doing next film-wise?

 

I've heard that Billy Ray's next project is to tackle the story of Robert Hansson, the FBI agent who sold government secrets to the Soviet Union. Universal Pictures has hired Ray, apparently as a result of his success with "SG," to re-write an existing script and to direct the film, which will be called "11th Hour."