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Spotlight · written by Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy · 2015
Scene 54 of 143 · ≈ 1 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.
Phil Saviano tells the team abuse this systemic isn't just physical, it's spiritual: 'if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one.'
Ben packs up for the night when Robby catches him with a question.
Walking out, Ben notes Marty is still working late, and Robby tells him he wants to expand the investigation because Phil Saviano's count of thirteen abusive priests might be legitimate.
Richard Sipe, a former priest turned researcher, calls Mike at home and tells him pedophile priests are a recognized psychiatric phenomenon that the Church has known about for decades.
This scene
Eileen reads the paper, drinks a diet coke. Kurkjian sits nearby, working on a story and some eggs. Matt joins.
MATT
Hey Mac, if I needed historical data
on a priest, parishes he’d been
assigned to, where would I find it?
EILEEN
For Geoghan? It’s all in the clips.
Lisa has the source material.
MATT
Yeah, what if it was another priest?
One that hadn’t been in the papers.
EILEEN
You’re looking at another priest?
KURKJIAN
Who’re you looking at?
Kurkjian looks over. Matt tries to focus on Eileen.
MATT
Any ideas?
EILEEN
Come on Matt, you’re not going to
tell me?
Matt stares at her. Then pulls back.
MATT
I gotta get to a meeting. Thanks
Mac.
Matt beats a hasty retreat. Eileen and Kurkjian trade a look. Huh.