Spotlight Page #21

ROBBY:

MacLeish sent us a letter on 20

priests, years ago. Sacha found the

clip.

MIKE:

Are you freaking kidding me? 20

priests?

BEN:

When?

SACHA:

Just after Porter. December of ‘93.

ROBBY:

We buried the story in Metro. No

folo. Sacha found the clip.

11/26/14 130.

BEN:

That was you. You were Metro.

ROBBY:

Yeah, that was me. I’d just taken

over. I don’t remember it at all.

But yeah.

The room quiets. Gut punch. Ben shakes his head.

MARTY:

Uh, can I say something?

They turn to him.

MARTY (CONT’D)

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that

we spend most of our time stumbling

around in the dark. Suddenly a

light gets turned on, and there’s

fair share of blame to go around.

(then)

I can’t speak to what happened

before I arrived but all of you have

done some very good reporting here,

reporting that I believe is going to

have an immediate and considerable

impact on our readers.

(then)

For me, this kind of story is why we

do this.

The team takes this in.

MARTY (CONT’D)

Having said that, Cardinal Law and

the Catholic community are going to

have a very strong response to this.

So if you need to take a moment,

you’ve earned it. But I will need

you back here Monday morning focused

and ready to do your job.

165A EXT. GLOBE - NIGHT (FORMERLY 171A, ALREADY SHOT) 165A

The building is dark, save for the PRESS ROOM. Through the

window, we see the presses. Running.

166 INT. GLOBE, BEN’S OFFICE - NIGHT (FORMERLY 166A) 166

Ben, coat on, sits alone in his office.

MARTY (O.C.)

Leaving?

11/26/14 131.

Ben looks up. Marty’s in the door. Ben stands.

BEN:

Yeah.

Ben walks out into --

166A EXT. GLOBE NEWSROOM - CONTINUOUS (FORMERLY 166B) 166A

Ben and Marty walk across the quiet press room.

MARTY:

I just got a call from the Cardinal.

BEN:

Really. Why?

MARTY:

He wanted to tell me personally that

he had decided not to comment. He

said he wanted to, uh, extend me

that courtesy.

BEN:

Jesus, the balls on that guy.

What’d you say?

MARTY:

I told him he was making a mistake.

And that we were going to run the

story.

BEN:

Damn right we’re gonna run it.

166B INT. GLOBE, PRESSES - NIGHT 166B

The papers run...

167 INT. SACHA’S GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE, DINING ROOM = NIGHT 167

Old, delicate hands move slowly over copy. Find Sacha’s

Grandmother reading an early edition of the paper. Upset.

Sacha, sitting nearby, watches her. But there’s no emotion,

no empathy. She’s blank, empty. Nothing left to feel...

SACHA’S GRANDMOTHER

Sacha, can I have a drink of water?

SACHA:

Sure, Nana.

Sacha gets up, walks into the kitchen.

11/26/14 132.

167A INT. GLOBE, LOADING DOCKS - NIGHT 167A

Bundles of papers fly down CIRCULAR CHUTES into the trucks.

INSIDE THE TRUCKS, men grab the bundles, and stack them.

168 INT. GARABEDIAN’S OFFICE, CONFERENCE ROOM = NIGHT 168

REVEAL Mitch standing behind his desk, at the window. He

reads another early edition. Then folds it up and hands it

back to Mike... who’s standing in front of the desk.

GARABEDIAN:

Can I keep this?

MIKE:

Sure. I thought you should see it

first.

GARABEDIAN:

Thank you for bringing it by. Now I

have some clients I have to attend

to.

Mitch goes back to work. Same old Mitch. Mike walks out.

169 INT. GARABEDIAN OFFICE, HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS. 169

Mike walks back toward the elevator. He presses the button,

waits, hears children laughing. He peers into --

170 INT. GARABEDIAN OFFICE, SMALL WAITING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 170

A MOTHER sits with TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, ten and eight, playing

innocently. The mother, distraught, fingers ROSARY BEADS.

