Shattered Glass

Shattered Glass

Year: 2003

Runtime: 94 min

Language: English

Director: Billy Ray

DramaHistory

A young journalist's promising career takes a dark turn when it's revealed he's been fabricating stories for a prestigious magazine. Stephen Glass's inventive tales initially bring him widespread recognition, but a persistent colleague begins to investigate the inconsistencies in his work. As the truth unravels, Glass's reputation and carefully built persona crumble, exposing a complex story of ambition, insecurity, and the consequences of dishonesty.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Shattered Glass (2003)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Shattered Glass (2003). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

The movie is set in a contemporary period that highlights the state of journalism and media ethics in the late 1990s to early 2000s. This era was marked by shifts in how news was reported and the importance placed on credibility and fact-checking in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

Location

The New Republic, Washington

The New Republic is a prestigious magazine located in Washington, D.C., known for its insightful commentary on political and cultural issues. The setting reflects the intense atmosphere of journalism during a time when printed media wielded significant influence over public opinion.

📖 Journalism 🏛️ Politics

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:32

Main Characters – Shattered Glass (2003)

Meet the key characters of Shattered Glass (2003), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Stephen Glass

Stephen Glass, the protagonist, is portrayed as a charming yet flawed journalist whose ambition leads him to fabricate stories. As the narrative unfolds, he becomes increasingly desperate, illustrating the pressures journalists face in delivering captivating content.

📰 Journalist 💼 Ambitious 🎭 Deceptive

Caitlin Avey

Caitlin Avey is a dedicated journalist who struggles with her feelings for Stephen and her own aspirations. Her loyalty to Stephen is tested as she confronts the realities of his deceptive practices, highlighting the emotional toll of navigating love and ambition.

💔 Love 📈 Career-driven

Adam Penenberg

Adam Penenberg is a tech-savvy journalist who becomes suspicious of Stephen's work. His investigation reveals the discrepancies in Stephen’s articles, embodying the moral responsibility journalists have in upholding integrity within the media industry.

🧑‍💻 Investigative 🔍 Inquisitive

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:32

Major Themes – Shattered Glass (2003)

Explore the central themes of Shattered Glass (2003), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

📰 Truth vs. Fabrication

The central theme revolves around the conflict between truth and fabrication in journalism. It explores the consequences of dishonesty in reporting and the personal and professional fallout from Stephen’s choices to prioritize sensationalism over factual accuracy.

💔 Relationships and Jealousy

Caitlin's complicated relationship with Stephen showcases themes of love, jealousy, and ambition. Her struggle to support Stephen while grappling with her own professional aspirations highlights the challenges faced by individuals navigating personal feelings in a competitive environment.

📊 Ambition

Stephen’s relentless ambition drives him to pursuit recognition at any cost. This theme examines how personal and professional ambitions can lead to ethical dilemmas, ultimately questioning what one is willing to sacrifice for success.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:32

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about professional downfall like Shattered Glass

Watch as a career meticulously crumbles under the weight of deception.If you liked watching the methodical unraveling of a career in Shattered Glass, these movies feature similar stories of ambition, deception, and professional ruin. Explore other dramas where a character's carefully built world collapses under scrutiny.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically starts with a character at the peak of their professional success, which is revealed to be built on a lie. A steady, investigative process then exposes the truth, leading to a complete professional and personal collapse, often without redemption.

Why These Movies?

They share a steady pacing and tense tone, driven by the procedural uncovering of truth. The emotional core is the anxiety of being caught and the sobering fallout of ethical breaches in a professional context.

Investigative suspense movies like Shattered Glass

Stories where patient investigation uncovers a deeply hidden lie.For viewers who enjoyed the investigative tension in Shattered Glass, this list features other movies where a persistent truth-seeker methodically uncovers deception. These films share a steady pace and focus on the intellectual and emotional weight of discovering the truth.

suspensefulinvestigativemethodicalanxioustruth-seekingproceduralunraveling

Narrative Summary

The plot follows an investigator—often an ordinary person in a professional role—as they notice small anomalies that snowball into a major discovery. The journey is linear and procedural, with tension mounting as the investigator gets closer to the undeniable truth, facing resistance along the way.

Why These Movies?

They are unified by a specific mood of suspenseful anxiety, created through a steady, methodical pace. The core experience is the intellectual and emotional satisfaction of watching a puzzle being solved, and the tension of confronting a deceiver.

Unlock the Full Story of Shattered Glass

Don't stop at just watching — explore Shattered Glass in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Shattered Glass is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Shattered Glass Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Shattered Glass, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Shattered Glass Summary

Shattered Glass Timeline

Track the full timeline of Shattered Glass with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Shattered Glass Timeline

Shattered Glass Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Shattered Glass that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Shattered Glass Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Shattered Glass

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Shattered Glass: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Shattered Glass

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