НАЗВАНИЕ: Spotlight (2015)
ГОД: 2015
СЦЕНАРИСТ: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
ИСТОЧНИК: ScriptSlug (PDF) — https://www.scriptslug.com/script/spotlight-2015
URL: https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/spotlight-2015.pdf
СКАЧАНО: 2026-10-12 11:49
ПРИМЕЧАНИЕ: текст чужой, для личного изучения. Не распространять. Не исполнять.
======================================================================

     SPOTLIGHT
        Written by
Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy
1   INT. POLICE STATION, BOSTON - NIGHT, 1976                     1

    A quiet, cold winter night. An OLDER COP emerges from an
    INTERVIEW ROOM, walks down a long hall.

                     Boston, MA - December, 1976

    He reaches the front desk. A YOUNG COP looks to him,
    curious, as he lights a cigarette.

                        YOUNG COP
              How’s that going?

                        OLDER COP
              The mother’s bawling and the uncle’s
              pissed off.

                        YOUNG COP
              She’s not married?

                        OLDER COP
              Divorced with four kids. I guess
              Father was helping out.

                        YOUNG COP
              Helping out?

    The Older Cop shrugs. The front door opens and BURKE, FRESH
    FACED, 32, walks in. He wears a dark overcoat.

                        OLDER COP
              Hey, Mr. Burke. They’re in the back
              talking to the Bishop.

                        BURKE
              And Father?

    The Older Cop nods in the other direction.

                        OLDER COP
              We put him in the break room.

                           BURKE
              Any press?

                        OLDER COP
              Some guy from the Citizen, but we
              sent him away. None of the big
              papers.

                        BURKE
              Let’s keep it that way.

    Burke walks toward the interview room.
                               11/26/14                         2.


                        YOUNG COP
                  (off Burke)
              Who’s that?

                        OLDER COP
              Assistant DA.

                        YOUNG COP
              Gonna be hard to keep the papers
              away from the arraignment.

                        OLDER COP
              What arraignment?

    He’s matter of fact. The young cop reacts, looks towards the
    PRIEST (GEOGHAN) sitting in the break room.

                        OLDER COP (O.C.) (CONT’D)
              You can tell Father Geoghan it won’t
              be much longer.

2   OMITTED                                                          2

3   INT. POLICE STATION, INTERVIEW ROOM - MOMENTS LATER              3

    A BISHOP, 50s, talks in hushed tones with SHEILA, 33.     TWO
    BOYS, 7 and 9, sit coloring.

                        BISHOP
              Sheila, you know what good work the
              church does in the community. I
              give you my personal guarantee that
              I’m going to take Father out of the
              parish and this will never happen
              again.

    Burke enters, eyes Sheila nervously fingering ROSARY BEADS.

                        BISHOP (CONT’D)
              We’ll just be another moment, Paul.

                        BURKE
              Of course, Father.

    The Bishop turns back to Sheila.   Burke eyes the kids.

                        BISHOP (O.C.)
              Now Sheila, I’m going to give you my
              personal card...
                                  11/26/14                      3.


4   EXT. POLICE STATION - LATER                                      4

    The Young Cop stands outside smoking. He watches as the
    Bishop and Father Geoghan exit the police station and get
    into a TOWN CAR, a DRIVER behind the wheel. As they drive
    away, we HOLD ON the cop. PROCESSING.

                                                   FADE TO BLACK.

                               SPOTLIGHT

    FADE IN:

6   INT. BOSTON GLOBE, NEWSROOM - DAY, 2001                          6

    A large newsroom.   REPORTERS and EDITORS gathered.

                        Boston, MA - July, 2001

    DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR BEN BRADLEE JR., 50s, gruff, stands in
    front with an older reporter, STEWART, 60s. And a cake.

                         BEN
               Losing good reporters, it’s tough.
               And losing one of our best... well
               to put it as eloquently as I can,
               it’s a real kick in the ass.

    A few polite chuckles from those in the crowd.

                         BEN (CONT’D)
               But Robby’s known Stewart longer
               than most of you have been alive so
               I’m gonna turn it over to him.
               Robby?

    Ben looks to WALTER ‘ROBBY’ ROBINSON, 55, Boston Everyman.

                         ROBBY
               Thanks, Ben. I think. And although
               I take issue with the reference to
               my seniority, I will say Stewart’s
               departure is especially painful for
               me. You see, for... what? 20 years
               now, Stewart’s been more than
               willing to part with his money at
               the poker table...
                   (Laughter)
               And I got a kid in college.

    More laughter.

                         STEWART
               Yeah, but I’m gonna keep playing.
                                  11/26/14                      4.


                         ROBBY
               Problem solved. Godspeed, buddy.

     Everyone’s laughing now.    Robby connects in a warm, easy way.

                         ROBBY (CONT’D)
               Now, Stewart, I find the timing of
               your departure a bit disconcerting.
               The corner office sits empty, the
               new editor arrives on Monday, so
               forgive me, buddy, but I gotta
               ask... what the hell do you know?

     The room hoots and laughs. Stewart covers his mouth. Speak
     no evil. More laughter takes us to...

7    INT. GLOBE, HALL/STAIRWELL - LATER                              7

     SACHA PFEIFFER, 28, wholesome, no bullshit, and MATT CARROLL,
     mid 40s, mustache, family man, walk down the hall, into a
     stairwell and down a set of stairs, both carrying cake.

7A   INT. GLOBE, HALL OUTSIDE SPOTLIGHT - MOMENTS LATER          7A

     They emerge on the floor below, Sacha eating her cake.

                         MATT
               How’s the cake?

                         SACHA
               It’s really good.    Saving yours?

                         MATT
               Nah, it’s for Mike. I can never eat
               at those things. They kind of
               depress me.

                         SACHA
               I know.
                   (taking a bite)
               You see the numbers from Washington?

                            MATT
               Yeah.     Very interesting.

                         SACHA
               I think so too.

     They walk into --

8    INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - CONTINUOUS                       8

     CRAMPED OFFICE. Small windows. MIKE REZENDES, late 30s,
     good looks, so-so haircut, sits at his UNHOLY MESS of a desk.
                            11/26/14                       5.


                     MIKE (INTO PHONE)
          Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh. Dan, I
          talked to my guy at Justice, I know
          you guys have been dropping cases...
              (then)
          Look, Dan, I’m not asking if the
          PD’s lying, I know they are. All
          I’m asking is who’s behind it?

Matt sets the cake by Mike, sits at a desk full of FAMILY
PHOTOS. Sacha checks messages at a tidy desk, full of books.

                    MIKE (INTO PHONE) (CONT’D)
          I get it. You don’t want to talk.
              (listens)
          I’m not mad, Dan, I’m hungry. We’ve
          been talking so long, I missed
          lunch. So I’m going to go eat,
          which gives you an hour to decide if
          you want to be on the right side of
          this or read about it in the paper
          like everyone else.

Mike hangs up the phone, digs into the cake.

                    SACHA
          You think Cahill’s got something?

                    MIKE
          Maybe, I just don’t think this
          story’s for us.

                    MATT
          Ben likes it.

                     MIKE
          Yeah, it’s not bad, it’s just not
          Spotlight.

Robby enters.

                    ROBBY
          What’s just not Spotlight?

            SACHA                             MIKE               *
The PD numbers.                  The numbers story.   It feels   *
                                 thin.

                     ROBBY (CONT’D)
          Oh.   You got Cahill to talk?

                    MIKE
              (busted)
          No. But I will.
                             11/26/14                     6.


                      ROBBY
          Good.    Then we’ll know if it’s thin.

Robby goes into his office, bit of an edge to him.

                    MIKE
          How’d it go upstairs?

                      MATT
          Okay.    Robby gave a good speech.

                    SACHA
          I heard Lubin and Connor are going
          to the Times.

            MATTY                              MIKE
Come on, really?                  Yeah, I heard the same thing.

                    MATT
          They’re leeching us.

                    MIKE
          At least they’re sending us a guy
          from Miami to run things. That
          should help.

                    MATT
          Has Baron even spent time in Boston?

                    MIKE
          I don’t think he’s ever been here
          before. Maybe we should buy him a
          map.

                    SACHA
          I have a friend down at the Herald,
          said Baron cut 15% of the staff.

                      MATT
          Great.

Mike rolls his chair back, calls out to Robby in his office.

                     MIKE
          Hey Robby, the new boss coming in to
          make cuts?

                    ROBBY
          I have no idea.

                    MIKE
          Aren’t you sitting down with him?

Robby looks up, fucking Rezendes, always snooping.
                                    11/26/14                  7.


                            ROBBY
               Yes, I am.

                         MIKE
               You think it’s about Spotlight?

                         ROBBY
               I don’t know, Mike, but I do know
               Ben needs an answer on the crime
               numbers story.

                         MIKE
               I’m telling you, I really don’t
               think that story’s for us.

                         ROBBY
               So you did get Cahill to talk then?

     Mike, annoyed, wheels back to his desk, picks up his phone...

10   INT. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, RESTAURANT - LATER               10

     Marty sits at a table reading “The Curse of the Bambino,” a
     NOTEPAD beside him.

                            ROBBY
               Mr. Baron.

     Marty looks up and rises to greet Robby.

                         ROBBY (CONT’D)
               Walter Robinson. Robby.

                         MARTY
               Thanks for taking time out of your
               weekend, Robby.

                         ROBBY
               My pleasure.
                   (they sit)
               What are you reading?

     Marty holds up a book.

                         MARTY
               ‘The Curse of the Bambino.’

                          ROBBY
                   (sitting)
               That’s a great book. The Globe has
               season tickets at Fenway, once you
               settle in.
                 11/26/14              8.


          MARTY
Thank you. Uh, to be honest, I’m
not much of a baseball fan. I’m
just trying to get a feel for city.
Are you originally from Boston?

          ROBBY
I am, born and raised. A lot of the
newsroom is from here. It really
feels like a local paper in that
way.

          MARTY
And did that change at all after the
paper was sold to the Times?

         ROBBY
No. I don’t think that had a big
impact.

           MARTY
Good.
    (then)
So, you’re an editor for, uh, the
Spotlight team?

          ROBBY
I prefer to think of myself as more
of a player-coach. But yes. Are
you familiar with Spotlight?

           MARTY
No.   Not particularly.

          ROBBY
Well, we’re a four person
investigative team. We report to
Ben Bradlee Jr. and we keep our work
confidential.

          MARTY
What are you working on now?

          ROBBY
We just put out a piece on this
shoddy construction outfit and right
now we’re trolling around for our
next story.

          MARTY
How long does that typically take?

          ROBBY
Hard to say. A couple of months.
                                   11/26/14                      9.


                          MARTY
                A couple of months.

                          ROBBY
                Yeah, we don’t like to rush it.
                Once we settle on a project, we can
                spend a year or more investigating
                it.

      Marty jots down some notes.    Robby sees he’s writing a lot.

                          ROBBY (CONT’D)
                Is that a concern?

                          MARTY
                Not necessarily. Uh, but from what
                I understand readership is down, the
                Internet is cutting into the
                Classified business and, uh, I
                think, uh, I’m going to have to take
                a hard look at things.

                          ROBBY
                So you anticipate more cuts?

                          MARTY
                I would assume so, yes, but what I’m
                more focused on right now is finding
                a way to make this paper essential
                to its readers.

                          ROBBY
                I’d like to think it already is.

                          MARTY
                Fair enough. I just think we can do
                better.

      Off Robby --

12A   EXT. BOSTON GLOBE - DAY                                    12A

      The front of the Globe.   Marty gets out of a cab, shuts the
      door. He walks inside.

13    INT. GLOBE, NEWSROOM - DAY                                  13

      Ben strides across the newsroom.    Robby falls in.

                          ROBBY
                Mr. Bradlee.
                                 11/26/14                   10.


                        BEN
               Hey. Saw the email on the PD
               numbers. Looks interesting.

                           ROBBY
               Yeah.    There’s something there.

                         BEN
               How much longer you need?

                         ROBBY
               Another week.

                         BEN
                   (realizing)
               Where are you going?

                         ROBBY
               To the 10:30.

                           BEN
               You?    Since when?

                         ROBBY
               Technically, I am an editor.

                         BEN
               Technically. Your sit-down with
               Baron go that well?

                         ROBBY
               I couldn’t get a read on him.

                         BEN
               That’s a first.

                         ROBBY
               How ‘bout you?

                         BEN
                   (shrugs)
               He’s a barrel of laughs.

