Spotlight
Break the story. Break the silence.
Spotlight (2015)
![Watch film Spotlight — Spotlight | Official Trailer [HD] | Global Road Entertainment](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yXymzwz0V2g/sddefault.jpg)
Production
Budget
$20 000 000
Revenue
$98 690 254
Director
Scenario
Composer
Producer
Actors
Mark Ruffalo
Michael 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
Short description
Spotlight is set in Boston in 2001, where the Globe brings in a new editor, Marty Baron, who pushes the paper's investigative unit to revisit a story that had been left alone. The team, known as Spotlight, begins looking into a single priest accused of abusing young people over decades, and what starts as a narrow inquiry widens into a pattern of abuse and cover-up reaching into the city's Catholic archdiocese and the institutions around it. Victims, lawyers and church officials prove reluctant to talk, and the reporters must work through that resistance to establish what was known and who protected whom.
Tom McCarthy directed and co-wrote the film with Josh Singer, following his earlier features The Station Agent, The Visitor, Win Win and The Cobbler. Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery and Brian d'Arcy James lead an ensemble credited alongside 81 cast members and 99 crew. Made for about 20 million dollars, it took close to 99 million worldwide.
Reception was strong: it holds 8.8/10 from 378 critics' reviews, with audience scores of 8.1/10 on IMDb from 533,000 votes and 7.8/10 on TMDB from 8,982 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- Upon agreeing to the role of Walter Robinson, Michael Keaton was only worried about his lack of a Boston accent. After watching recordings of Robinson, Keaton was greatly surprised to find that his real-life counterpart's accent was not particularly strong either. It turned out to be easier to portray the almost imperceptible accent.
- During each break in filming, Mark Ruffalo asked Michael Rezendes, whom he was portraying, to read his lines to him.
- To better understand his character and his mannerisms, Michael Keaton spent days on end with Walter Robinson.
- Near Michael Keaton's desk, you can see a photograph of Walter Robinson's daughter, Jessica, taken in 2000. Next to it is a picture of Keaton himself with Elena Staiteler (Vol), who plays Robinson's wife Barbara in the film.
- The role of Michael Rezendes was initially intended for Matt Damon, but ultimately went to Mark Ruffalo.
- Visiting the set, Walter Robinson was struck by the fact that Michael Keaton was sitting at an exact replica of his desk, typing with two fingers just as he himself did – pursing his lips and looking over his glasses at the monitor of an old computer that had stood in his office in 2001.
- When Mark Ruffalo met Michael Rezendes (this happened at Rezendes' home), he brought a notebook and an iPhone with him to record the journalist's voice for subsequent study of his speech patterns.
- Former priest and psychiatrist Richard Sipe speaks in the film with the voice of actor Richard Jenkins. Neither is credited.
- In an interview with National Public Radio, director Tom McCarthy stated that many of the actors involved in the film met the prototypes of their characters and that the newspaper's journalists spent a lot of time on the set.
- In an interview with National Public Radio, director Tom McCarthy said that offices of The Boston Globe’s newsroom were built on the set, where the plot unfolded. He also said that when the journalists featured in the film visited the set, each went to "their" desk and began rearranging things on its surface as they usually do in real life.
- Paul Guilfoyle, who played Pete Conley, graduated from Boston College High School in 1967.
- Some viewers were dismayed by the fact that the film's characters used the term "9/11" when discussing the September 11, 2001 attacks. Viewers felt that too little time had passed since the attacks for the term to become commonplace. In fact, the term "9/11" was used almost immediately after the tragedy. The New York Times announced a fundraising campaign for the victims of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in its September 13, 2001 issue. It was called "The New York Times 9/11 Needy Fund."
- Many actors who appeared in "Spotlight" have starred in films based on comics. Michael Keaton played Bruce Wayne, or Batman, in "Batman" (1989) and "Batman Returns" (1992). Mark Ruffalo starred as Bruce Banner, or Hulk, in "The Avengers" (2012), "Iron Man 3" (2013), and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015). Liev Schreiber played Victor Creed, or Sabretooth, in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (2009). John Slattery played Howard Stark in "Iron Man 2" (2010) and "Ant-Man" (2015). Billy Crudup portrayed Doctor Manhattan, or Jonathan Osterman, in "Watchmen" (2009). Stanley Tucci played the scientist Abraham Erskine in "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011). Rachel McAdams starred in "Doctor Strange".
- When Rachel McAdams’ character tells her colleague in a bar that the interview with survivors of the attack on the Twin Towers will have to be postponed, a football game is shown on television, featuring Penn State University coach Joe Paterno.
- All the journalists write with blue pens, their boss with a black pen, and the editor with a red one. What this means is unknown.
- Stephanie Drummond appeared in a cameo role in the film. This actress is known for her line, "And then she just, like, looked at me and was like, 'I hate you!'" in "Mean Girls" (2004). Rachel McAdams, who plays Sasha Pfeiffer in "Spotlight," played Regina George in "Mean Girls."
- Liev Schreiber also plays Ray Donovan from Boston, whose brother was sexually abused by a clergyman as a child and later joined the SNAP organization.
- Margot Robbie declined an offer to play Sasha Pfeiffer due to fatigue. Amy Adams and Michelle Williams were considered for the role, but Rachel McAdams was ultimately cast.
