Spotlight (2015)
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A team of journalists uncovers a systemic cover-up of child sex abuse within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.
The story
In 2001, the editor of The Boston Globe, Marty Baron, tasks the paper's 'Spotlight' investigative team with investigating a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Boston. The team begins by looking into one priest, but quickly discovers a pattern of multiple priests being moved between parishes despite evidence of abuse. As the investigation deepens, the team faces internal and external pressures to keep the story quiet, while the personal toll of the investigation begins to affect the lives of the journalists involved. They must navigate a complex web of legal hurdles and institutional resistance to expose the truth of the systemic cover-up.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins in 1976, establishing the routine of the Church's handling of abuse cases. In 2001, Marty Baron becomes editor of The Boston Globe and tasks the 'Spotlight' team with investigating a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Boston. The team, including Michael Rezendes and Sacha Pfeiffer, discovers that the abuse was not isolated but systemic, involving dozens of priests. They face pressure from the Church and the media to remain silent. Despite the personal toll and the complexities of the investigation, they uncover evidence of a deliberate cover-up by high-ranking officials, including Cardinal Law. The film concludes with the publication of their findings, leading to a flood of victims coming forward. An epilogue notes the resignation of Cardinal Law and lists other locations of similar scandals.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 128
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tom McCarthy
- Writers
- Tom McCarthy · writer; Josh Singer · writer
- Cast and characters
- Mark Ruffalo · Michael Rezendes; Michael Keaton · Walter "Robby" Robinson; Rachel McAdams · Sacha Pfeiffer; Liev Schreiber · Marty Baron; John Slattery · Ben Bradlee Jr.; Stanley Tucci · Mitchell Garabedian; Brian d'Arcy James · Matt Carroll; Billy Crudup · Eric MacLeish
- Genres
- biographical drama; docudrama
- Themes
- Journalism; Institutional Corruption; Religious Cover-up
- Tone and mood
- Serious; Realistic
- Setting
- Boston, Massachusetts, spanning the years 1976, 2001, and 2002.
- Premise and plot tags
- Based on true events; Legal drama; Investigation
- Source material / true-story basis
- A series of stories by the Spotlight team that earned The Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical praise for its performances, historical accuracy, and screenplay, winning numerous awards and being named one of the best films of 2015.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 97% · scale: percentage · review count: 383; Metacritic · score: 93 · scale: 100 · review count: 45
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Win; Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · Win; Screen Actors Guild Award · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture · Win; New York Film Critics Circle · Best Actor · Win; Los Angeles Film Critics Association · Best Film · Win; Los Angeles Film Critics Association · Best Screenplay · Win; Satellite Awards · Best Cast in a Motion Picture · Win; Golden Globe Award · Best Motion Picture – Drama · Nomination; Golden Globe Award · Best Director · Nomination; Golden Globe Award · Best Screenplay · Nomination; Independent Spirit Awards · Best Feature · Nomination; Independent Spirit Awards · Best Director · Nomination; Independent Spirit Awards · Best Screenplay · Nomination; Independent Spirit Awards · Best Editing · Nomination; Independent Spirit Awards · Honorary Robert Altman Award · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was once on the 2013 Black List of unproduced screenplays.; The film's production included a scene filmed in St. Basil's Church in Toronto.; The film was the first Best Picture winner since 1952 to win only one other Oscar.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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