14   INT. GLOBE, LARGE CONFERENCE ROOM - LATER                14

     Editors around a horseshoe table, side seats filled. It’s
     QUIET, nervous eyes on Marty, who reads some notes. Ben and
     editor HELEN DONOVAN, 50s, to either side. Robby sits off to
     the side, WATCHING.

                         HELEN DONOVAN
               Morning everyone. Let’s get started.
               Do you want to say something, Marty?
                                  11/26/14                     11.


                         MARTY
               Uh, sure.
                   (to the group)
               Hello. As most of you know by now,
               my name is Marty Baron, I’m
               delighted to be here. If you can
               tell me your name as we go around,
               that would be helpful.

     Marty looks back to his notes.

                          HELEN DONONVAN
               Okay.   Peter?

     Ben nods to METRO EDITOR PETER CANELLOS, 40s.

                         CANELLOS
               Peter Canellos, Metro. We’ve got a
               major Big Dig closure that’s just
               been scheduled for early August...

     Marty makes notes.   Off Ben and Robby, trading a look.

15   INT. GLOBE, NEWSROOM - LATER                                15

     Mike, cuppa coffee, walks over to STEVE KURKJIAN’s desk. 60s.

                            MIKE
               Hey Steve.     Crappy game last night.

                         KURKJIAN
               They can’t hit worth a nickle.

     Mike looks toward the conference room of editors.

                         MIKE
               What’s Eileen McNamara doing in the
               10:30?

                         KURKJIAN
               Do you need something, Mike?

                          MIKE
               No.   Just curious.

                         KURKJIAN
               I got work to do. Go be curious
               somewhere else, will you?

16   INT. GLOBE, LARGE CONFERENCE ROOM - LATER                   16

     The meeting is wrapping up.
                               11/26/14                  12.


                      SPORTS EDITOR
            ...and it looks like Pedro’s gonna
            be out until September 1st. Jimmy
            says he’ll be back this year, but
            the doc didn’t seem so sure.

                      BEN
            When’s the Pats opener?

Laughter.   Except Marty.

                      MARTY
            Is that everyone?

                      HELEN
            Yes, that’s it.

                      MARTY
            Great, thank you. Uh, did everyone
            read Eileen McNamara’s column this
            weekend?

The room reacts. Huh?   Editors look at EILEEN MCNAMARA, 50s.

                      HELEN
            That’s the Geoghan case?

                      MARTY
            Yes, what’s the folo on that?

                      BEN
            It’s a column, what kind of folo
            were you thinking?

                      MARTY
            Well, apparently this priest
            molested kids in six different
            parishes over the last thirty years
            and the attorney for the victims,
            Mr...

                      EILEEN
            Garabedian.

                      MARTY
            Thanks, Eileen. Mr. Garabedian says
            Cardinal Law found out about it
            fifteen years ago and did nothing.

                      CANELLOS
            I think that attorney’s a bit of a
            crank. And the Church dismissed the
            claim.
                             11/26/14                        13.


                     EILEEN
           He said, she said.

                     MARTY
           Whether Mr. Garabedian is a crank or
           not, he says he has documents that
           prove the Cardinal knew.

                     BEN
           As I understand it, those documents
           are under seal.

Silence.   No one knows what to do.     Robby watches.

                      MARTY
           Okay, but the fact remains, we have
           a Boston priest abused 80 kids,
           we’ve got a lawyer who says he has
           proof Law knew about it, and we’ve
           written all of...
               (checking his notes)
           ...two stories on this in the last
           six months?
               (then)
           This strikes me as an essential
           story for a local paper. At the
           very least, we should be going after
           those documents.

                     CANELLOS
           How would you like to do that?

                     MARTY
           Well, I don’t know what the laws are
           here, but in Florida we would go to
           court.

Robby raises an eyebrow.     In fact, the whole room does.

                     BEN
           You want to sue the church?

                     MARTY
           Technically we wouldn’t sue the
           Church. We would file a motion to
           lift the seal on those documents.

                     BEN
           The church will read that as us
           suing them. So will everybody else.

                     MARTY
           Good to know.
                                 11/26/14             14.


     Off Robby, intrigued --

17   INT. GLOBE, BEN’S OFFICE - LATER                   17

     Ben and Robby walk into Ben’s office.

                         ROBBY
               Gutsy call for the first day.

                         BEN
               That’s one word for it.

                         ROBBY
               How do you think it’s gonna play
               down front?

                         BEN
               I think Gilman’s gonna shit a brick.

     Knock. Knock. Mike’s at the door.

                          MIKE
               Hey.

                          BEN
               Door.

     Mike shuts the door, looks at Robby.

                         MIKE
               How’d it go?

                         ROBBY
               Baron wants to sue for the sealed
               docs in the Geoghan case.

                         MIKE
               He wants to sue the church?   That’s
               great.

                         BEN
               We covered Geoghan when the story
               broke three years ago. Baron was
               still in Miami.

                         ROBBY
                   (needling Ben)
               I think he was at the Times then.

                         BEN
               He wasn’t here.

                         MIKE
               You think the suit has a chance?
                                    11/26/14          15.


                         ROBBY
               Depends on the judge.

                         BEN
               And what parish he belongs to.

     Ben’s phone RINGS.   Ben picks it up.

                         BEN (CONT’D)
               Bradlee. Yeah.    Okay.
                   (hanging up, to Robby)
               Baron wants to talk to us.

                            ROBBY
               Us?

     Off Robby, surprised --

18   INT. GLOBE, MARTY’S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER         18

     Ben and Robby enter.    Marty’s on the phone.

                         MARTY (INTO PHONE)
               Okay, thank you. Yes. Okay, thanks.

     Marty hangs up as they sit.

                         MARTY (CONT’D)
               I set up a meeting for tomorrow with
               outside counsel...

                         BEN
               Jon Albano?

                            MARTY
               Yeah.

                         BEN
               Who’s the Judge on this case?

                         MARTY
               Uh, Constance Sweeney.

                            BEN
               Tough.

                         MARTY
               Why’s that?

                         BEN
               Good Catholic girl.

     Marty pushes on.
                                   11/26/14                   16.


                         MARTY
               Judging from what I’ve read, it
               doesn’t seem like we’ve done a
               thorough investigation of the
               Geoghan case. Is that right?

                         BEN
               No it’s not. We looked hard at
               Geoghan. David Armstrong for Metro
               and Michael Paulson for Religion.

     Marty isn’t impressed.

                         MARTY
               Okay, but, uh, just so I understand,
               beyond our daily coverage, we
               haven’t committed any long term
               investigative resources to the
               question of whether or not Cardinal
               Law knew about this?

                         BEN
               No, we haven’t.

                          MARTY
                   (to Robby)
               And that’s the kind of thing your
               team does?

                         ROBBY
               Spotlight? Well, yeah, but we’re
               still prospecting the Boston PD
               story I told you about.

                         MARTY
               Could you set it aside?

                           ROBBY
               We could.

                         BEN
               Marty, in the past, Spotlight has
               had success in large part because
               they pick their own projects.

                         MARTY
               Would you consider picking this one?

19   INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - LATER                       19

     Mike, Sacha, Matt all working.     Sacha on the phone.
                             11/26/14                    17.


                    SACHA (INTO PHONE)
          I don’t know if he’s writing about
          you but I will let him know you
          called. Okay. Bye.

Sacha hangs up as Robby enters.

                    MIKE
          Hey, how’d it go?

                    ROBBY
          Okay. Baron wants us to scrub the
          Geoghan case.

             MIKE
That’s great.                                 MATTY
                                  Didn’t we cover Geoghan?

                    ROBBY (CONT’D)
          There’s a lawyer alleging Cardinal
          Law knew about it.

                    SACHA
          Mitch Garabedian, right?      I covered
          him at the courthouse.

                    ROBBY
          Can you get to him?

                    SACHA
          I only interviewed him once.     He’s
          kind of a character.

                    MIKE
          I like characters.    I’ll take him.

                    ROBBY
          He’s yours. Also, we should talk to
          the lawyer who repped the victims in
          the Porter case. Eric MacLeish.

                    MATT
          That guy was always on TV.

                    SACHA
          The Porter case?    Remind me?

                    MIKE
          Father Porter, similar story,
          molested dozens of kids in Fall
          River about ten years ago.

                    MATT
          So we’re dropping the Boston PD?
                                 11/26/14                    18.


                         MIKE
               I vote yes.

                         ROBBY
               No, we’re just setting it aside for
               now. I don’t need to tell you guys,
               we need to be more discreet than
               usual. Everybody’s gonna be
               interested in this, not just the
               Herald. I don’t want the Chancery
               getting wind of this before we know
               what we have.

                         MATT
               Good luck with that.

     They reach for phones and computers, Robby leaves them to it.

20   EXT. SACHA’S GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE, SOUTHIE - NIGHT            20

     The quiet street dips down, disappearing into the harbour.
     Sacha and Hansi get out of their car, cross the street.

21   INT. SACHA’S GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE, DINING ROOM - NIGHT        21

     A cozy dining room. Sacha, her GRANDMOTHER and her husband
     HANSI finish dinner. Sacha’s grandmother wears a gold cross.

                         SACHA
               When are you leaving, Nana?

                         NANA
               The bus is picking us up in the
               church parking lot at nine o’clock.
               We have forty people going.

                         SACHA
               Is Father Dominic going?

                         NANA
               No. He said, he’s very unlucky. But
               luck has nothing to do with it.

     Hansi can’t help but smile.

                          SACHA
               Nana won a hundred and sixty dollars
               last time.

                         HANSI
               Wow.
                                  11/26/14                      19.


22   INT. SACHA’S GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE, KITCHEN - NIGHT            22

     Hansi and Sacha wash dishes.    They talk quietly.

                         HANSI
               You gonna tell her?

                          SACHA
               We don’t even know if there’s a
               story yet.

                         HANSI
               “Globe sues church?”    There’s gonna
               be a story.

     Sacha continues rinsing, glances at the small, porcelain
     Virgin Mary on the window sill above the sink.

23   INT. GLOBE, LARGE PUBLISHER’S FOYER - DAY                    23

     Marty ascends a large, open air staircase in the upscale
     business side of the building. He steps off, heads down the
     hall then stops, looks around. Lost in his own building.

     A YOUNG EMPLOYEE walks past.

                         MARTY
               Excuse me, do you know where the
               Publisher’s office is?

     The employee points.   Marty heads that direction.

24   INT. GLOBE, PUBLISHER’S OFFICE - DAY                         24

     RICHARD GILMAN, 50s, Brooks Brothers suit, finishes a call.
     Marty is sitting on a couch in large, plush office opposite.

                         GILMAN (INTO PHONE)
               Thanks, Tom. Will do.
                   (hangs up, to Marty)
               How are you, Marty? Settling in?

                         MARTY
               Yes, I think so.

                         GILMAN
               Good. What can I do for you?

                         MARTY
               I’d like to challenge the protective
               order in the Geoghan case.

                         GILMAN
               You want to sue the Catholic Church?
                                      11/26/14                      20.


                          MARTY
                We’re just filing a motion. But yes.

                          GILMAN
                You think it’s that important?

                             MARTY
                Yes.     I do.

                          GILMAN
                Because, obviously, the Church will
                fight us very hard on this. Which
                won’t go unnoticed by our subscriber
                base. 53% of them are Catholic.

                          MARTY
                Uh, I think they’ll be interested.

      Gilman considers for a long moment, looks unsettled.

                             GILMAN
                Okay.

      Marty nods, gets up to go.

                          GILMAN (CONT’D)
                Marty? Lake Street will probably
                contact you about a face to face
                with the Cardinal. It’s customary.

                           MARTY
                They already have. It’s set up for
                next week.

                          GILMAN
                I wouldn’t mention this.

24A   INT. GLOBE - DAY                                                  24A

      Matt walks down a row of cubicles, disappears down a spiral
      staircase.

24B   INT. BOSTON GLOBE LIBRARY - CONTINUOUS                            24B

      Matt descends the staircase and arrives at the front desk.

                          MATT
                Hey Lisa. Could you pull all the
                relevant clips on that for me?

      He hands her a sheet of paper.       She looks at it.   Reacts.

                            LISA
                Yeah.    This is for Spotlight?
                                 11/26/14                       21.


                         MATT
               Just drop them off when they’re
               ready, thanks.

     Matt walks off.

