heavy story well-handled

Rating: 8/10 (23 March 2016)

Having lived in Boston, and having been raised Catholic, there were many elements of "Spotlight" that were impressive.
The story concerns the Boston Globe's 2001 investigation into sexual abuse of minors committed by priests, and how the Catholic church covered up the crimes by moving the priests from parish to parish.
The reporters are members of the Spotlight team, which work on important, investigative stories. They are are Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James). Their boss is Walter V. Robinson (Michael Keaton), and his boss is the new guy in town, editor Martin "Marty" Baron (Leiv Schreiber). Above all of them is Ben Bradlee Jr. (John Slattery).
For many years prior to the sexual abuse scandal, Spotlight had investigated and reported on many other ground-breaking stories.
When an attorney, Mitchell Garabedian (Stanley Tucci) claims that the Archbishop of Boston knew that Father John Geoghan, a priest in the diocese was sexually abusing children, the bishop did nothing.
Baron wants the Spotlight reporters to find out whether it's true, whether if it's an isolated incident, or if it is a common practice. When 9/11 hits, they have to put the story on hold, but pick it up again.
Fascinating story, and we see the investigation grow from the beginning, from trying to interview victims, then priests, getting sealed documents from court, and the shock of learning how widespread the problem is.
The film also focuses on the pressure and lack of cooperation from outside sources, the reverence with which people hold the Church, and the tremendous influence and hold that it has on the city. When one boy was abused, the Cardinal visited his home to calm the waters, and "my mother served freakin' cookies." For someone in my mother's generation, it is a devastating story.
Seeing the Boston locations was amazing -- including exactly where I once worked in Government Center. The acting, including the accents, was excellent, but nothing overwhelmed the story. The emphasis seemed to be on ensemble performance and keeping the story up front.
"Spotlight" tells a sobering, sad tale. As one of the sources says, "The church is an institution of men, and even well-meaning men fail." One questions how well-meaning men were who decided to keep this quiet. And the point is made in the film that spirituality and faith are separate from formalized religion.