Details

Release year: 2003

Storyline

The story of a young journalist who fell from grace when it was discovered he fabricated over half of his articles from the publication The New Republic magazine.

Top credits

Directors

Billy Ray

Writers

Cast

Hayden Christensen — Stephen Glass
Chloë Sevigny — Caitlin Avey
Steve Zahn — Adam Penenberg
Peter Sarsgaard — Charles 'Chuck' Lane

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Did you know

• In 2004 Stephen Glass relocated to California after being told that the New York State Bar Association would never approve him to practice law. Glass passed the California State Bar exam but in 2009 the bar examiners rejected his license application on character grounds. In 2012 his petition to have the rejection overruled was taken to the California Supreme Court where in 2014 they ruled to uphold the decision, barring Glass from practicing law in the state. During this time Glass had been working in a law firm in Beverly Hills, CA where he eventually gained the title of Director of Special Projects and Trial Team Coordinator. At this time he is still not licensed to practice law in either California or New York.

• Many members of the test audience didn't believe the story was true. They thought no real-life magazine would have so many journalists in their early to mid 20s, even though the New Republic did. A place card added to the opening of the film stated that the median age of journalists working for the New Republic was 26.

• Hanna Rosin, a real life journalist who was a colleague of both Stephen Glass and Charles Lane, worked as an adviser to writer/director Billy Ray. The character of Catlin Avery was based loosely on Hanna Rosin.

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