25   INT. MITCHELL GARABEDIAN’S OFFICE - DAY                      25

     Mike steps off an elevator and into a DUMP of an office.     He
     eyes a small reception desk covered with FILE BOXES.

                          MIKE
               Hello.   Hello?

     Mike peeks through an open door... a small office, crammed
     FLOOR TO CEILING with BOXES, each with GEOGHAN written on it.

                         PARALEGAL
               Can I help you?

     Mike turns.   A PARALEGAL pokes her head out of a cubicle.

                         MIKE
               Oh. Hi. I’m Mike Rezendes from the
               Boston Globe. I’m here to see
               Mitchell Garabedian.

                         PARALEGAL
               He’s on a call. Please have a seat.

     Mike grabs a seat, checks his watch. He hears YELLING coming
     from behind a closed door. Garabedian?

26   INT. ONE INTERNATIONAL PLACE, LOBBY - DAY                    26

     Robby and Sacha stride across an enormous, marble and stone
     lobby, a STARK CONTRAST to Garabedian’s digs.

27   OMITTED                                                      27

28   INT. GREENBERG TRAURIG, CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY                28

     ERIC MACLEISH, 40s, good looks, quick with a story and a
     smile, walks into the posh room, finds Sacha and Robby.

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               The famous Walter Robinson in my
               conference room.

     MacLeish and Robby shake hands.
                             11/26/14            22.


                    ROBBY
          Good to see you again, Eric.   Sacha
          Pfeiffer, Eric MacLeish.

                    ERIC MACLEISH
          Nice to meet you. Do you play golf?

                    SACHA
              (caught off guard)
          Uh, no.

                    ERIC MACLEISH
          Good. Your colleague took some money
          off me at a charity event last year.

                    ROBBY
          Lucky putt. I actually had my eyes
          closed.

MacLeish smiles.   Chummy.

                    ERIC MACLEISH
          So, how can I help you?

                    ROBBY
          You’re familiar with the Geoghan
          case?

                    ERIC MACLEISH
          Sure. Eighty plaintiffs. All
          individual cases, Garabedian must be
          swimming.

                    ROBBY
          And the allegations against Cardinal
          Law?

MacLeish considers the question.

                    ERIC MACLEISH
          Look, it’s tricky. You need to
          understand these are shitty cases.
          The statute of limitations is only 3
          years and most of these victims
          don’t come forward until long after
          that.

                    SACHA
          Why is that?
                                11/26/14                       23.


                         ERIC MACLEISH
               They’re kids. Shame. Guilt. And
               they come from tough neighborhoods,
               nobody wants to admit this kind of
               thing. So you’re screwed on the
               time limit and even if you argue
               your way around that, the charitable
               immunity statute caps damages at
               twenty grand.

                         SACHA
               Twenty grand for molesting a child?

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               That’s the way the system works.
               The Church is tough. So your best
               shot is to try these cases in the
               press like I did on Porter. But
               most victims want nothing to do with
               being on TV. And Mitch isn’t
               exactly a people person.

                         ROBBY
               So if Garabedian can’t get these
               victims to talk to the press...

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               Then he has a long road ahead of
               him. My guess? He doesn’t have
               anything on Law.

                         SACHA
               You think he’s bluffing?

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               I think he’s grandstanding to cut a
               better deal.

                         ROBBY
               Seems a bit reckless.

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               Have you met Mitch Garabedian?

29   INT. GARABEDIAN’S OFFICE - LATER                            29

     Mike, still waiting, checks his watch. He hears more YELLING
     behind the door. Suddenly the door opens. A SHORT MAN exits.

     Mike looks at the paralegal, points: “Is that him?” She
     shakes her head, walks off screen. Mike watches her go.
     Then, impatient, he stands, walks into --
                                11/26/14                      24.


30   INT. GARABEDIAN’S OFFICE, CONFERENCE ROOM - CONTINUOUS     30

     A small boardroom. MITCHELL GARABEDIAN, thin, 50s, sits at a
     table buried in paperwork. He’s abrasive, to say the least.

                         MIKE
               Hi.

                         GARABEDIAN
               Who are you?

                         MIKE
               Mike Rezendes from the Boston Globe.
               I had an appointment with you about
               an hour ago.

                         GARABEDIAN
               I can’t talk to you, I’m very busy.
                   (calling to reception)
               Sharon?!

                         MIKE
               Sharon went out for coffee, she said
               she’d be right back, I’m following
               up on an article...

                         GARABEDIAN
               The one in the Phoenix?

                         MIKE
               No. In the Globe.

                         GARABEDIAN
               Did you see the one in the Phoenix?

                         MIKE
               No, I didn’t.

                         GARABEDIAN
               I thought it was very good. I have a
               copy here somewhere.

     He starts to dig through the heap of papers.

                         MIKE
               That’s okay. I’ll track it down. I’m
               actually following up on a column
               that Eileen McNamara wrote for the
               Globe about your suit.

                         GARABEDIAN
               Suits. There are eighty-four of
               them, it’s not a class action. You
               should get your facts straight.
                           11/26/14              25.


True to word.   Garabedian is a bit of crank.

                    MIKE
          You’re right. I should. I’m just
          trying to get some background
          information on the Geoghan case...

                    GARABEDIAN
          You’re not recording this are you?

                    MIKE
          No, I wouldn’t do that without
          asking.

                    GARABEDIAN
              (brusque)
          I can’t show you the Church
          documents if that’s what you’re
          after, they’re under seal.

                    MIKE
          I know that.

                    GARABEDIAN
          Do you know they’ve tried to bring
          me before the Massachusetts Board of
          Bar Overseers three times? They’re
          watching me very closely.

                    MIKE
          The Church?

                    GARABEDIAN
          Yes, the Church. They’d like to get
          me disbarred. In fact, put that
          away.
              (off Mike’s pad)
          Put it away! I don’t want you
          recording this in any way, shape or
          form. Not on paper, not on tape,
          nothing. In fact, I probably
          shouldn’t even be speaking to you.

                    MIKE
          Look, Mr. Garabedian, I know there
          are things you can’t tell me. But I
          also know that there’s a story here.
          And I think it’s an important story.

                    GARABEDIAN
          I already talked to the Phoenix.
                                 11/26/14                    26.


                         MIKE
               Yeah, and there’s a reason I didn’t
               see it, nobody reads the Phoenix
               anymore. They’re broke, they don’t
               have any power. The Globe does.
               And if we cover this story,
               everybody will hear about it.

                         GARABEDIAN
               The Church thinks in centuries, Mr.
               Rezendes. You think your paper has
               the resources to take that on?

                         MIKE
               Yeah, I do. But if you don’t mind
               me asking, do you?

     Mike’s question is non-threatening, but Garabedian reacts.
     He stands, walking Mike to the door...

                         GARABEDIAN
               I don’t have the time to talk to
               you, Mr. Rezendes, I’m very busy.
                   (calling out)
               Sharon!

     But before he can push Mike out the door, Mike turns back --

                         MIKE
               Can I at least talk to some of your
               clients? The victims? I’d like to
               do that.

                         GARABEDIAN
               Call me tomorrow. I need to think
               about it.

31   INT. GLOBE, LIBRARY - DAY                                    31

     A Button is pushed, CONTROL PANEL lights up.

     A rotating library clip file comes to stop.

     A few old newspaper clips are pulled.

     A folder from the LARGE PHOTO clip file is pulled.

     A Nexis search on a computer screen.

     A Micro Fiche search on another screen.

     A PRINTER spits out the Micro Fiche article.
                                   11/26/14                  27.


     The PRINT OUT out is added to a STACK OF ARTICLES and dropped
     into a file marked Porter.

32   INT. GLOBE, HALLWAY - LATER                               32

     CLOSE ON the same file.   Moving.

     REVEAL the folder is now one of many on a METAL CART that an
     intern (WANDA) wheels down the hall.

33   INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - LATER                      33

     A desk covered with old newspaper clips, Matt and Sacha read.
     A knock... Wanda in the door. With the metal cart.

                         WANDA
               I got more clips from the library.

                         MATT
               Leave ‘em right there.

     Wanda the intern unloads them beside Matt’s desk.

                         WANDA
               You guys doing a story on the
               Church?

                        MATT
               No. We are not doing a story on the
               Church.

     Wanda blanches, leaves.   Robby pours some coffee.

                         SACHA
               Matt, you find anything on this guy
               Phil Saviano?

                          MATT
               No.   Who is he?

                         SACHA
               He’s part of a victims’
               organization. Kurkjian ran a story
               on him just after the Porter case.

                         ROBBY
               There’s a victims’ organization?

                         SACHA
               Yeah, it’s called SNAP, Survivors
               Network of those Abused by Priests.

                         MATT
               Crummy acronym.
                               11/26/14                   28.


                    SACHA
          You want me to track him down?

                    ROBBY
          Yeah. Bring him in. How much longer
          do you need to get through the
          clips?

                    SACHA
          A few days. There’s a lot and
          Lisa’s still sending stuff up.      Most
          of it is on Porter.

                    MATT
          Hey guys... I think I got another
          priest.

Robby and Sacha turn.    Matt stares down at a clip.

                    MATT (CONT’D)
          Liam Barrett. Molested some kids in
          Philly then was moved to Boston, did
          the same thing then was moved again.

                     SACHA
          Really?   Sounds like Geoghan.

                    ROBBY
          Is that one of our clips?

                    MATT
          Yeah. Byline’s Diego Ribadeneira,
          1997. Must’ve been back when he was
          working religion.

                    ROBBY
          Was there any folo?

                     MATT
          Not much. One short piece. Looks
          like the Church settled the case.
              (then)
          Don’t you know Jim Sullivan?

                       ROBBY
          Yeah, why?

                    MATT
          Looks like the Church brought him in
          to help out.

Matt shows Robby the clip.      Robby reads, surprised.
                                    11/26/14                     29.


34    EXT. FENWAY PARK - NIGHT                                     34

      Establishing.   From up above, a game in progress.

34A   INT. FENWAY PARK - NIGHT                                    34A

      Mike and Matt sit with Ben and Steve Kurkjian at the game.       A
      called third strike and the crowd groans.

                          BEN
                Jesus. Has anybody but Manny gotten
                the ball out of the infield?

      Matt, who’s been scoring the game, checks.

                             MATT
                Nope.

                          MIKE
                I don’t know why you bother with
                that thing.

                          MATT
                It distracts me from the game.

                          KURKJIAN
                Know what else is good for that?

      Kurkjian holds up an empty beer cup.     Matt stands.

                          MATT
                Good idea. My round.      I’ll be back.
                Anybody want food?

                             MIKE
                Hot dog.

      Matt heads off.   Ben grabs some peanuts, turns to Mike.

                          BEN
                You guys making any progress?

                          MIKE
                Absolutely. It’s a good story.

                          BEN
                Why? Cause you’re another lapsed
                Catholic pissed off at the Church?

                          MIKE
                We’ve got some good stuff.

                             BEN
                Like what?
                             11/26/14               30.


Mike glances over at Kurkjian.

                    KURKJIAN
          I’m just watching the game.     Omerta.

                    MIKE
          We got another priest, Liam Barrett.

                    KURKJIAN
          We reported on him.
              (off Mike’s look)
          We did, I’m just saying.

                    MIKE
          Okay, but the guy was shuffled from
          parish to parish every few years,
          just like Geoghan and Porter. I
          think there’s a pattern.

Ben looks at Kurkjian, who’s not impressed.

                    BEN
          Sounds thin. What else you got?

                    MIKE
          Sacha found this guy from a victims’
          organization, Phil Saviano.

                       KURKJIAN
          From SNAP?     Oh boy.   We reported on
          him too.

                    MIKE
          I thought you were watching the
          game, Steve?

                    KURKJIAN
          That guy’s pretty banged up, Mike.

                    BEN
          We ran a couple stories on him, the
          guy would not stop writing letters.

                    KURKJIAN
          He wants a holy war.

                    MIKE
          So he’s not worth taking to?

                    BEN
          Where are you on Garabedian?

                    MIKE
          I’m working on it.
                                  11/26/14                     31.


                         BEN
               Robby said MacLeish thinks he’s
               bluffing.

                         MIKE
               I think there’s something there,
               Ben.

                         BEN
               Get me something solid or I'm taking
               you off it. I don’t want us chasing
               our tails on this.

     Off Mike --

37   EXT. WOLLASTON GOLF CLUB, 8TH TEE, MILTON, MA - DAY         37

     JIM SULLIVAN, 50s, lines up a tee shot. Smacks it. ROBBY
     and TWO OTHER GOLFERS watch as Jim talks to his ball...

