SPOTLIGHT is an epic-scope movie about the newspaper team at the Boston Globe who broke what may well be the largest story of a generation — the Catholic priest sex abuse scandal and systematic cover-up by the church. The natural comparison is ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN, the gold standard for pictures about journalism. The exciting thing is that SPOTLIGHT not only holds up to that comparison, it may well be better. I was at the premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the film, cast, and reporters responsible for the story got a standing ovation.
This is a straightforward journalistic procedural, but a top-notch version of one. The cast is outstanding: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, and John Slattery play reporters and editors, while Stanley Tucci and Billy Crudup play attorneys.
Of course the crux of what makes this story great is the incredible job of reporting this team of journalists did. The film is a love letter to journalism — the dying art of newspaper reporting through legwork and investigation. That’s one reason I was so happy that the journalists shared the stage with the people who played them at the premiere. They are the real heroes here, and were recognized as such by their actor doppelgängers, and by the incredible reaction of the crowd. It was a love-fest at the premiere, with each actor praising the corresponding journalist for the work they did, and each journalist praising the actor for studying them for months and getting every little detail right. Here’s a picture of the main actors standing next to the people they played:
SPOTLIGHT refers to the name of a special investigative division of the Boston Globe, one which researches a single story in-depth, for months, and of their own choosing. As the film opens, a new editor-in-chief is coming on board for the paper, Marty Baron, and nobody is quite sure what to make of him. He has a reputation for cost-cutting, and he’s an outsider, having never lived in Boston. His arrival gives rise to themes that will resonate throughout the film — outsider vs. insider, job security, and the notion of community.
In lesser hands, SPOTLIGHT could have been fumbled. But everyone is brining their A-game here. The screenplay was co-written by Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy, who also directed. Since you already know the outcome (the scandal was uncovered), you might not think there could be much dramatic tension. However, watching the case build is fascinating, starting from a single priest, leading up to nearly 100, just in the Boston area alone. At every turn you see the forces arrayed against the uncovering of the truth and see just how difficult it is. Boston is heavily Catholic, and the church carries a ton of weight in the community. Every time the reporters find a new detail, there is enormous pressure to either bury it or label it as an isolated incident. In fact, this is what happened for decades. Much of the evidence was there, but nobody wanted to hear it. There are modern-day parallels in the Bill Cosby case.
Another thing that elevates SPOTLIGHT into classic-film territory is its outstanding cast and nuanced writing and performances. The characters come across as real people with all the baggage that that entails. Some are fire-breathing true believers. Others are a little cautious about what they are doing, or even a little worried about the consequences. But all are consummate journalists. The unifying principle here is the power of journalism and the dedication and sacrifices journalists make to make the world a better place.
I can’t say enough about the cast, which is phenomenal. But I do want to single out Michael Keaton in particular. His performance as the chief of Spotlight, Robby Robinson, really drives the film. We know he can carry a film with bombast and fireworks. And we know he can play the quiet moments just as deftly, and even bring the humor in a cameo. He’s part of a larger ensemble here, but he’s the core of the story and he just nails it. I can’t believe he has been so underused recently, but the era of Michael Keaton is back, and we’re all the better for it.
SPOTLIGHT is a surefire nomination for Best Picture this year, and deservedly so. It was the second runner-up for the Grolsch People’s Choice Award at TIFF. I have no idea if it will win Best Picture, because if this year’s TIFF is any indiction, it is a gerat year for cinema. But whether it does or not, this is an incredible story, and an important one. I’m glad a film did it justice. It is one that will be watched for years, even decades to come.
- Copernicus (aka Andy Howell). Email me or follow me on Twitter.
