It’s not every day that an investigative journalism piece moves you. Winning the Academy Award for best picture 2015, “Spotlight” is based on true events and real people. The film follows the investigations of the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team into allegations of widespread pedophilia by priests that the Church hierarchy covered up. Uncovering evidence in forms of victim testimony and court documents, viewers are in for an overwhelming sensation of eagerness as they get further into the film.
Whether or not you were aware of the widespread abuses, this film undeniably creates discussion. Throughout the film, victims interviewed ask the Spotlight team why they had not written a story sooner. Which raises a question: if an investigative team of journalists had not broken this story, would it still be covered up today? There lies the importance of film and investigative journalism.
Each member of the Spotlight team had to make sacrifices. They saw little of their families and friends for a year. The perseverance and courage of these members was necessary to bring hundreds of victims closure. Though many victims were willing to come forward and share their testimonies, there were also many who did not want to. But the underlying strength that this group of victims possess is remarkable.
This emotional film will leave viewers in disbelief of the discoveries made. The large-scale nature of this scandal is perplexing. The perplexity of a coverup dealing with the Catholic Church can raise a lot of questions. Whether or not you are a religious person, the twists and turns of the revelations will shock. Questions of how and why the church would go to such extreme lengths to protect pedophiles will be raised. Spotlight provides watchers food for thought through an emotionally moving series of events. After watching this film, obstacles a person may face in life will somehow seem possible to conquer.