                         JIM
               Stay away from that trap.

                         ROBBY
               You couldn’t reach that trap in a
               million years, partner.

     One of the other golfers (PAUL) tees up his ball.

                         JIM
               I’ve reached that trap before.

                            ROBBY
               Yeah.     Now Paul, maybe.

     The group laughs.

38   EXT. WOLLASTON GOLF CLUB, 8TH HOLE FAIRWAY - DAY            38

     Robby and Jim walk down the fairway.    Robby checks the card.

                         JIM
               How we doing?

                         ROBBY
               We’re good. We’re two up.

                          JIM
               Good.
                   (then)
               How’s the new editor working out?
                             11/26/14              32.


                    ROBBY
          Well, he doesn’t like baseball.    But
          he seems like a smart guy.

                    JIM
          Yeah, I just read an article about
          him. Said he’s the first Jewish
          editor at the Globe.

                    ROBBY
          Must have been a slow news day.

                    JIM
          He got a family?

                    ROBBY
          No, he’s not married.

                      JIM
          Divorced?

                    ROBBY
          Don’t think so.

                    JIM
          So the new editor of the Boston
          Globe is an unmarried man of the
          Jewish faith who hates baseball?

Robby half smiles, shrugs.

                    JIM (CONT’D)
          They should have given it to Ben.
          He’s a Bradlee for crying out loud.

                     ROBBY
          He didn’t raise his hand fast
          enough.
              (then)
          By the way, I was reading about this
          priest, Father Barrett. Said you
          were involved in the case.

Jim reacts, surprised.

                    JIM
          Barrett, yeah. Bad egg. Lake
          Street asked for help, I pitched in.

                    ROBBY
          The victim said Cardinal Law knew
          about Barrett when he came from
          Philly.
                                 11/26/14                       33.


                         JIM
               You know I can’t talk about the
               case, Robby.

                         ROBBY
               Off the record?

                         JIM
               Off the record, I can’t talk about
               it. Is this related to the lawsuit?

     Now Robby hides his surprise.    He stops.

                         ROBBY
               You heard about that?

                         JIM
               Look, I don’t know this guy Baron or
               what his agenda is and frankly I
               don’t care, I just don’t want you
               taking a bullet for him.

     Jim heads off toward his ball.    Off Robby, processing.

39   INT. BARBARA’S CAR, WOLLASTON PARKING LOT - LATER            39

     Robby gets in. She pulls off.

                         BARBARA
               How’d you play?

                         ROBBY
               Not too bad. Shoulda left my putter
               at home.

                         BARBARA
               How’s Jimmy?

                          ROBBY
               Good.   He brought up the suit.

                          BARBARA
               Really?   What’d he say?

                         ROBBY
               He was thrilled about it.

                         BARBARA
               It’s not a surprise, Robby. The
               Church does a lot a good in this
               town.

     Robby nods, but something about that doesn’t sit right.
                                   11/26/14                      34.


40    EXT. MATT CARROLL’S HOUSE, WEST ROXBURY - SUNDAY MORNING     40

      Matt, in coat and tie, shepherds his family out the door and
      into a minivan. His wife and daughter wear DRESSES, his sons
      are in BLUE BLAZERS and KHAKIS -- clearly en route to church.

                          PRIEST (PRELAP)
                The other day I was on the world
                wide web. Anything you want to
                know. It’s right there.

41    INT. CHURCH, SOUTHIE - DAY                                   41

      Sunday mass. Full house. A PRIEST mid homily. In back, FIND
      Sacha, her husband, HANSI, and her GRANDMOTHER.

                          PRIEST
                Now as a priest, I admit, this makes
                me a little nervous. Should I be
                worried about job security?

      Sacha watches her grandmother laugh with the congregation.

42    EXT. CHURCH/INT. DINER, SOUTH BOSTON - DAY                   42

      CONGREGANTS milling outside a church.

                          PRIEST (O.C.)
                I don’t think so. You see knowledge
                is one thing. But faith is another.

      FIND Marty, sitting in a diner across the street, eating
      breakfast and reading. He glances at the church.

42A   EXT. OLD HARBOR, DORCHESTER - DAY                           42A

      Mike, in running gear, runs along the water.

43    OMITTED                                                      43

44    INT. GLOBE, NEWSROOM - LATER                                 44

      Mike walks through the mostly empty newsroom.

45    INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - DAY                           45

      Mike walks in, grabs a gym bag by his desk, pulls out a towel
      when he spots... Robby. Sitting in his office. Working.

46    INT. GLOBE, ROBBY’S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER                   46

      Robby’s looking over some of the clips Matt pulled.
                             11/26/14                     35.


                      MIKE
          Hey.    Shouldn’t you be golfing?

Robby looks up.    Mike’s in the door, towel around his neck.

                    ROBBY
          Golfing’s not a verb. And I
          couldn’t get a tee time today.

                    MIKE
          Is that what they call it?    A tee
          time?

                    ROBBY
          They also call it a leisure
          activity. You should try it, Mike.

                      MIKE
          I run.

                    ROBBY
          You run to work.

Mike shrugs, true.   He eyes the clips on Robby’s desk.

                    MIKE
          So what are you doing here today?

                    ROBBY
          Looking at clips.    On Saviano.

                    MIKE
          Ben and Steve think he’s a dead end.
          They gave me a bunch of crap about
          it at the game.

                    ROBBY
          Yeah, Ben emailed me.

                      MIKE
          He did?

                      ROBBY
          Yeah.    He said we should let it go.

                    MIKE
          What do you wanna do?

                    ROBBY
          Bring Saviano in.

                    MIKE
          So just ignore those guys?
                                    11/26/14                  36.


                         ROBBY
               I think we have to start ignoring
               everybody on this one.

                          MIKE
               I’m good with that.
                   (then)
               You think Baron has any idea what’s
               coming down the Pike?

                          ROBBY
               No.   I don’t think he cares either.

                         MIKE
               That’s refreshing.

                          ROBBY
               Yeah.   Unless he’s wrong.

     Mike registers this.

47   EXT. LAKE STREET, CARDINAL’S RESIDENCE - DAY               47

     An Audi A4 pulls up in a large parking lot. Marty gets out,
     looks up at the Cardinal’s MASSIVE LAKE STREET MANSION.

                         CARDINAL LAW (PRELAP)
               I’ve always been fascinated with the
               newspaper business.

48   INT. LAKE STREET, CARDINAL LAW’S PRIVATE STUDY - DAY       48

     Mahogany bookshelves, leather furniture. CARDINAL LAW,
     large, 50s, wears a collar and sits across from Marty.

                         CARDINAL LAW
               I used to sit in on lectures with
               the Nieman fellows when I was at
               Harvard.

                         MARTY
               I, uh, read you were an editor once.

     Law chuckles.

                         CARDINAL LAW
               Yes. A very long time ago. The
               Mississippi Register. Small,
               diocesan newspaper, but for a 30-
               year-old pastor it was a big
               responsibility. Too much at times.

                            MARTY
               How so?
                                   11/26/14                         37.


                          CARDINAL LAW
                I was close with the Evers brothers,
                we took a stand on civil rights.
                Our readership was not pleased.
                They saw me as a meddling outsider.

                          MARTY
                I can imagine.

                          CARDINAL LAW
                Tough seat to sit in, especially in
                a small town. I think you’ll find
                Boston’s a small town too, Marty, in
                many ways. But if I can be of any
                help, don’t hesitate to ask. I find
                that this city flourishes when its
                great institutions work together.

                          MARTY
                Uh, thank you. Personally I’m of
                the opinion that for the paper to
                best perform its function it needs
                to, uh, stand alone.

      Law reacts, surprised -- the rebuff almost feels unwarranted.

                          CARDINAL LAW
                Of course, but my offer stands.

      A KNOCK on the door.

                             CARDINAL LAW (CONT’D)
                Come in.

      A SECRETARY slips in with a WRAPPED GIFT.

                          CARDINAL LAW (CONT’D)
                Oh. Thank you, Maureen. A little
                gift, Marty. Think of it as A
                Cardinal’s guide to Boston.

      Law hands the gift to Marty.    Who looks at it.   Bemused.

49    INT. MARTY’S CAR (PARKED), LAKE STREET - LATER                  49

      Marty gets into to his car. He sits, unwraps the gift. A
      thick book, THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. Off Marty--

49A   INT. GLOBE, LOBBY - DAY                                        49A

      A MAN (SAVIANO) carrying a LARGE BOX walks up to reception.

                          SAVIANO
                I’m here to see Sacha Pfeiffer?
                                  11/26/14                   38.


                          GUARD
               Name?

                         SAVIANO
               Phil Saviano.

                         GUARD
               Okay, just a minute.

     The guard picks up the phone, calls upstairs.

50   INT. GLOBE, ROBBY’S OFFICE - DAY                             50

     The entire team sits in Robby’s small sitting area facing
     PHIL SAVIANO. Phil is mid-40s, thin and twitchy. He’s got a
     medium sized BOX in front if him. He rifles through some
     papers on his lap.

                          SAVIANO
               So am I the first survivor you’ve
               talked to?

                         ROBBY
               Yes, Phil. You are.

                         SAVIANO
               Okay, well, first of all, let me say
               thank you for having me in today. I
               want you to know that you have the
               full cooperation of my organization,
               SNAP.

                         SACHA
               How many members are there in your
               organization, Phil?

                         SAVIANO
               We had eleven at our last chapter
               meeting. No ten. Karen just moved.

                         ROBBY
               There was a woman in your group?

                         SAVIANO
               Of course there was a woman. They
               don’t discriminate, not when it
               comes to abuse. And this has
               nothing to do with being gay. What
               this is, is priests using the collar
               to rape kids. Kids. Boys and girls.

     He reaches into a file, pulls a PHOTO of himself as a kid.
                           11/26/14                  39.


                    SAVIANO (CONT’D)
          I was eleven. I was preyed upon by
          Father David Holley in Worcester.
          And I don’t mean prayed for. I mean
          preyed upon. Are any of you
          Catholic?

The whole team looks at each other. Good question.

                    MATT
          I was raised Catholic but now I go
          to my wife’s Presbyterian church.

                    SACHA
          I’m lapsed but I go to church with
          my grandmother sometimes.

                    ROBBY
          It’s safe to say we were all raised
          Catholic but now...

                    MIKE
          Not so much.

                    SAVIANO
          Okay. Well, let me tell you, when
          you’re a poor kid from a poor
          family, religion counts for a lot.
          And when a priest pays attention to
          you it’s a big deal. He asks you to
          collect the hymnals or take out the
          trash, you feel special. It’s like
          God asking for help. And maybe it’s
          a little weird when he tells you a
          dirty joke but now you got a secret
          together so you go along. Then he
          shows you a porno mag, and you go
          along. And you go along, and you go
          along, until one day he asks you to
          jerk him off or give him a blow job.
          And so you go along with that too.
          Because you feel trapped. Because
          he has groomed you. How do you say
          no to God, right?

This lands.

                    SAVIANO (CONT’D)
          See, it’s important to understand
          that this is not just physical
          abuse, it’s spiritual abuse too.
          When priest does this to you, he
          robs you of your faith.
                    (MORE)
                          11/26/14                       40.

                    SAVIANO (CONT’D)
          So you reach for the bottle or the
          needle or if those don’t work, you
          jump off a bridge. That’s why we
          call ourselves survivors.

The team stares, gobsmacked.   Phil pulls a book from the box.

                     SAVIANO (CONT’D)
          Have you read Jason Berry’s book?
          He wrote about the Gauthe case in
          Louisiana?

            ROBBY                            SACHA
We’re not familiar.              That’s G-U...

                    SAVIANO (CONT’D)
          G-A-U-T-H-E. And talk to Richard
          Sipe. He worked in one of the
          Church’s ‘treatment’ centers, he’s
          an ex-priest, married a nun.
              (pulling out a file)
          Here, this is his testimony from the
          Kos case.

                    SACHA
          Phil, what’s a treatment center?

                    SAVIANO
          It’s where they send priests when
          they get caught. This is all right
          here in the box, I sent it all to
          you guys five years ago.

                    ROBBY
          To the Globe? Who’d you send it to?

                    SAVIANO
          I don’t wanna say who, but they said
          they weren’t interested.

                    MATT
          But Phil, we did run a couple of
          stories on you. I saw them in the
          clips.

