“Despite the fact that Spotlight was my #1 movie of 2015, I predicted that The Revenant would win Best Picture at the Oscars this year. Man, was I happy to be wrong. For while Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s work was well worthy of the award, Tom McCarthy’s true story ensemble drama about the power of journalism and teamwork had a far deeper appeal to me.
“McCarthy’s film, which he co-wrote with Josh Singer (The Fifth Estate, ‘The West Wing’) takes us through the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize winning ‘Spotlight’ team’s investigation of widespread, institutionalized sexual abuse within the Catholic Church with clean precision. Whereas The Revenant is an often chaotic depiction of survival in the savage wilderness of yesteryear, Spotlight, set in 2001, is seemingly, or deceptively, a much smaller, more formal film involving well groomed, professional men (and one woman) simply doing their jobs.
“Their jobs aren’t simple though, as the roads to expose over 200 priests as pedophiles involve a lot of digging, but the film never lost its hold on me through its interviewing of sexual abuse survivors, information heavy walks and talks, and endless note taking. It’s most likely the most talky movie to win Best Picture in ages (well, at least since Argo).
“The ‘Spotlight’ team, sharply played by Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Brian d'Arcy James, and Liev Schreiber (my vote this year for Best Ensemble), all put in passionate performances (and bring their best Boston accents), but only Ruffalo and McAdams both scored Oscar nominations. It would’ve been nice to see Keaton get a nod after his loss for Birdman last year, but at least he got to stand on the stage two years in a row for Best Picture wins.
“Spotlight’s only other Oscar win was for Best Original Screenplay, so I was surprised that it won the biggest award of the 88th Academy Awards. I was so certain of a Revenant sweep that I discounted the sober, less flashy candidate – something I’ll think twice about in the future. Its win almost makes up for Alan J. Pakula’s All the President’s Men being passed over 40 years ago.
“McCarthy’s film is certainly of the same journalism classic caliber as that impeccable Watergate scandal thriller, as it contains a similarly compelling uncovering of a vast conspiracy, and an equally impactful message. That message, concerning folks working together to bring evil out into the light, is as plain as when Patti Smith put it in song back in the ‘80s: ‘People Have the Power’.” ~ Daniel C. Johnson
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