"Spotlight"

Has anyone else seen it yet? It's terrific, although it may have worked even better as a miniseries, with space for more character development for the ensemble. Even though I "despise journalism," I wanted to stand up and cheer for the reporters at several points, though it's not a big "moments" movie. They actually mostly get it right, how these stories are developed.

Even beyond the Globe vs. the diocese, though, it's about battling powerful institutions, and that battle nearly brought me to tears several times because I know how destructive that is, especially in this case. And it's the subtle manipulation of powerful institutions at work. No one is killed. No one is threatened overtly. It's so realistic, which is why it's powerful.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing it. That cast is pretty great.

 

Ruffalo? How many indignantly passionate monologues does he have in this one?

Looking forward to it.

 

He stays mad.

 

Weird that the star of Ray Donovan is in it.

 

Ruffalo plays my friend and former Phoenix colleague Mike Rezendes. Based just on the trailers, he does a very good job of catching Mike's mannerisms and vocal style. Pretty awesome, Mike, to be portrayed by the Hulk.

 

At the risk of SPOILERS ...





Ruffalo is great portraying someone just boiling over to get this story. He has a scene late that will earn him some award nominations where he really gets emotional about it. In a lesser movie, the composite character would reveal that he, too, was abused, and I kept waiting for the revelation. But no. He just wants to break this story that needs to be broken because it's the right fucking thing to do. We all understand that feeling.

 

Gonna see it this evening ... as I noted on the Movie thread. Trailer looked great and several of my former colleagues gave it props.

 

One of my favorite themes in it is how often the big story is right under our noses, sometimes already in print, often buried somewhere.

 

Dick, I know there's a big story I blew (Ric Kuhn point shaving at BC) that was right under my nose and I missed it for the reasons you cited (PS: Pierce was my co-author for the story). I'll bet nobody spends a career in the business without it happening. Imagination is the rarest of human gifts.

 

Wait, you despise journalism?

 

That's what a fellow poster says.