From IMDB:
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
For more than 2 hours Kathy and I sat glued to the screen waiting to see if the Boston Globe could get the goods on Cardinal Law. We here in Boston have a more immediate connection with the proceedings and can better appreciate the Omertà (Italian for “conspiracy of silence”) that was Catholic Boston and especially South Boston. Would the film have been so compelling if the plot had been merely fiction? In my opinion, it is the sad truth of the situation that makes the viewing so powerful. On the other hand, the film could have been poorly done and could have become a boring sermon. Instead the entire construction is flawless. Some Catholics to this day cannot bring themselves to watch this film.
There are NO sex scenes in the film.
When the film is over, be sure to stay for the follow-up history that appears on the screen. You will be horrified. For example, you will learn that the Pope rewarded Cardinal Law with a prestigious position in Rome which Law resigned when he (Law) reached 80 years of age. If you read the Wikipedia article, you will read:
In May 2012 MSNBC reported that Law was “the person in Rome most forcefully supporting” the Vatican response to Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori‘s petition to investigate and crack down on the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, a large group of American nuns seeking a greater role in the Church.
According to mere word of mouth, Law once bragged he would be the first American pope. Instead he will probably be canonized as the “Patron Saint of Pedophiles.”
For me one striking visual experience was my trying to recognize the aging male actors from earlier films and TV shows (Rachel McAdams is too young to have changed much) :
- Mark Ruffalo as Mike Rezendes still looks reasonably young.
- Michael Keaton as Walter Robinson is a far cry from his character in “Beetlejuice”.
- Liev Schreiber as soft-spoken Marty Baron completely fooled me with his beard.
- John Slattery as Ben Bradlee will always be one of the senior partners from “Mad Men”.
- Will you recognize Stanley Tucci as the eccentric Mitchell Grabedian?
- Jamey Sheridan as Jim Sullivan in the past played Captain James Deakins in “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”. But do not miss him in “Handsome Harry“.
- Paul Guilfoyle as Pete Conely will always be Capt. Jim Brass in “CSI”.
- Do you suppose Len Criou (who plays Henry Reagan in “Blue Bloods”) was embarrassed to play Cardinal Law?
DO NOT MISS this film to remember.