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‘Spotlight:’ My Personal Take, by Globe Reporter Matt Carroll

In Feature Stories by PhilSaviano

NOVEMBER 2015 | HUFFINGTON POST — I’m one of the journalists portrayed in the movie Spotlight, which was recently released. It follows our team of investigative reporters at The Boston Globe as we slowly uncover decades of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and the systemic coverups of the misdeeds by their superiors. We’ve been to screenings in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles. The experience has been everything you might expect it — great and wonderful and, frankly, a little weird.
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With ‘Spotlight,’ Victims of Child Sex Abuse by Catholic Priests Feel Empowered

In Feature Stories by PhilSaviano

Feb. 23, 2016 | LOS ANGELES TIMES — Since “Spotlight’s” November release, many abuse survivors and relatives have felt empowered to share their own harrowing stories — some for the first time. They’ve also been enlisted to join in the movie’s awards season campaign by Open Road Films and Participant Media (the companies that produced and financed the picture), helping to underscore its societal influence.
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Radiant “Spotlight” Illuminates How Boston Globe Covered Church Sex Scandal

In Reviews by PhilSaviano

NOVEMBER 2015 | LOS ANGELES TIMES — “”Spotlight” is mightily impressive not only because of the importance of the story it tells but also because of how much effort and skill went into bringing it to the screen in the best possible way. The entire “Spotlight” team understood a key tenet of the profession: If you have a good story, over-hyping it will be counterproductive.”
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Spotlight: It’s Boston Globe vs. Catholic Church

In Reviews by PhilSaviano

NOVEMBER 2015 | ROLLING STONE — “Bravo to director Tom McCarthy, who wrote the richly detailed script with Josh Singer. There’s not an ounce of Hollywood bullshit in it. Our eyes and ears are the Spotlight team, played by exceptional actors who could not be better or more fully committed.”
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Shtumi in the Spotlight: How to Turn an Info-Heavy Story Into Riveting Drama

In Feature Stories by PhilSaviano

NOVEMBER 2015 | MOVIEMAKER — “Condensing true-life stories into screenplays is hard. I’ve spent the past dozen years trying to figure out how to do it and I’ve still got lots to learn. Part of the secret to making talky, information-heavy movies cinematic is making sure the talk you do have is as clear and concise as possible. I’ll get specific on that in a second. First I have to talk about shtumi.”
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“Spotlight” and Its Revelations

In Feature Stories by PhilSaviano

DECEMBER 2015 | THE NEW YORKER — “Since seeing the movie “Spotlight,” about the Boston Globe investigation of sexual abuse and coverups in the Catholic Church, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and the questions it raises—about how far institutions will go to protect themselves, about who we listen to and protect, about who and what we ignore, about the power of disclosure and even conversation.”
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