Shattered Glass

From the New Republic: "Ian Restil, a 15-year-old computer hacker who looks like an even more adolescent version of Bill Gates, is throwing a tantrum. "I want more money. I want a Miata. I want a trip to Disney World. I want X-Man comic [book] number one. I want a lifetime subscription to Playboy, and throw in Penthouse. Show me the money! Show me the money!"...Across the table, executives from a California software firm called Jukt Micronics are listening- and trying ever so delicately to oblige. "Excuse me, sir," one of the suits says, tentatively, to the pimply teenager. "Excuse me. Pardon me for interrupting you, sir. We can arrange more money for you..." Does this seem real? Prominent journalist Stephen Glass wrote it, so it certainly seems that way. And for the first half of this biopic about this journalist, everyone thinks so. However, nothing is as it seems. The staffers of Wired figure out that Glass is basically writing fiction or semi-fiction, as opposed to legitimate news. But Glass never admits to this - that is, until he's harshly pressed, in some of the most intense confrontations put to film. This film is, quite frankly, one of the best I've seen. The ensemble cast is full of well-known actors who have extremely believable roles, most notably Hayden Christensen (of Star Wars Episodes 2 and 3 fame), who pulls off Stephen Glass by being timid and crazy at the same time. In terms of content, the sheer intensity of Shattered Glass makes it earn its PG-13 rating, but it's fine for most teens 13 and over. There are some intense confrontations between Glass and his editor (among others) that stop just short of being violent. Also, there are a few mild sex and drug references, and what appears to be a gathering of people smoking marijuana and drinking liquor from a hotel vending machine. Profanity is common: an f-bomb is dropped, there are about 10 s-words, and other minor profanities are used a lot. However, the messages of Shattered Glass absolutely outweighs all of these things. A journalist must be ethical; he/she can't just make up sources on the spot. Doing things like this will cause a downward spiral that you basically can't get out of. Overall, whether you're a teen, an aspiring journalist, a veteran journalist, or a film buff, this should be REQUIRED VIEWING.