- At the time of the film's release, Michael Resendes remained the only investigative journalist who assisted the film's creators with their work.
- This is the second film directed by Tom McCarthy to feature John Slattery. The first was 'The Station Agent' (2003).
- In one episode of the film, a football match is broadcast on television in a bar. Joe Paterno, the coach of the Pennsylvania State University team, appears on screen, who was once accused of failing to report on his assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of students.
- Towards the end of the film, it is revealed that Michael Keaton's character previously worked as an editor in the local news department. In 'The Paper' (1994), Keaton played the role of an editor in the local news department of a fictional newspaper.
- The action in the initial episode of the film takes place in 1976, but cars from later years are visible on screen, such as the Ford Granada produced from 1978-1980.
- Walter Robinson said, "This is called identity theft. If Michael Keaton robbed a bank, the police would come after me."
- Before meeting Walter Robinson in person, a role he agreed to play, Michael Keaton observed the journalist for some time and even lived near him. Robinson himself had no idea he had become the object of such attention. Keaton also had audio and video recordings of Robinson. When they met, Keaton impersonated Robinson so convincingly that the stunned journalist asked, "How do you know all this about me? We just met."
- The screenplay for "Spotlight" was on the 2013 Black List – a list of potentially successful screenplays that were not produced that year.
- Director Tom McCarthy confessed that he was influenced by the following films while working on this project: "Frost/Nixon" (2008), "Broadcast News" (1987), "Network" (1976), "All the President's Men" (1976), "The Killing Fields" (1984), "The Insider" (1999), "Citizen Kane" (1941), "Ace in the Hole" (1951), "JFK" (1991), "Verdict" (1982), and "Good Night, and Good Luck" (2005). Tom McCarthy himself appeared in a cameo role in the latter.
- The opening and closing credits of the film are rendered in the Miller typeface, which is primarily used by "The Boston Globe" newspaper.
- Walter Robinson on Michael Keaton’s performance: “It’s like looking in a mirror where the reflection somehow lives its own life.”
- Tom McCarthy admitted that the film 'Spotlight' was heavily influenced by the film 'The Verdict' (1982) and its director, Sidney Lumet.
- Here's what Michael Keaton said about Walter Robinson’s accent and about Robinson himself, whom he portrayed: “Tom McCarthy and others relayed to me Robinson's words that he has no accent at all. He simply mechanically copies the way of speaking of the people around him. Sometimes some sounds come out harshly for him, and there are other speech nuances. I remember thinking at the time, ‘Damn, how am I supposed to determine when he’s speaking with a Boston accent, and when he isn’t?’ It’s these little things that make acting difficult. But basically, you just have to become the person you’re playing. Not embellish him, but play him as he is.”
- Walter Robinson said: “When I saw myself on the screen as portrayed by Michael Keaton, I wanted to apologize to many of those from whom I had once taken interviews.”
- Ben Bradlee Jr., who specializes in investigative journalism – a role played by John Slattery in the film – is the son of Benjamin C. Bradlee, the editor-in-chief of 'The Washington Post' during the 1970s investigation of the 'Watergate' scandal. In the film 'All the President's Men' (1976), Benjamin C. Bradlee was played by Jason Robards.
- Michael Resendes: “Watching Mark Ruffalo play me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was looking into a distorted mirror.”
- Once, Mark Ruffalo asked Michael Resendes with the following request: “Could you yell at someone so I can watch?”
- Michael Keaton about his character: “Walter Robinson is a very straightforward and sometimes tough man, but if you don’t provoke him, he's quite kind and easygoing. On the other hand, he is very secretive when it comes to his sources. He doesn't show off, he simply protects them. Watching him, I became convinced that I myself, to some extent, possess some of his behavioral traits.”
- To get into the role, Michael Keaton rewatched the film “All the President's Men” (1976), in which Jason Robards starred.
- A Sarah McLachlan cover of the XTC single “Dear God” can be heard in one of the film’s trailers. Released in 1986, the song was met with mixed reactions. Some listeners believed that the lyrics contained criticism of religion and the church, and also expressed doubts about the existence of God.
- On August 23, 2003, Father John J. Geoghan, excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church, was killed in a Massachusetts state prison by a fellow inmate. The former priest had been sentenced to prison for indecent assault and battery on a minor in a public place. The sentence was appealed, but the person against whom it was issued died before the appeal could be heard, so the conviction was vacated. Two judges who made this decision noted that they acted in accordance with a Supreme Court directive and that vacating the conviction “is standard practice in such circumstances.”
- The film’s creative team was very grateful to the staff of The Boston Globe for their help with set design, costume selection, and overall work on the film and script.
- As Mark Ruffalo reported, many of the journalists at The Boston Globe whose investigation triggered the sexual abuse scandal were themselves members of the Roman Catholic Church.
- This is the second film about journalism to feature Michael Keaton. The first was 'The Paper' (1994).
- ‘Spotlight’ is filmed in the best traditions of ‘All the President's Men’ (1976), considered a classic of the genre.
- Michael Keaton and Walter Robinson met at the Greenwich Hotel bar in New York after Labor Day. The actor and journalist shook hands, after which Keaton frowned and said, "You know, your Boston accent is almost unnoticeable."
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