                    SAVIANO
          Yeah but to be completely frank, it
          wasn’t enough!

Robby and Mike trade a look as Phil takes a PACKET out of the
box overflowing with tattered clips, articles and data CDs.
                           11/26/14                       41.


                    SAVIANO (CONT’D)
          You guys gotta understand, this is
          big. It’s not just Boston, it’s the
          whole country, the whole world. And
          it goes right up to the Vatican.

                    MIKE
          Do you have any proof of that, Phil?

                    SAVIANO
          No, not yet, but think about it,
          there are so many of them, how else
          could they have hidden it for so
          long?

                    MIKE
          So many what?

                    SAVIANO
          Priests! I know of thirteen right
          here in Boston.

                    ROBBY
          You know of thirteen priests who
          have molested children in Boston?

                    SAVIANO
          Yeah. Why do you keep repeating
          everything I say?

                    ROBBY
          I just like to clarify things.

                    SAVIANO
          Maybe you should have clarified it
          five years ago when I sent you all
          this stuff! It’s all right here.

Phil’s sudden anger catches the room off guard.   He stares at
the box, tries to pull himself together.

                    SAVIANO (CONT’D)
          May I use your bathroom?

                    MATT
          Yeah. Sure, Phil. Come on.

Matt leads Phil out.   A beat.   Mike quickly starts shuffling
through the packet.

                    SACHA
          What do you think?
                                  11/26/14                      42.


                            ROBBY
                  He’s got an agenda, that’s for sure.

                    MIKE                           SACHA
     You think?                        He’s obviously been through a
                                       lot.

                            SACHA
                  But he’s smart and if he’s right
                  about thirteen priests...

                             ROBBY
                  Might be a big ‘if’ with this guy.
                      (then to Sacha)
                  Run background on him and follow up
                  with some of the other survivors in
                  his group.

                            MIKE
                  I’ll track down this ex-priest Sipe.

                            ROBBY
                  Okay. But stay on Garabedian,
                  that’s more important.

                            MIKE
                  Garabedian’s a pain in the ass.

                            ROBBY
                  You can be a pain in the ass,
                  Michael.

52   EXT. STATE STREET, BOSTON - DAY                              52

     Garabedian walks down State Street.     Mike falls in with him.

                            MIKE
                  Mitch, what a surprise. How are you?

                            GARABEDIAN
                  I’m fine, Mr. Rezendes.

     The light changes and Garabedian walks. Mike tags along.

                            MIKE
                  Good. You know, I never heard back
                  from you. I left you a couple
                  messages.

                            GARABEDIAN
                  I’ve been very busy. I don’t have
                  time for calls.
                                  11/26/14                     43.


                         MIKE
               Jeez, I’m sure you don’t. Listen,
               Mitch, lemme talk to a couple of
               your victims... You can sit in on
               the interview, if you’re not happy
               you can kill it.

                         GARABEDIAN
               I spoke to my clients, they don’t
               want to be in the press. I’m sorry.

     Garabedian walks into --

53   INT. GARABEDIAN’S BUILDING, LOBBY - CONTINUOUS              53

     A shitty lobby, Mike follows Mitch in, continues --

                         MIKE
               I get that but I don’t need to name
               names, Mitch.

                         GARABEDIAN
               I don’t believe you, Mr. Rezendes.

     Mitch walks to the elevator, presses the button.

                         MIKE
               Yeah, I’m sure you don’t.

                           GARABEDIAN
               I don’t.

     The elevator opens.   Mitch walks on.   Mike follows him into --

54   INT. GARABEDIAN’S BUILDING, ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS           54

     The doors close.   It’s cramped, but Mike keeps going.

                         MIKE
               Listen, Mitch, I’m not writing a
               profile here. I’m working on
               something bigger.

                         GARABEDIAN
               Bigger, what does that mean?

                          MIKE
               I’m not supposed to tell you this,
               but I’m digging around for
               Spotlight.

     This registers with Mitch.
                                      11/26/14                        44.


                           GARABEDIAN
                 Spotlight’s on this?

                           MIKE
                 Yeah, we’re looking into it. But I
                 need some help, Mitch. You gotta
                 let me talk to some of these
                 victims. Please.

                           GARABEDIAN
                     (beat, then)
                 Come back tomorrow. 9:30am.

                              MIKE
                 Thank you.

      Doors open.   Garabedian walks out.        Mike smiles.   Got him.

55A   EXT. CAFE FRANCESCA, SOUTH END - DAY                             55A

      Sacha walks up to a small cafe in the South end.

56    INT. CAFE FRANCESCA, SOUTH END - DAY                                 56

      A small, bohemian cafe, mostly men. JOE CROWLEY, 42, heavy,
      boyish face, sits alone WATCHING the door. NERVOUS as shit.
      The door opens. Sacha walks in, pauses, looking around...

                           JOE CROWLEY
                 Ms. Pfeiffer?

                              SACHA
                 Joe?

      He stands, almost knocking over his coffee. He starts to
      straighten the messy table, clean the crumbs all over it.

                JOE CROWLEY                            SACHA
      Shoot.   Sorry.                      No, that’s okay, no problem.

                           JOE CROWLEY
                 Uh... please sit. Is this table
                 okay? I had a muffin while I was
                 waiting. Two actually. I eat when
                 I’m nervous.

                            SACHA
                 I do that too.
                     (then)
                 I hope I’m not late.      Phil said one.

                           JOE CROWLEY
                 No, you’re fine. I got here early.
                 About an hour.
                                   11/26/14                 45.


                         SACHA
               Would you mind if I took some of
               notes? Would that be alright?

57   INT. GARABEDIAN’S OFFICE, CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY          57

     Mike and Garabedian sit with 25-year-old PATRICK MCSORLEY.
     McSorley is good looking but ragged. Not outwardly nervous,
     but he’s got a high-pitched voice and an ADDICT’S ITCH.

                         MIKE
               You don’t mind if I take some notes,
               do you?

                         PATRICK MCSORELY
               You gonna use my name?

                          GARABEDIAN
               No.

                         MIKE
               Not if you don’t want me to.

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               I just had a kid. He’s only one but
               I’m not sure I want him to know
               about this.

                          MIKE
               Yeah.   I get it.

                         GARABEDIAN
               You can stop this interview any time
               you want, Patrick.

                          PATRICK MCSORLEY
               Okay.   Go ‘head with your notes.

                         MIKE
               Where did you live when it first
               happened?

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               In the projects, over in Hyde Park.

                         MIKE
               Over by the Stop & Shop?

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               Yeah, you know it?

                         MIKE
               Yeah, I drove a cab for years. Opens
               early, bad coffee, right?
                                   11/26/14                      46.


                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               Yeah, I guess.

     McSorley isn’t having it.

                         MIKE
               How old were you?     When it happened.

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               I was twelve. My dad had just
               killed himself.

                            MIKE
               Jeez.

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               He was a real piece of shit. And my
               mom, she wasn’t so stable to begin
               with.

                         MIKE
               What do mean?

            PATRICK MCSORLEY
     I mean she was nuts.                         GARABEDIAN
                                        She was schizophrenic.

                            PATRICK MCSORLEY
               Same shit.

                         MIKE
               So how did you meet Geoghan?

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               My sister saw him in the Dunkin’
               Donuts. She tells him about my old
               man and he rushed right over.

     Patrick nervously itches at his arm as we CUT TO --

58   INT. CAFE FRANCESCA, SOUTH END - DAY                          58

     Joe talks very fast.    He takes a big gulp of water.

                         JOE CROWLEY
               ...and there was this nun, Sister
               Barbara, she ran this group for kids
               from troubled families.

                         SACHA
               Where was that?
                11/26/14               47.


          JOE CROWLEY
St. Ambrose in Dorchester. She’s
the one who introduced me to Father
Shanley. He was a street priest,
long hair, very hip. He invited me
to his apartment in Back Bay.

          SACHA
Where in Back Bay?

          JOE CROWLEY
Beacon Street. Are you from here?

          SACHA
I grew up in Ohio but my mom’s from
Southie.

          JOE CROWLEY
So you get it. I’d never even been
to Back Bay.

          SACHA
What happened on that first visit?

          JOE CROWLEY
Well, he was very nice at first,
very casual, very funny. And I
think he could tell I was gay
because he showed me this mobile he
had, like over a baby’s crib? But
with different words. Homosexual,
bisexual, transsexual...

           SACHA
Did you know you were gay at the
time, Joe?

          JOE CROWLEY
Yes, but that wasn’t information I
was sharing with anybody. Not in
Dorchester.

          SACHA
Right. So, what happened when he
showed you the mobile?

          JOE CROWLEY
Well, I was a little freaked out and
I guess he could tell so he said,
you know what will help is if we
play strip poker. Of course I lost.
And things went on from there.
                                 11/26/14                    48.


                         SACHA
               What happened specifically?

                         JOE CROWLEY
               Specifically, he molested me.

                         SASHA
               Joe, I think the language here is
               going to be very important. We
               can’t sanitize this, just saying
               molest isn’t enough. People need to
               know what actually happened.

     Joe sits back, getting it as the waiter serves two coffees.

                         JOE CROWLEY
               Maybe we should get these to go.

59   INT. GARABEDIAN’S OFFICE, CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY           59

     Mike sits with McSorley and Garabedian.

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               Geoghan shows up and my mom, she’s
               thrilled. I mean this was like God
               showing up, you know?

                          MIKE
               Sure.   So what happened then?

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               You really want to hear this shit?

                         MIKE
               Yeah, Patrick. I do.

     Patrick is struggling a bit.   But he continues.

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               He offers to take me to get ice
               cream. He’s a priest, I’m a kid, so
               I go.

                          MIKE
               Sure.

                         PATRICK MCSORLEY
               So we’re driving home and he starts
               patting my leg and then... his hand
               just slides up and he grabs my dick.
               I just froze up, I was fucking
               petrified. I couldn’t move. I
               didn’t know what to do, I was just a
               little kid.
                         (MORE)
                                 11/26/14                   49.

                          PATRICK MCSORLEY (CONT'D)
                   (then)
               I never even touched my freakin’ ice
               cream, it just melted down my arm.

                         MIKE
               Did you see him again after that?

                          PATRICK MCSORLEY
               Yeah.

                         GARABEDIAN
               Alright, it’s good. Let’s stop
               there for now...

     McSorley stares down at his hands. Trembling. Then he
     itches his arm. This time, Mike notes the HEROIN TRACKS.

60   EXT. TITUS SPARROW PARK, SOUTH END - DAY                   60

     Sacha and Crowley walk through Peter’s Park. We can see the
     Cathedral in the distance. Crowley’s a little less nervous.

                         JOE CROWLEY
               He said it was a way to make me more
               comfortable with my body.

                         SACHA
               And what happened next.

                         JOE CROWLEY
               ...he took off his clothes and said
               I’ve been depressed, maybe you can
               cheer me up and give me a blow job.
               Classy guy.

                         SACHA
               And did you?

                         JOE CROWLEY
               Yeah. I know what you must be
               thinking, why I would ever do that
               with some creepy guy thirty years
               older than me. But you have to
               understand, this was the first time
               in my life that someone told me it
               was okay to be gay. And he was a
               priest.

                         SACHA
               So you had oral sex.   Did you have
               intercourse as well?
                                    11/26/14                       50.


                           JOE CROWLEY
                 Yes. Not then, but later. It
                 really messed me up. I’m sober now
                 but that was the beginning of it
                 all. It’s very confusing, you know,
                 to be introduced to sex like that
                 and then to be attracted to men...

     Joe tears up a bit.   He stops, wipes his eyes.

          JOE CROWLEY (CONT’D)
     I’m sorry, I knew I was gonna                   SACHA
     do this. I’m sorry.                 Don’t be sorry. It’s okay,
                                         Joe. It’s okay.

     Joe notices the kids on the church playground.

                           JOE CROWLEY (CONT’D)
                 And of course there’s a church right
                 here. And a playground.

     Joe laughs nervously.

                           SACHA
                 Joe, did you ever tell anyone?

                           JOE CROWLEY
                 Like who, a priest?

61   INT. GARABEDIAN’S OFFICE, CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT               61

     It’s dark now. Mike’s writing up some notes as McSorley puts
     on his coat. Mike stands as McSorley heads for the door.

                           PATRICK MCSORLEY
                 Can I use your phone?

                           GARABEDIAN
                 Yeah, you know where it is.

     McSorley nods in thanks.   Then turns to Mike.

