American journalism’s unique power in our democracy offers a wealth of cinematic opportunities for exposing flaws in our social and political constructions. The citizenry places its trust in the fourth estate, to keep our sacred institutions and our most powerful leaders accountable, to report hidden truths, to give voice to the voiceless. Spotlight (based on a true story) is a film that admirably attempts to portray the difficulty of living up to the standards of journalistic integrity when the ones being investigated are the ones we often trust the most.
It’s 2001 and the Boston Globe is undergoing changes in its staff, budget cuts, and competition from online publications. The paper’s “spotlight” team—a group of reporters that takes on long-term investigative stories—wonders if it will be on the chopping block when new editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) asks them to dig into allegations of sexual abuse by Boston priests in years prior. The team (Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Brian d’Arcy, and John Slattery) chases down victims, appeals for sealed court documents, and pursues lawyers (Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup, and Jamey Sheridan) in order to uncover the city’s darkest secret—dozens of Church leaders have been covering up molestations for decades.
The success of Spotlight can be attributed to its stellar cast of renowned character actors. Keaton and Slattery lead the way with shlubby grit and calculated passion, and Schreiber’s minimalistic mysteriousness as the taciturn boss is particularly good. Ruffalo is as energetic as puppy scratching at the front door wanting to go for a run. And Tucci, excellent in nearly everything he does, perfectly captures the world weary pessimism of someone who has to face the worst of life every day at the office.
The most interesting aspect of the film is that while it extols the virtues of muckraking journalism, it mostly dares to avoid the self-righteous attitude that often accompanies the profession. When members of the paper come to realize that they may be indirectly complicit in these horrors, it’s a valuable commentary on the need for everyone in a community to stand up for the victimized. But while the reporters accomplish their goal of bringing awareness to widespread sexual abuse (the Globe won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for these efforts), one has to wonder if journalists are always so passionate to root out corruption. Early in Spotlight, an influential Catholic cardinal advises Baron that things work best when their two institutions—the Church and the media—work together. The editor responds in disagreement, saying that the media can only function properly when standing alone. If only journalists held steadfastly to this advice in real life. While the Church is most definitely deserving of scrutiny, those in the media would do well to remember to fight their own biases as other institutions require the same sort of accountability.
Though Spotlight is quite good, it is not without some flaws, as several ham-fisted directing choices and clunky bits of dialogue are scattered throughout. It also lacks an imminent conflict and relies almost entirely on simple procedural action. One can only make scribbling on a notepad interesting for so long. Fortunately, the strong cast picks up the slack and the powerful message is driven home by a solemn coda. Overall, Spotlight is a quality film and worth checking out.
Grade: A-
It’s 2001 and the Boston Globe is undergoing changes in its staff, budget cuts, and competition from online publications. The paper’s “spotlight” team—a group of reporters that takes on long-term investigative stories—wonders if it will be on the chopping block when new editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) asks them to dig into allegations of sexual abuse by Boston priests in years prior. The team (Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Brian d’Arcy, and John Slattery) chases down victims, appeals for sealed court documents, and pursues lawyers (Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup, and Jamey Sheridan) in order to uncover the city’s darkest secret—dozens of Church leaders have been covering up molestations for decades.
The success of Spotlight can be attributed to its stellar cast of renowned character actors. Keaton and Slattery lead the way with shlubby grit and calculated passion, and Schreiber’s minimalistic mysteriousness as the taciturn boss is particularly good. Ruffalo is as energetic as puppy scratching at the front door wanting to go for a run. And Tucci, excellent in nearly everything he does, perfectly captures the world weary pessimism of someone who has to face the worst of life every day at the office.
The most interesting aspect of the film is that while it extols the virtues of muckraking journalism, it mostly dares to avoid the self-righteous attitude that often accompanies the profession. When members of the paper come to realize that they may be indirectly complicit in these horrors, it’s a valuable commentary on the need for everyone in a community to stand up for the victimized. But while the reporters accomplish their goal of bringing awareness to widespread sexual abuse (the Globe won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for these efforts), one has to wonder if journalists are always so passionate to root out corruption. Early in Spotlight, an influential Catholic cardinal advises Baron that things work best when their two institutions—the Church and the media—work together. The editor responds in disagreement, saying that the media can only function properly when standing alone. If only journalists held steadfastly to this advice in real life. While the Church is most definitely deserving of scrutiny, those in the media would do well to remember to fight their own biases as other institutions require the same sort of accountability.
Though Spotlight is quite good, it is not without some flaws, as several ham-fisted directing choices and clunky bits of dialogue are scattered throughout. It also lacks an imminent conflict and relies almost entirely on simple procedural action. One can only make scribbling on a notepad interesting for so long. Fortunately, the strong cast picks up the slack and the powerful message is driven home by a solemn coda. Overall, Spotlight is a quality film and worth checking out.
Grade: A-