With the first semester of school coming to a close, winter break is finally upon us. It's in full swing, and now we finally have some free time on our hands. Whenever I have loads of free time, I usually spend it watching an endless number of movies. I recently went out to see "Spotlight," a film that tells the story of the team of journalists at the Boston Globe, and their discovery of the hidden sexual abuse of children by priests that belong to Catholic Churches in Boston, as well as other locations in Massachusetts.
At the time, this topic was extremely controversial. One of the most trusted institutions was being accused of sweeping these abuse charges under the rug. The journey this investigative team goes on is long, frustrating, and in some instances, very uncomfortable. In the film, the victims who were abused as children were interviewed, and asked to give specific details about their experiences.
I went into the theater knowing very little about what happened in 2001 in Massachusetts. I was eager to learn more; the limitations of journalism was under the microscope, and it was impossible to know if all of the information was going to be revealed. The confidential testimonies and documents created obstacles for the team and made it difficult to get all the facts of the story. Also, the sensitivity of the story had to be taken into consideration. The First Amendment was brought up in the movie and used to fight in court. Although the story was riveting, I found the essence to be more intriguing.
In my opinion, the film was incredible. It accurately portrayed the time period in which these events took place, as well as incorporated the hardships the members of the team had to face while working. I do not have much experience in journalism, but being a Communications Arts major opened my eyes to the nature of the business. The long days, tenacious interviews, uncooperative subjects...the list could go on. However, the film showed us how important press can be and how much of an influence it can have within the community. The emotional aspect was raw and genuine. The actors were spot on in illustrating what a driven journalist, who thrives on providing the truth to their readers would behave like.
Films these days seem to focus on the spectacle of it all. Special effects, sound effects, twists and surprises...it's all just entertainment. "Spotlight" in particular was an extraordinary, dramatic, enticing, and well-acted film that focused on the writing process from start to finish. I believe that these types of films should be more prominent in cinema; it causes an emotional reaction from the audience and allows for a wider range of discussion. I give "Spotlight" a five star review, and recommend it to any aspiring journalist.