                           PATRICK MCSORLEY
                 You can use my name if you want.

                           MIKE
                 Thanks, Patrick.

                           PATRICK MCSORLEY
                 Don’t thank me, just get that
                 asshole, will you?

     He exits.   Mike lets out a breath.       It’s a lot, even for him.
                                  11/26/14                        51.


                          GARABEDIAN
                He’s one of the lucky ones.
                    (off Mike’s look)
                He’s still alive.

61A   INT. KITCHEN, SACHA’S GRANDMOTHER’S APARTMENT - DAY          61A

      Sacha sits at the table looking through her notes.    Her
      grandmother is at the stove cooking.

      Sacha notices something in her notes, stands and takes out
      her cell. She walks out while she dials.

                          SACHA’S GRANDMOTHER
                Would you like a cup of tea, Sacha?

                          SACHA
                I’m fine, Nana. Thanks.

      Sacha walks into --

61B   INT. DINING ROOM, SACHA’S GRANDMOTHER’S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
                                                                61B

      Sacha on her phone, looking over her notes.

                            JOE CROWLEY (OVER THE PHONE)
                Hello?

                          SACHA (INTO PHONE)
                Hi Joe, it’s Sacha Pfeiffer.

                          JOE CROWLEY (OVER THE PHONE)
                Hi Sacha. How are you?

                          SACHA (INTO PHONE)
                I’m good, thanks. Listen, Joe,
                there’s one thing that I wanted to
                follow up on. You talked to Phil
                Saviano about all this, right?

                          JOE CROWLEY (OVER THE PHONE)
                Yeah. I went to a couple SNAP
                meetings.

                          SACHA (INTO PHONE)
                Right. And did Phil ever suggest
                doing anything about it?

                          JOE CROWLEY (OVER THE PHONE)
                No. The meetings weren’t really
                about that. I mean, a couple of
                them had gone to a lawyer but I
                didn’t think it was worth it.
                                     11/26/14             52.


                            SACHA (INTO PHONE)
                 Why not?

                           JOE CROWLEY (OVER THE PHONE)
                 There were so many forms to fill
                 out, it was overwhelming. And he
                 said he could get only get me a
                 small settlement.

                           SACHA (INTO PHONE)
                 Who said that?

                           JOE CROWLEY (OVER THE PHONE)
                 The lawyer.

                           SACHA (INTO PHONE)
                 So you did go to see a lawyer?

       Sacha takes out her pen, starts taking notes.

                           JOE CROWLEY (OVER THE PHONE)
                 Yeah, but I didn’t end up using him,
                 so I didn’t think it was important.
                 I’m sorry. I’m not trying to hide
                 anything.

                           SACHA (INTO PHONE)
                 No, I know, Joe. Do you remember
                 his name? The lawyer?

                           JOE CROWLEY (OVER THE PHONE)
                 No. But maybe Phil would know. The
                 guy was on TV a lot during the
                 Porter case. He was handsome.

                           SACHA (INTO PHONE)
                 Was it Eric MacLeish?

                           JOE CROWLEY (OVER THE PHONE)
                 Yeah, that’s it. MacLeish.    I
                 thought he was very handsome.

       Off Sacha --

62AA   INT. GLOBE, CANTEEN - NIGHT                        62AA

       Robby getting a coffee, paying.     Matt enters.

                            MATT
                 Hey.

                            ROBBY
                 Hey.
                                     11/26/14          53.


      Matt heads for the Peanut M&Ms as Robby pays.

                          MATT
                I was just in the newsroom, Judge
                Sweeney set a date for the hearing.

                             ROBBY
                When?

                          MATT
                Two weeks. Canellos started a pool.
                Ten bucks to get in.

                          ROBBY
                Anyone picking the Globe?

                          MATT
                He’s only taking bets on how fast
                Sweeney rules against us.

      Robby’s phone rings.

                             ROBBY
                Huh.

      He heads into the hall --

62A   INT. GLOBE - LATER                                62A

      Robby picks up.

                             ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                Robby.

                          SACHA (OVER THE PHONE)
                Hi, it’s me. Did you get my message?

                          ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                I did. Looks like Father Shanley
                could be our fourth priest.

                          SACHA (OVER THE PHONE)
                I think he is.

                          ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                Did you follow up on MacLeish?

                          SACHA (OVER THE PHONE)
                I just talked to Phil. He said
                MacLeish dealt with a number of
                these cases.
                                   11/26/14                      54.


62B   INT. NANA’S HOUSE - LATER                                   62B

      Sacha is alone at the dining room table.

                          ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                Guess he forgot to mention that.

                          SACHA (INTO PHONE)
                I’m gonna go to the courthouse
                tomorrow to see if I can find any
                cases he settled against the church.

                          ROBBY (OVER THE PHONE)
                Call me after you do. Good work.

      Robby hangs up. Sacha sits there, spent, the day and the
      story LANDING on her. Hard.

63    INT. GLOBE, BEN’S OFFICE - NIGHT                             63

      Ben packs up.    A KNOCK.   He turns, finds Robby with his bag.

                          ROBBY
                You wanted to chat?

                          BEN
                I’m late for a dinner. Walk me out.

64    INT. GLOBE, NEWSROOM - CONTINUOUS                            64

      Ben and Robby walk.   Robby sees Marty in his office, working.

                          ROBBY
                Does he ever go home?

                          BEN
                Apparently not. I got guys who
                won’t leave ‘til he does, he’s
                wearing out the goddamn newsroom.

      Robby smiles.

                          BEN (CONT’D)
                Where are we on Geoghan?

                          ROBBY
                Following up with more victims. I
                want to expand the investigation.

                            BEN
                Why?
                                      11/26/14                       55.


                            ROBBY
                  We got a fourth priest.        There might
                  be as many as thirteen.

                              BEN
                  Thirteen?    Who’s your source?

                            ROBBY
                  Phil Saviano.

     Ben stops.

                            BEN
                  Christ, Robby, I told Mike --

                            ROBBY
                  I know. I think Saviano might be
                  legit, Ben.

                            BEN
                  You wanna elaborate on that?

                            ROBBY
                  No. Not yet. Just feels like this
                  is stacking up. That’s my gut.

     Robby doesn’t embellish.         The case is turning.

                              BEN
                  Okay.

                              ROBBY
                  Good.    Thanks.

     Robby walks off.      Ben watches him go... then heads out --

65   INT. MIKE’S APARTMENT, EAST BOSTON - NIGHT                          65

     Mike opens the fridge when his phone RINGS.          He picks up.

                              MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                  Hello.

                            SIPE (OVER THE PHONE)
                  Mr. Rezendes?

                              MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                  Yeah.    Who’s this?

                            SIPE (OVER THE PHONE)
                  It’s Richard Sipe.
                             11/26/14                    56.


                    MIKE (INTO PHONE)
          Oh, hey Richard, thanks for calling.
          Phil Saviano gave me your name, can
          I ask you a few questions?

                       SIPE (OVER THE PHONE)
          Of course.

Mike reaches for his bag, pulls out his pad and a pen.

                    MIKE (INTO PHONE)
          Great. So Phil said you worked at
          one of the church’s treatment
          centers in Baltimore...

                    SIPE (OVER THE PHONE)
          Yes, that’s right. The Seton
          Psychiatric Institute. It was run
          by the Daughters of Charity.

                    MIKE
          And when was that, Richard?

                    SIPE (OVER THE PHONE)
          Well, I started my psychotherapy
          fellowship there in 1965 and I was
          there for five years, but I spent
          the next thirty studying abusive
          priests and their victims.

                     MIKE
          Really?   That’s been your sole
          focus?

                    SIPE
          Look, Mike, the church wants us to
          believe that it’s just a few bad
          apples, but it’s a much bigger
          problem than that.

                    MIKE
          How much bigger?

                    SIPE
          Well, based on the research, I would
          classify it as a recognizable
          psychiatric phenomenon.

As Mike starts scribbling, sucked back in...

                    MIKE
          That’s big.
                                   11/26/14                        57.


66   INT. GLOBE, CAFETERIA - LATE MORNING                            66

     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.

67   INT. GLOBE, LIBRARY - LATER                                     67

     A HAND pulls a BOOK off a reference shelf. FIND LISA TUITE,
     handing Matt the 2001 CATHOLIC CHURCH DIRECTORY.

                         LISA TUITE
               The Archdiocese puts out an annual
               directory, every priest and parish.

                         MATT
               This is great. Do these go back any
               further than ‘98?
                                11/26/14                       58.


                         LISA TUITE
               Oh yeah. They go back to the 80’s
               in the Mez. Beyond that, you gotta
               go to the BPL.

                         MATT
               In the Mez. Thanks, Lisa.

68   INT. GLOBE, LONG HALLWAY - DAY                              68

     Robby and Mike walk down the hall. Mike debriefs him, a
     little manic, not unaffected by what he’s picked up.

                         MIKE
               He said they all target the same
               kinda kid. Low income family,
               absentee father, broken home...

     They walk into --

69   INT. GLOBE, PRESSES - CONTINUOUS                            69

     It’s early.   The presses are relatively quiet.

                         MIKE
               And guys like Geoghan go after boys
               not cause they prefer them, but
               cause they’re more ashamed, less
               likely to talk. These guys are
               predators, Robby. Sipe says he saw
               dozens of them at Seton in the 60’s.
               He called it a “a phenomenon.”

                         ROBBY
               Why didn’t he go public?

                         MIKE
               He did, but the church has made a
               huge effort to discredit him. Smear
               campaigns, public statements by
               prominent bishops. It’s just like
               Saviano said. And Garabedian.

                         ROBBY
               You getting anywhere with him?

                         MIKE
               More victims.

                         ROBBY
               You can’t empty his pockets?
                                 11/26/14                     59.


                         MIKE
               I’ll get him. I just need more
               time.

                         ROBBY
               Come on, Mike, you gotta get him.

                         MIKE
               I’ll get him, I’ll get him.

     They open a door, walk into --

70   INT. GLOBE, BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS                            70

     A dank basement, low fluorescents and rows of old books on
     cheap tin bookshelves. Robby and Mike react to the smell.

                         MIKE
               Jeez, what the hell is that smell?

                         MATT (O.C.)
               There’s a dead rat in the corner.

     Mike and Robby find Matt beside a HUGE STACK OF BOOKS.

                         ROBBY
               What do we got?

                         MATT
               Church directories. It’s every
               priest in Massachusetts, what parish
               they’re assigned to...

                         MIKE
               These are official?

     Mike and Robby grab directories, flipping through.

                         MATT
               Yeah. I figured they could help us
               track down the priests Saviano
               mentioned, maybe find more victims.

                         ROBBY
                   (reads, squinting)
               Can we turn on some more lights?

                         MATT
               I couldn’t find the switch.   You
               wanna borrow my glasses?

                         ROBBY
               No, I’m good.
                              11/26/14                      60.


                    MIKE
              (off a directory)
          1983, John Geoghan... St. Brendan’s
          in Dorchester. So we can see where
          any priest was in any given year.

                    MATT
              (flips through another)
          Exactly. I got him here at... huh.

                      ROBBY
          What?

                    MATT
          1980, the year he was pulled from
          JP. It says he’s on sick leave.

                      MIKE
          Come on.    It actually says that?

Matt shows Mike.   Robby urgently searches the directories.

                    ROBBY
          Where’s 1991?

Robby finds the 1991 Directory and opens it. He searches...

                    ROBBY (CONT’D)
          Barrett... Barrett... Liam Barrett..
          I can’t read this. Can you look up
          Liam Barrett?
              (handing it to Mike)
          1991’s the year they pulled him out
          of Charlestown.

                    MIKE
              (reading)
          Barrett, Liam. Sick leave.

He shows them.    We see the designation.   SICK LEAVE.

                    MIKE (CONT’D)
          It’s an official designation.

                    ROBBY
          Let’s get these upstairs. And Matt,
          let’s check the priests Saviano gave
          us.

They start to collect the directories.      Robby’s cell RINGS.

                      ROBBY (INTO THE PHONE) (CONT’D)
          Robby.
                                11/26/14                      61.


                         SACHA (OVER THE PHONE)
               Hey, I’m down at the courthouse.

71   INT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, RECORDS ROOM - DAY           71

     Sacha makes notes on a pad, a couple of files to one side.

                         SACHA (INTO PHONE)
               Something’s not right here.

     A COURT CLERK (MARK) walks over.

