Spotlight (2015)

Not since No Country for Old Men (2007) had I been so reluctant to watch an Academy Best Picture. It's a rather disturbing subject, especially to a member of the Roman Catholic Church congregation (I've lost faith but still sing in the choir). Besides, with only one other Oscar, how deserving could it be?

Set mainly in 2001, when allegations of child sexual abuse by priests were nothing new, this drama puts the, y'know, spotlight on The Boston Globe, particularly its four "Spotlight" section team members. New editor-in-chief Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) thinks they've given too short shrift to such scandals, not least because local Cardinal Law (whose name confused me for a while) has been implicated in trying to hide a recent one. Remember, cardinals rank higher than archbishops, just short of the Pope. If the Globe finds compelling evidence of systematic cover-ups, it'll be big news indeed. But this endeavor faces a lot of obstacles, and not just in the form of direct Church power -- which, surprisingly enough, never really issues a threat.

It can be tricky to draw the line between acts of the Church and acts of its supporters. Putting aside the difficulty anyone has in talking about their past victimization, the peer pressure from laypersons, many of whom have benefited from religious charities, makes the topic verboten in general. Boston has an extraordinarily large Catholic percentage by American standards. Heck, all four main reporters are lapsed but not hostile Catholics. Ironically, they come to feel as if they in the media are the last to have any idea how common the scandals are.

Then there are the challenges specific to the business. The team has trouble agreeing when it has enough evidence to publish. Too soon and the story will fade out of the public mind quickly; too late and another paper will beat the Globe to it. It doesn't help when the events of 9/11 force a delay in the coverage of anything else.

The effects of such sex abuse are even worse than I realized. It's not just the usual effects of abuse plus the treachery of an honored leader; the victims get extra confused about what's "right." All too often, they resort to self-destructive if not outright suicidal behaviors, leading the rest to call themselves survivors.

As far as I know, the movie is quite accurate, with little more than inconsequential anachronisms noted on IMDb. It does bother me a little that the reporters look almost entirely at the Boston area and then draw conclusions about the Church worldwide, but I accept the limitations of the medium. In the end, we get a long list of cities with numerous accused priests; I was relieved not to find my hometown area among them.

Yes, I still plan to go to my church. I may even rekindle my confidence in it. There have been mild defenses along the lines that the worst has passed, the hierarchy's actions were well-intentioned, and many of these allegations are likely false. More often, clergymen express dismay at their guilty brethren but also optimism that a 2,000-year-old institution can live it down. Will the Church drop the celibacy requirement in order to discourage sexual misconduct on the sly? I wouldn't bet on it, but maybe.

As you can surmise, Spotlight is nothing if not emotionally powerful. The subject matter plays a big part in that, of course, but there's more to appreciate. The screenplay reminds me of Aaron Sorkin in its verbal prowess, explaining that second Oscar. Michael Keaton plays Walter Robinson to utter perfection according to Robinson himself! My dad thought Mark Ruffalo as Mike Rezendes swallowed too many words, but my mom and I didn't notice; mainly I liked seeing him channel Tom Cruise from A Few Good Men. It's also a treat to watch other stars in the cast, among them Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, and Billy Crudup (quite a few comic book adaptation alumni).

So I respect the Academy's choice after all. In terms of personal preference, I put it third among Best Picture nominees but first among those that were deemed likely to win. And it's definitely the best work written and directed by Tom McCarthy.