"Spotlight" Movie Review: Journalism Drama a Riveting Reminder of the Value of the Press
By Mike Scott
Since the moment it arrived in theaters in 1976, Alan J. Pakula's "All the President's Men" has been held up, and deservingly, as the gold standard of journalism dramas. Chronicling the real-life efforts of two Washington Post scribes to unravel the many unanswered questions surrounding the Watergate break-in, it not only inspired a generation of noble-minded young reporters, but it was a cracking good bit of storytelling. In fact, while the four intervening decades have brought no shortage of other films fueled by the built-in drama of the Fourth Estate, Pakula's film has remained more or less in a class by itself. Until now. "Spotlight" arrives in theaters Friday (Nov. 20), and while one could make an argument that "All the President's Men" is still the reigning champion of modern journo dramas, director Tom McCarthy's gripping behind-the-scenes tale of shoe-leather journalism -- which plays out with the pacing and momentum of a thriller -- at long last makes the debate an interesting one. Recounting the Pulitzer-winning work by Boston Globe reporters to pull back the veil on the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, "Spotlight" also arrives at a perfect moment in time. Never in history have newspapers been more endangered than they are now, and rarely have the efforts of their ink-stained rank-and-file been more overlooked. With "Spotlight," we get a reminder of the vital importance of an independent, professional press to any community. We also get a reminder that, while it is an industry amid transition -- with printing presses being replaced by websites, circulation numbers hamstrung by search engines, and advertising revenue upended by everything from Craigslist to Google Ads -- good, thoughtful journalism is not, and nor will it ever be, an obsolete exercise. Granted, you're reading words tapped out by 10 exceedingly nostalgic (and admittedly biased) fingertips. But even those not given to praising the printing press or luxuriating over the craftsmanship of a well-written Sunday feature, "Spotlight" stands to be an engrossing bit of viewing. Borrowing its title from the moniker of the Globe's four-person investigative team that blew the lid off the sex abuse scandal, McCarthy's film thrusts moviegoers into its version of a big-city newsroom. It is a credible one. In nearly every frame of McCarthy's efficiently written film -- which he co-wrote with Josh Singer -- we get myriad little touches that might be overlooked by casual viewers but which will feel oh-so-familiar to anyone who has worked in the business. They include the mid-day farewell-to-departing-colleagues parties that have become all too common in recent years, as well as the ubiquitous internecine squabbles. They include the public-records headaches, the wrinkled shirtfronts, the cluttered cubicles, the deadline pressure and so on. "Spotlight" also fits the bill from a personnel standpoint, stocked as it is with obsessive newshounds -- played by the likes of Michael Keaton (in full newsroom strut, a la "The Paper"), along with Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Liev Schreiber -- who just want to write something of value to their community (and, importantly, before the competition can). These aren't towering movie heroes, though. McCarthy isn't out to lionize any single person. In fact, few if any of the major players are without their flaws. Each makes his or her mistakes, and McCarthy doesn't shy from those mistakes. As a result, his characters feel like real human beings, and his film feels like an authentic peek into the sausage factory that is journalism. Perhaps his greatest trick, however, is in his keen navigation of the extraordinarily sensitive issue at the heart of his film: the sins of the Church. It's an issue the Globe reporters ran into while working one of the biggest stories of their careers in a city in which the Catholic Church is far more than a just another institution. "Lay off," they were told by those who didn't recognize (or didn't want to recognize) the depth of the betrayal committed by such valued members of the community as Cardinal Bernard Law. "People need the Church," others insisted. The toiled on anyway, all in the name of finding the truth. But as was the case with the Globe reporters, McCarthy isn't out to unfairly villainize the Catholic Church or to negate its many good works. Yes, "Spotlight" is a story of corruption and betrayal of the ugliest sort -- and well-evidenced corruption and betrayal, at that. (Local note: New Orleans journalist and author Jason Berry gets a shout-out for his early role in exposing of the sex abuse scandal.) But "Spotlight" never resorts to cheap shots or low blows. It doesn't get tawdry, distasteful or anything resembling exploitative. Rather, McCarthy's film is as much as anything a story of dogged determination and journalistic patience, a pulse-quickening treatise on the role of newspapers in shining a light on things that people in power would rather be kept in the dark. That's important work, no matter what your crazy uncle tells you at Thanksgiving. And who knows? Maybe McCarthy's film will even presage another journo-Renaissance, just as "All the President's Men" did, prompting a whole new generation of curious young minds to roll up their sleeves and get inked. __________ SPOTLIGHT 5 stars, out of 5 Snapshot: A fact-based drama chronicling the on-the-ground, shoe-leather reporting done by a team of investigate journalists at the Boston Globe to pull back the veil on Catholic Church sex abuse scandal. What works: Well acted and well written, it's a fascinating example of storytelling efficiency, one that joins "All the President's Men" in the upper echelon of journalism dramas. What doesn't: Nothing of note. Cast: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci, John Slattery. Director: Tom McCarthy. Rating: R, for some language including sexual references. Running time: 2 hours 8 minutes.
|
.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.