Investigative journalism takes center stage in Spotlight, winner of the 2015 Best Picture Oscar. After seeing this movie, I have greater admiration for journalists who work diligently to find the truth behind serious problems, even when it involves a powerful institution that most of the public looks up to. In this film based on a true story, the problem happens to be scandalous child molestation by priests, and the Catholic Church is the institution covering it up. Although released back in November of 2015, the movie is being extended to many more screens on March 4, 2016. 

When Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) becomes the new editor of the Boston Globe in 2002, he strongly encourages the “Spotlight” department, headed by Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton), to find out all the facts about this deplorable situation. So his crew, including Mike Rezendez (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James) take on the difficult assignment -- which almost ends up being a crusade for them. And because of their realistic performances as well as the dynamite topic they are investigating, we can’t help cheering them on in their struggle to uncover correct information and make it public. Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) and McAdams (Red Eye) stand out here. They received well-deserved Best Supporting Oscar nominations but lost out to Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies and Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl, respectively.                   

Spotlight also earned an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Director Tom McCarthy (who helmed The Station Agent, one of my favorite movies) co-wrote the suspenseful script with Josh Singer (The Fifth Estate). I only wish the film included more explanation concerning why the Catholic Church officials thought moving so many offending priests from one place to another would work.       

Find out the truth and tell it all

no matter who must take the fall.

Reporters learn of priests gone bad

and cover-ups that make them mad.

A search for facts behind the crime

consumes their work for a long time.

Spotlight the film reveals all this.

It’s one movie you should not miss.

Boston Globe folks deserve our praise.

And so to them a glass I raise.

Some future kids might now be saved.

That’s why I wrote this poem -- and raved.

(Released by Open Road Films and rated “R” for some language including sexual references.)  

For more information about Spotlight, go to the IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes website.