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Spotlight · written by Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy · 2015
Scene 30 of 143 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act two
The Boston Globe's Spotlight team pries open the Catholic Church's decades-long cover-up of child abuse — one sealed record, one silenced victim at a time.
Robby's Spotlight team operates comfortably inside its own routine, prospecting a modest police-corruption story under a departing editor's cover.
Baron's outsider question exposes what the paper has never done: investigate whether Cardinal Law knowingly protected an abusive priest.
The team sets aside its own project and enters unfamiliar territory: survivor networks, a hostile plaintiff's lawyer, and a legal fight to unseal church records.
Sifting the clips, Matt spots a second abusive priest, Liam Barrett, whose transfers mirror Geoghan's pattern, and notes Jim Sullivan's name on the case.
At a Red Sox night game, Ben presses Mike and Kurkjian on whether the Church story has real legs, and Mike names Barrett and Phil Saviano as new leads.
On the first tee at Wollaston, Jim Sullivan and Robby needle each other over golf while their foursome looks on.
This scene
Robby and Jim walk down the fairway. Robby checks the card.
JIM
How we doing?
ROBBY
We’re good. We’re two up.
JIM
Good.
(then)
How’s the new editor working out?
ROBBY
Well, he doesn’t like baseball. But
he seems like a smart guy.
JIM
Yeah, I just read an article about
him. Said he’s the first Jewish
editor at the Globe.
ROBBY
Must have been a slow news day.
JIM
He got a family?
ROBBY
No, he’s not married.
JIM
Divorced?
ROBBY
Don’t think so.
JIM
So the new editor of the Boston
Globe is an unmarried man of the
Jewish faith who hates baseball?
Robby half smiles, shrugs.
JIM (CONT’D)
They should have given it to Ben.
He’s a Bradlee for crying out loud.
ROBBY
He didn’t raise his hand fast
enough.
(then)
By the way, I was reading about this
priest, Father Barrett. Said you
were involved in the case.
Jim reacts, surprised.
JIM
Barrett, yeah. Bad egg. Lake
Street asked for help, I pitched in.
ROBBY
The victim said Cardinal Law knew
about Barrett when he came from
Philly.
JIM
You know I can’t talk about the
case, Robby.
ROBBY
Off the record?
JIM
it. Is this related to the lawsuit?
Now Robby hides his surprise. He stops.
ROBBY
You heard about that?
JIM
Look, I don’t know this guy Baron or
what his agenda is and frankly I
don’t care, I just don’t want you
taking a bullet for him.
Jim heads off toward his ball. Off Robby, processing.