‘Spotlight’ poses a provocative question

“SPOTLIGHT”

“SPOTLIGHT” tells the astonishing true story of the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Spotlight team of investigative journalists who, in 2002, shocked the city and the world by exposing the Catholic Church’s systematic coverup of widespread pedophilia perpetrated by more than 70 local priests.

When newly appointed editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) arrived from Miami to take charge of the Globe in the summer of 2001, he immediately directed the Spotlight team to follow up on a column about a local priest accused of having sexually abused dozens of young parishioners over the course of 30 years.

Fully aware that taking on the Catholic Church in Boston would have major ramifications, Spotlight editor Walter “Robby” Robinson (Michael Keaton), reporters Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) and Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo) and researcher Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James) began delving deeper into the case.

It soon became clear that the Church’s systematic protection of predatory priests was far more wide-reaching than any of them ever imagined!

“Spotlight” is the most engaging film on journalism since “All The President’s Men.”

By focusing on the reporters who investigated the crimes, the movie found a way to tell a difficult story without chasing the audience away. “No one wants to watch a priest molesting a kid,” said Ruffalo. “That’s very hard for the audience to watch.”

One victim later confessed, “Most of the child victims come from poor families. When a priest pays attention to you, that’s a blessing. How can you say no to God?”

Directed by Tom McCarthy, the acclaimed drama stars Ruffalo, Keaton, McAdams, Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci,

Brian d’Arcy James and Billy Crudup.