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Spotlight (2015)

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1:02 | Trailer
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

Director:

Tom McCarthy
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Popularity
587 ( 152)
Top Rated Movies #226 | Won 2 Oscars. Another 123 wins & 141 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Ruffalo ... Mike Rezendes
Michael Keaton ... Walter 'Robby' Robinson
Rachel McAdams ... Sacha Pfeiffer
Liev Schreiber ... Marty Baron
John Slattery ... Ben Bradlee Jr.
Brian d'Arcy James ... Matt Carroll
Stanley Tucci ... Mitchell Garabedian
Elena Wohl ... Barbara
Gene Amoroso ... Steve Kurkjian
Doug Murray ... Peter Canellos
Sharon McFarlane ... Helen Donovan
Jamey Sheridan ... Jim Sullivan
Neal Huff ... Phil Saviano
Billy Crudup ... Eric Macleish
Robert B. Kennedy ... Court Clerk Mark
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Storyline

When the Boston Globe's tenacious "Spotlight" team of reporters delves into allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church, their year-long investigation uncovers a decades-long cover-up at the highest levels of Boston's religious, legal, and government establishment, touching off a wave of revelations around the world. Written by Open Road

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The true story behind the scandal that shook the world. See more »

Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

A study published by John Jay College of Criminal Justice in February 2004 found that 68% of priests accused of sexual abuse were ordained between 1950 and 1979. Priests ordained before 1950 accounted for 21.3% of allegations, and priests ordained after 1979 accounted for 10.7% of allegations. See more »

Goofs

When Mike Rezendes enters the Globe after getting out of the cab, a Star Market sign is visible behind him. The supermarket near the Globe headquarters was a Shaw's in 2001. It became a Star Market in 2011. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Young Cop: How's that going?
Court Clerk Mark: Mother's bawlin' and the uncle is pissed off.
Young Cop: She's not married?
Court Clerk Mark: Divorced, with 4 kids. I guess the Father was helping out.
Young Cop: Helping out?
Court Clerk Mark: ...Hey, Mr. Burke, they're in the back talking to the Bishop.
Paul Burke: [entering] And Father?
Court Clerk Mark: We put him in the break room.
Paul Burke: Any press?
[...]
See more »

Connections

Referenced in TruInside: Tommy Boy (2016) See more »

Soundtracks

Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 3rd mvmt: Allegro
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach (as Johann Bach)
Courtesy of APM Music
See more »

User Reviews

 
Burns slow, but riveting to the end
26 March 2016 | by Mr-FusionSee all my reviews

Garnered awards and horrifying subject matter put aside, take a look at the movie poster for "Spotlight". It's a still image of the principal cast hovered over a cluttered desk in a small room. It's not flashy, but still an incredibly effective piece of advertising. You know in an instant that this is a journalism movie; die-hards in rolled-up shirtsleeves working all hours to unearth a national scandal. I am an absolute sucker for this.

The scandal herein is the systemic cover-up of pederasty within the Catholic Church. To that end (even though a lot of the dialogue in this movie is come-from-behind startling), one line in particular jumped out at me: "They say it's just physical abuse but it's more than that, this was spiritual abuse. You know why I went along with everything? Because priests are supposed to be the good guys." This isn't just a story about the crimes committed, but there's also sensitivity towards the victims themselves. I dunno, I just found that line deeply unnerving.

But when all is said and done, this movie runs on the grueling nuts-and-bolts detective work of investigative journalism; a uniformly excellent cast, great writing and tension that continues to build.

Amazing stuff.

9/10


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 2015 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Spotlight: édition spéciale See more »

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$295,009, 8 November 2015

Gross USA:

$45,055,776

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$98,690,254
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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