In 1976 the film "All the President's Men" portrayed the true story of Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward (Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford) uncovering the Watergate Scandal. It wasn't the first time in cinema that journalists took center stage, but it was one of few films that focused intently on their craft. "All the President's Men" bagged four Oscars including, aptly, best writing / screenwriting.
Forty years on, and "Spotlight" wins an Oscar for best picture. Once again, the story follows journalists in the newsroom working their backsides off — and not much else. But it's a riveting, tense 128 minutes, and you see not only the power of the printed word, but also an inkling of why newspapers and books are still around.
It is also an ode to investigative journalism, which by many accounts, is a dying art. The title refers to the name of The Boston Globe team that routinely chased down stories (and still does) primarily on corruption and scandal, for a duration of six months and more, going in-depth and getting up-close. Very few newsrooms have the incentive and budget for a section like Spotlight anymore.
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