                         COURT CLERK (MARK)
               There’s nothing on Shanley either,
               Sacha.

                         SACHA
               Okay, thanks.
                   (into phone)
               We need to talk to MacLeish again.

                          ROBBY (OVER THE PHONE)
               Really.   Why?

                         SACHA (INTO PHONE)
               There’s nothing here. There aren’t
               any records...

72   INT. GREENBERG TRAURIG, CONFERENCE ROOM - MORNING            72

     Robby and Sacha have been waiting.    Macleish enters.

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               Thanks for waiting, so sorry guys, I
               got stuck on a call. What’s up?

                         SACHA
               Mr. MacLeish, are you familiar with
               a priest named Paul Shanley?

     MacLeish looks at her.   Surprised.   He sits back.

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               Yes, I’m familiar with him.

                         SACHA
               Have you settled cases against
               Father Shanley?

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               As I’m sure you can understand, I
               can’t discuss that.
                            11/26/14                       62.


                    ROBBY
          What about Father Ronald Paquin?

                    ERIC MACLEISH
          I can’t discuss that either.   Come
          on, guys.

                    SACHA
          We understand you’ve settled several
          cases against each of them.

                    ERIC MACLEISH
          Even if I’d been involved in those
          cases, the settlements would be
          confidential. I could be disbarred
          for acknowledging their existence.

Robby’s not backing down.   MacLeish shakes his head.

                    ERIC MACLEISH (CONT’D)
          Look, I told you, these are tough
          cases. Most of these folks just
          want some acknowledgement of what
          happened. We got them a sit-down
          with the bishop and a little dough.
          It was the best they could hope for.

                    ROBBY
          It was certainly the best the priest
          could hope for.

                    ERIC MACLEISH
          No, the Church promised to take the
          priests out of circulation.

                    ROBBY
          And did you follow up on that?

                    ERIC MACLEISH
              (done with this)
          You guys need anything else?

                    SACHA
          Yes. Why aren’t there any records?
          I was just down at the courthouse,
          why aren’t there any records of
          these settlements?

MacLeish pauses.   Hesitant, now not so sure of himself.

                    ERIC MACLEISH
          We dealt directly with the Church.
          We’d draw up a demand letter and
          we’d send it to the chancery.
                                 11/26/14                63.


                         SACHA
               You never filed anything in court?

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               It was a private mediation.

     So that’s a no.   Jesus.   Sacha and Robby react.

                         ROBBY
               So this is just you and the
               archdiocese’s lawyers in a room?

                          ERIC MACLEISH
               Correct.

                         SACHA
               Anyone else?

                         ERIC MACLEISH
               Occasionally, the Church would bring
               in another defense attorney to help
               out.

                         ROBBY
               You have any names?

                         ERIC MACLEISH
                   (stonewalling him)
               No. No I don’t.

73   INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT - LATE AFTERNOON                73

     Ben sits with the gang.

                         BEN
               So this was all under the table?

                         SACHA
               There’s no paper trail at all. The
               victim has to sign a confidentiality
               agreement to get the settlement.
               The lawyer takes his third and the
               Church sweeps it under the rug.

                          MIKE
               Jeez.   It’s a freakin’ racket.

                         BEN
               It’s more complicated than that.
               MacLeish has got a duty to his
               clients to get the best deal he can.
                                     11/26/14                  64.


                            SACHA
                  Sure, but how many victims do you
                  represent and profit from before you
                  say something?

                            MIKE
                  Garabedian would say none. That’s
                  why he’s taking these cases to
                  court. Because he wants people to
                  know about this.

                            SACHA
                  I agree. And, legal ethics aside,
                  Ben, operating the way MacLeish has
                  all but guarantees the abuse stays
                  under wraps.

                             BEN
                  Yeah.
                      (then)
                  Did MacLeish confirm all of
                  Saviano’s priests?

                            ROBBY
                  No. He’s limited by the
                  confidentiality agreement.

                             SACHA
                  But he’s clearly settled cases
                  against a number of them. Phil’s
                  put me in touch with some of the
                  other victims, I’m pretty confident
                  all of his priests are going to
                  check out.

                            BEN
                  So it’s thirteen priests?

                    SACHA                             ROBBY
     Yeah.                                Looks that way.

                               BEN (CONT’D)
                  Holy Shit.     Okay. Keep going.

     Off Ben --

75   INT. COPLEY SQUARE BALLROOM, ATRIUM - NIGHT                 75

     CLOSE ON a woman scanning a list of names on clipboard.

                            WOMAN
                  I’m sorry, what was it again?
                                   11/26/14                   65.


      REVEAL Marty standing next to her at the base of wide
      staircase. Several such women are checking off attendees.

                             MARTY
                Uh, Baron?     B-A-R-O-N.

                          WOMAN
                I’m sorry, I don’t see you here.

                          PETE CONLEY (O.C.)
                It’s okay, Kim, I can vouch for him.

      Marty turns, finds PETE CONLEY, 60s, Irish wealth and power.
      He extends a hand.

                          PETE CONLEY (CONT’D)
                Pete Conley, I’m on the board of
                Catholic Charities. Welcome to
                Boston, Mr. Baron.

                          MARTY
                Uh, thank you.

                           PETE CONLEY
                I appreciate you joining us. We’re
                very proud of the work we do here in
                Boston.
                    (then)
                The Cardinal said you had a nice
                visit.

                           MARTY
                Uh, yes.   We did.

                          PETER CONLEY
                He’s an extraordinary man.    I’m glad
                you had a chance to chat.

75A   INT. COPLEY SQUARE BALLROOM - MOMENTS LATER                 75A

      Marty walks into the party, not knowing a soul. He stands
      alone, taking it in.

                          ROBBY
                Enjoying yourself?

      Marty turns.   Robby’s there.   Slacks and a blazer.

                           MARTY
                Uh, to be honest, these events
                aren’t really my strong suit.
                    (then)
                Are you involved with the charity?
                               11/26/14                66.


                    ROBBY
          Not directly. Several of my friends
          are. We all went to BC High
          together. That’s the school across
          the street from the Globe.

                    MARTY
          It’s hard to miss.

                    ROBBY
          Yeah. Hard to get away from too,
          apparently.

Marty smiles.

                    ROBBY (CONT’D)
          The Cardinal’s in the corner if
          you’re so inclined.

Robby nods. Indeed, there’s the Cardinal and he’s talking to
Pete Conley and few others.

                       MARTY
          We’ve met.

                    ROBBY
          Did he mention the suit?

                     MARTY
          No, but he did give me a copy of the
          Catechism.

                    ROBBY
              (laughs)
          Yeah, the Cardinal’s not known for
          his subtlety. During the Porter
          investigation, he literally called
          down the power of God on the Globe.

                    MARTY
          How did that play out?

                    ROBBY
          A week later our editor broke his
          leg skiing.

Marty reacts to Robby’s line.

                    WAITER
          Shrimp toast, gentlemen?

Robby takes a shrimp.
                                  11/26/14                        67.


76   INT. ARMENIAN DINER, DOWNTOWN BOSTON - NIGHT                   76

     CLOSE ON a bowl of soup. HANDS reach for it... REVEAL
     Garabedian and Mike having dinner. Mike’s going over notes.

                         MIKE
               You said there was a victim who
               filed a criminal complaint?

                         GARABEDIAN
               There were a few, but the judge
               sealed the case records after
               friends of the Church stepped in.
               The Church has a lot of friends.

                         MIKE
               Like Eric MacLeish?

     Garabedian sees he understands.    Garabedian’s impressed.

                         GARABEDIAN
               Let’s just say, he’s not part of the
               solution. You follow what I’m
               saying?

                         MIKE
               Sure.

     Mike jots down some notes.    Garabedian watches him.

                         GARABEDIAN
               You work hard, Mr. Rezendes.    Are
               you married?

                         MIKE
               Yeah.

                         GARABEDIAN
               And your wife doesn’t mind you
               working all the time?

                         MIKE
               Yeah, she does.

                         GARABEDIAN
               See. That’s why I never got
               married. I’m too busy, what I do is
               too important.

     Garabedian salts his soup.

                         GARABEDIAN (CONT’D)
               Your new editor, he’s a Jew right?
                                11/26/14                      68.


                         MIKE
               Uh, that’s right.

                         GARABEDIAN
               He comes in, suddenly everybody is
               interested in the Church. You know
               why? Because it takes an outsider.
               Like me. I’m Armenian. How many
               Armenians do you know in Boston?

                         MIKE
               Steve Kurkjian, works at the Globe.

                         GARABEDIAN
               That’s two! You should get a prize
               or something. What are you, Italian?

                         MIKE
               Portuguese.

                         GARABEDIAN
               From where?

                         MIKE
               East Boston.

                         GARABEDIAN
               You don’t sound like it.

     Mike shrugs. Garabedian shakes his head, chuckles.

                         GARABEDIAN (CONT’D)
               This city, these people, making the
               rest of us feel like we don’t
               belong. But they’re no better than
               us. Look how they treat their
               children.
                   (wiping his mouth)
               Mark my words, Mr. Rezendes, if it
               takes a village to raise a child, it
               takes a village to abuse one.

     Garabedian eats.   Mike ponders.   Oddly moved.

77   INT. COPLEY SQUARE BALLROOM, ATRIUM - NIGHT                77

     Robby crosses the room, joins Jim Sullivan at the bar.

                         JIM
               There he is.

     They two men shake.
                              11/26/14                       69.


                    JIM (CONT’D)
          Wanna beer?

                      ROBBY
          Love one.

Jim nods to the bartender.

                    JIM
          You here with Barbara?

                     ROBBY
          No.   She hates these things.

                    JIM
          Karen too. Smart ladies.

The bartender sets down two beers.       Robby hands one to Jim.

                      ROBBY
          Sláinte.

                    JIM
          I just met your new editor, seems
          like a decent fella.

                     ROBBY
          I think he is.
              (then)
          I had an interesting conversation
          with Eric MacLeish yesterday. Turns
          out he’s been settling abuse cases
          with the archdiocese for years.

                    JIM
          You really wanna talk about this
          here?

                    ROBBY
          You said you helped out on Father
          Barrett as a favor, that was a one-
          off?

Jim doesn’t say anything.     Robby DARKENS.

                    ROBBY (CONT’D)
          How many of these cases have you
          been involved with, Jim?

                    JIM
          You know I can’t answer that, Robby.
          It’s unethical.
                                 11/26/14                       70.


                         ROBBY
               Is that all it is?

     Jim stares Robby down.   He drinks.

                         JIM
               So this is the Robby Robinson I’ve
               always heard about but never met.

                         ROBBY
               Listen to me, Jimmy. You want to be
               on the right side of this.

                          JIM
               You’re talking about the Church,
               Robby. Look around. These are good
               people who’ve done a lot of good for
               this city.
                   (then)
               Enjoy the party.

     Jim smiles, heads into the party, leaving Robby alone at the
     bar. Robby glances over at Marty, still on the edge of the
     party. So this is what it feels like to be on the outside...

78   INT. GLOBE, ROBBY’S OFFICE - DAY                             78

     Matt, Sacha and Mike are crammed in Robby’s office, Matt
     downloading the team on the directories.

                         MATT
               I’ve been through a lot of these.
               ‘Sick leave’ isn’t the only
               designation they use when they take
               one of these priests out of
               circulation. They use a slew of
               terms - ‘absent on leave,’
               ‘unassigned,’ ‘emergency response.’

                         MIKE
               They got a name for everything,
               these guys.

                         SACHA
               Except rape.

     A phone rings in the Spotlight office.   Mike exits to get it.

                         MATT
               And they move parishes way more
               frequently than other priests. When
               I was a kid, a priest moved after
               seven or eight years. These guys,
               it’s two to three tops.
                                 11/26/14                    71.


                         SACHA
               Did they use these designations for
               all of Saviano’s priests?

                          MATT
               Yeah.   It’s a pretty clear pattern.

     As Robby considers this, Mike calls from Spotlight --

                         MIKE
               Guys, I’ve got Sipe.

79   INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - CONTINUOUS                 79

     The team is HUDDLED around a SPEAKERPHONE.

                         SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
               I think if you want to understand
               the crisis, you need to start with
               the celibacy requirement. That was
               my first major finding: only 50% of
               the clergy are celibate.

     They share a look.   50%?   Can that be true?

                         SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE) (CONT’D)
               Now, most of them are having sex
               with other adults. But this creates
               a culture of secrecy, that tolerates
               and even protects pedophiles.