It’s reminiscent of our open.

GARABEDIAN:

Both boys were abused. Jamaica

Plain. Two weeks ago.

In the HALLWAY, Garabedian stands behind Mike.

GARABEDIAN (CONT’D)

Keep doing your work, Mr. Rezendes.

He goes in. Mike just stands there, GUTTED. Off Mike, his

reflection playing on the window, CUT TO --

172A EXT. GLOBE - NIGHT 172A

The GREEN AND GOLD TRUCKS roll out from the Globe. We see

headlights, a car waits for the trucks to pass.

PUSH IN... and we see it’s Robby behind the wheel. CUT INTO --

11/26/14 133.

172B INT. ROBBY’S CAR - SAME TIME 172B

Robby sits in his car watching the trucks roll out.

A173 EXT. BOSTON - DAWN A173

The SPARKLING BOSTON SKYLINE. The City on the Hill.

173 EXT. WEST ROXBURY, BOSTON - EARLY MORNING 173

A welcome mat. A copy of the Globe is slapped down. We see

the HEADLINE:
Church Allowed Abuse by Priest for Years.

Reveal Matt walking away from the door. We see it’s the

treatment center near his house.

174 INT. GLOBE, HALLWAY - EARLY MORNING 174

We’re behind Sacha as she walks down the hall. She opens the

firehose box, grabs a key. Unlocks the door to Spotlight.

174A INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT - EARLY MORNING 174A

Sacha enters, turns on the lights, takes off her coat. Matt

enters.

MATT:

Hey.

SACHA:

Morning.

MATT:

How’d you sleep?

SACHA:

Not very well. You?

MATT:

I haven’t slept well for months.

I’ve actually started writing.

SACHA:

Writing?

MATT:

Yeah, I’m working on a book. Gives

me something else to focus on.

SACHA:

That’s great. What kind of book?

MATT:

Horror.

11/26/14 134.

Sacha reacts, the irony not lost on her. The phone RINGS.

The tip line. They both stare. At last, Matt picks up.

MATT (INTO PHONE) (CONT’D)

Spotlight. Yeah. Yeah, of course.

Can I get your name please?

He grabs a pen. As he and Sacha trade a look, CUT TO --

175 EXT. GLOBE, FRONT PARKING LOT - MORNING 175

The small visitor’s lot at the Globe entrance is empty, save

for MIKE’S CAR. Idling. Robby’s car enters, pulls up next

to Mike’s. Robby looks across at Mike. The two men connect.

Mike and Robby get out of their cars.

ROBBY:

You do know it’s Sunday, right?

MIKE:

I couldn’t get a tee time.

Robby smiles. Mike notes the SECURITY GUARDS at the entrance.

MIKE (CONT’D)

No picketers.

ROBBY:

Probably still at church.

They walk in. Warriors returning home.

177 INT. GLOBE, NEWSROOM - EARLY MORNING 177

Mike and Robby walk into the newsroom. It’s QUIET. Mike and

Robby share a CONFUSED look as they reach the desk. LINDA,

the operator, and two others sit by the phones. BORED.

ROBBY:

Hey Linda.

MIKE:

It’s quiet, huh?

LINDA:

Yeah. Easiest overtime I ever made,

phone hasn’t rung once. Marty sent

two of mine down to Spotlight.

Mike and Robby trade a look. Spotlight? They start moving.

11/26/14 135.

LINDA (CONT’D)

(calls out after them)

Great article guys.

ROBBY:

Thank you.

MIKE:

Thanks.

They hustle through the empty newsroom, heading downstairs.

We hold on Marty, in his office. Working. As always.

178 INT. GLOBE, HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS 178

Robby and Mike charge from the stairwell. They quickly walk

down the corridor with purpose. As they do, we hear...

A MURMUR. Buzzing. And RINGING PHONES. Mike and Robby

trade a look, pick up the pace. As they approach Spotlight,

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