The Definitive ‘spotlight’ Movie Review

By David Pierre
Media Report
November 30, 2015

http://www.themediareport.com/2015/11/30/spotlight-movie-review/

Fabricated episodes. Character defamation. Devious storytelling. This is the definitive review of the new Hollywood movie Spotlight, which purports to chronicle the Boston Globe's 2001-2002 investigation of the Catholic Church sex abuse story.

The heavily hyped Hollywood production – starring A-list actors Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo – professes to dramatize the paper's pursuit of the troubling crimes committed by abusive priests in the Archdiocese of Boston.

However, after thoroughly studying the film, TheMediaReport.com's Dave Pierre reports:

"Spotlight claims to be 'based on actual events,' but it does not bode well when the very first scene of the film is a complete fabrication.

"It also does not bode well for the film's authenticity that a possible lawsuit looms as at least four individuals have now stepped forward to say they have been falsely portrayed in the film.

"And the film grossly misrepresents the way that Church officials responded to cases of abusive priests years ago and essentially ignores the role that secular psychologists played in the crisis.

"The film also conveniently ignores the Globe's long history of hypocrisy when it comes to reporting the issue of child sex abuse. While Spotlight kindly refers to Church officials as 'scumbags' and 'good Germans,' the Globe never applied any of those pleasant labels to others who committed child sex crimes and whom the Globe often celebrated in its pages."

Our detailed review of 'Spotlight':

• Real-Life Characters Portrayed in 'Spotlight' Threaten Lawsuit Claiming Fabricated Depictions (November 2015)

• 'Based on Actual Events'? Except the Very First Scene From 'Spotlight' Is Completely Bogus (November 2015)

• 'Cardinal Law Knew of Abuse and Did Nothing'? Actually, Cardinal Law Did Exactly As He Was Told To Do By Psychologists (November 2015)

• 'Spotlight' Neglects to Mention the Boston Globe's Own Long History of Rank Hypocrisy on the Issue of the Sexual Abuse of Minors (November 2015)

• No, Cardinal Law Did Not 'Call Down the Wrath of God' To Punish the Boston Globe (November 2015)

• Fact Checker: More Ways That 'Spotlight' Got It Wrong (November 2015)