                         SACHA
               So you believe the church is aware
               of the extent of this ‘crisis?’

                         SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
               Absolutely. After the first major
               scandal in Louisiana, Tom Doyle, the
               Secretary Canonist for the Papal
               Nuncio, coauthored a report warning
               pedophile priests were a billion-
               dollar liability. That was in 1985.

                          MIKE
               1985?

                         SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
               That’s right.

                         MIKE
               Who saw this document? Anyone in
               the Catholic hierarchy?
                             11/26/14                            72.


                       SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
             Sure. Doyle tried to introduce the
             report at the National Conference of
             Catholic Bishops. In fact, Cardinal
             Law initially helped to fund the
             report, but then he backed out and
             they shelved it.

                       REZENDEZ
                 (to Sacha and Matt)
             Are you kidding me?

                       ROBBY
             Richard, Robby here. We think we
             have thirteen priests in Boston that
             fit this pattern, which would be a
             very big story. Does that sound
             right to you? In terms of scale?

                       SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
             No. Not really. It sounds low. My
             estimates suggest six percent act
             out sexually with minors.

                       MIKE
             Six percent of what?

                       SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
             Six percent of all priests.

Holy shit.    Robby turns to the team.

                       ROBBY
             How many priests do we have in
             Boston?

                       MATT
             About fifteen hundred. One percent
             is fifteen... six percent is ninety.

            ROBBY                                SACHA
Ninety priests?                      Is that possible?

                       SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
             From a metric standpoint, that would
             be in line with my findings.

The team looks at each other.       FLOORED.   A beat, then --

                       SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE) (CONT’D)
             Hello?
                                11/26/14                          73.


80   INT. GLOBE, BEN’S OFFICE - DAY                                 80

     Ben eats lunch, Robby and Mike download him.       Ben’s shocked.

                         BEN
               Ninety fucking priests?     In Boston?

                         ROBBY
               That’s what he said.

                         BEN
               If there were ninety of these
               bastards people would know.

                         MIKE
               Maybe they do.

                         BEN
               And no one said a thing?

                         MIKE
               Good Germans?

                         BEN
               I don’t think that’s a comparison
               you want to make publicly.

                         ROBBY
               MacLeish knew and said nothing.

                         BEN
               That’s thirteen priests, big
               difference between thirteen and
               ninety. Where’s this guy Sipe
               getting his numbers?

                         MIKE
               He’s studied this for thirty years,
               he’s a trained psychotherapist --

                         BEN
               Okay, but we need something more
               than a metric from some hippy ex-
               priest who’s shacking up with a nun.

                         MIKE
               So we’ll track down more victims,
               we’ll get more priests. Then we can
               check them against the directories.

                         BEN
               That’s a shitload of victims.
                                   11/26/14                         74.


                         MIKE
               We’ll get them.

                         BEN
               How long’s it gonna take?

     Mike shrugs.   Robby considers.    Then...

                           ROBBY
               Too long.

     Robby gets up, moves for the door.       Maybe with an idea.

                         BEN
               Meeting over?

                           ROBBY
               For now.

81   INT. GLOBE, NEWSROOM - MOMENTS LATER                               81

     Robby walks through the newsroom.        Mike catches up to him.

                         MIKE
               What do you got?

                         ROBBY
               What if we work backwards?

                         MIKE
               What do you mean?     From what?

                         ROBBY
               The directories. We’ve been using
               them to confirm bad priests. What
               if we do it the other way around?

                         MIKE
                   (getting it)
               Use the directories to identify bad
               priests?

                         ROBBY
               Yeah, exactly. We search by
               designation, we look for any priest
               on ‘sick leave’ or ‘unnassigned’ --

                         MIKE
               Or for priests who moved around a
               lot...

                           ROBBY
               Yeah.
                                   11/26/14                          75.


                          MIKE
                That’s gonna take a load of time.

                          ROBBY
                Not if we’re all on it.

                           MIKE
                You too?

                          ROBBY
                Generally, that’s what all means.

                          MIKE
                Yeah, generally.

      That’s the plan.   Robby looks set.     Off Mike, we --

82    INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT - LATER                                    82

      CLOSE ON a ruler moving down a directory. It stops at a
      designation: Sick Leave. PAN TO the name of a priest.
      MAHAN. A pen circles it and we --

      CUT TO another ruler scanning a directory. It stops.
      Unassigned. PAN TO the name of another priest. KEANE.          The
      name is circled and we --

      CUT TO another ruler scanning.    Sick Leave.    PAQUIN.

      REVEAL Sacha, moving a ruler down a directory. CUT TO --

      ABOVE Mike, scanning a directory with a ruler.      CUT TO --

      CLOSE ON Robby. Squinting at a directory. CUT TO --

      Matt, hunched over a computer, entering data.      CUT TO --

      CLOSE ON an excel spreadsheet. A date, a priest’s name, then
      the designation are typed into a column. CUT TO --

      More names and designations, logged year by year, into the
      spreadsheet. CUT TO --

82A   INT. SACHA’S HOUSE - NIGHT                                      82A

      Sacha at her desk at home, scanning a directory.     It’s late.

84    INT. SANTARPIO’S, EAST BOSTON - NIGHT                            84

      Mike sits in the pizza joint, marking up a directory, two
      others beside him. A waiter delivers a pizza and a beer.
      Without looking up, Mike reaches for the beer, keeps working.
                                     11/26/14                     76.


84A    EXT. PORTER SQUARE T-STOP, CAMBRIDGE, MA - MORNING          84A

       Sacha waits for the T, working on a directory.

84B    INT. GLOBE, LIBRARY - DAY                                   84B

       From the crow’s nest above, we see Mike and Matt at the table
       in the library, stacks of directories between them.

84BB   INT. GLOBE, CAFETERIA - DAY                                84BB

       Robby sits alone in cafeteria, working on a directory.

84C    EXT. BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, DOWNTOWN BOSTON - DAY           84C

       Sacha walks up the grand steps, enters the massive library.

84D    INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT - DAY                                 84D

       CLOSE ON the spreadsheet. More names are entered.      We scan
       down the growing list of priests...

84F    INT. GLOBE, LIBRARY - NIGHT                                 84F

       Mike in a back aisle, works on the directories.

85A    INT. BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, READING ROOM - EARLY EVENING    85A

       A beautiful, mostly empty reading room, green banker’s lamps
       everywhere. Sacha works late, directories all around her.

86     INT. MATT CARROLL’S HOUSE, WEST ROXBURY - NIGHT              86

       Matt sits at a desk at home, hunched over a directory,
       scanning it with a ruler. He pauses... leans in further.

       CLOSE ON a directory entry. O’Sullivan.   Treatment Center,
       276 Pelton Street, West Roxbury.

                              MATT
                 Holy shit.

       Matt PALES, then takes off his glasses and leaves the house.

87     EXT. MATT CARROLL’S HOUSE, WEST ROXBURY - CONTINUOUS         87

       Matt heads across the lawn, down the sidewalk. He crosses
       the street, rounds the corner, turning onto Pelton Street.

       He picks up his pace, checking house numbers. Finally, he
       stops at A CLASSIC, TWO STORY VICTORIAN HOUSE. Number 276.

                           MATT
                 No freakin’ way.
                                     11/26/14                  77.


88   INT. MATT CARROLL’S HOUSE, KITCHEN - LATER                   88

     Matt sits on the kitchen floor in front of the refrigerator,
     taping a note to the door. We push in over his shoulder...

     “Kids. Stay away from this house at 276 Pelton Street. And
     stay away from the men who live inside it.”

     Beside the note is a B&W photo of the house down the street.

90   INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - DAY                           90

     CLOSE ON a COMPUTER SCREEN. We’re scrolling through the
     EXCEL SPREADSHEET. Dozens of problematic priests.

     REVEAL Mike, Sacha and Matt huddled around the computer.
     Sacha reads from a large printout. Matt checks it against a
     short list on a computer screen.

                   SACHA
     Talbot.                                           MATT
                                          Yep.

                   SACHA
     Tivnan.                                           MATT
                                          Yep.

                   SACHA
     Toma.                                             MATT
                                          Yep.

                   SACHA
     Turnbull.                                         MATT
                                          Yep.

                   SACHA
     Walsh.                                            MATT
                                          Yep.

                   SACHA
     Welsh.                                            MATT
                                          Yep.

                            MIKE
                  Is that it?

                   SACHA
     That’s it.                                        MATT
                                          That’s it.

     Mike looks at the screen.

                               MIKE (CONT’D)
                  Holy Shit.
                                    11/26/14                      78.


                            MATT
               Robby?

     Robby looks up from his desk.      He walks over to join them.

                         SACHA
               Three off Sipe’s estimate.      That’s
               incredible.

                            ROBBY
               How many?

                         MATT
               Eighty-seven.

                         MIKE
               Eighty-seven priests.      In Boston.

                         ROBBY
               Call MacLeish. I wanna talk to him.

     Robby takes the PRINTOUT,      walks into --

91   INT. GLOBE, ROBBY’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS                          91

     Robby shuts his door, picks up his phone and dials.     It
     rings. A secretary picks up.

                         SECRETARY (OVER THE PHONE)
               Jim Sullivan’s office.

                         ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
               Walter Robinson for Jim Sullivan.
               Tell him it’s important.

     A beat, then we hear --

                            JIM (OVER THE PHONE)
               Hey Robby.     Everything okay?

                         ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
               I need you to tell me something,
               Jim. Could it be ninety priests?

                            JIM (OVER THE PHONE)
               What?

                         ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
               Could it be as high as ninety?

                         JIM (OVER THE PHONE)
               Jesus, Robby.
                                 11/26/14                        79.


                          ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                I need to know, Jim. I wouldn’t be
                asking if it wasn’t important.

     Silence.

                          JIM (OVER THE PHONE)
                You gotta stop this, Robby.

     Click.   Robby darkens.   Then sees Sacha in the doorway.

                          SACHA
                MacLeish’s assistant said he’s all
                booked up, he can’t see us.

                          ROBBY
                The hell he can’t.

     Robby exits.   Sacha quickly follows.   Off Mike and Matt --

92   INT. ONE INTERNATIONAL PLACE, LOBBY - EARLY EVENING            92

     Eric MacLeish and a colleague get off an elevator, head out.
     MacLeish sees Robby and Sacha sitting in the lobby, waiting
     for him. As they stand, MacLeish turns to his colleague.

                           MACLEISH
                You know what, I’ll catch up with
                you, okay?

     The colleague heads off.

                          MACLEISH (CONT’D)
                Hey guys, I’m really sorry, I am, I
                don’t have any time to talk right
                now, but if you call my assistant --

                          SACHA
                Mr. MacLeish, we have reason to
                believe that there have been
                allegations against as many as 87
                priests in Boston.

                          ERIC MACLEISH
                I can’t talk about that.

                          SACHA
                Does that number sound right to you?

                          ERIC MACLEISH
                You gotta be... I don’t have time
                for this crap.
                           11/26/14                        80.


He starts to move but Robby steps in his way, angrier than
Sacha’s ever seen.

                     ROBBY
           Eric, how many priests did you
           settle?

                     ERIC MACLEISH
           You know I can’t tell you, Robby.

                     ROBBY
           You’re gonna give me their names.
           And the names of their victims.

                     ERIC MACLEISH
           Are you threatening me?

A beat.   Robby controls himself, turns calm.    Professional.

                     ROBBY
           We’ve got two stories here. We’ve
           got a story about degenerate clergy
           and we’ve got a story about a bunch
           of lawyers turning child abuse into
           a cottage industry. Now, which
           story do you want us to write?
           Cause we’re writing one of them.

MacLeish recedes.   Robby’s got him.

                     ERIC MACLEISH
           I already sent you a list of names.

                     ROBBY
           What are you talking about?     To
           whom?

                     ERIC MACLEISH
           The Globe. Years ago. After the
           Porter case, I got plenty of calls.
           I had 20 priests in Boston but I
           couldn’t go after them without
           press. So I sent you guys a list of
           names and you buried it.

                     ROBBY
           I want those names tomorrow.

                     ERIC MACLEISH
           Check your goddamn clips, Robby.

Robby turns and leaves.   Sacha follows.    They walk a bit.
                                  11/26/14                   81.


                         SACHA
               We didn’t find anything in the
               clips.

                          ROBBY
               Yeah.   Big surprise.

93   INT. MIKE’S APARTMENT, EAST BOSTON - NIGHT                93

     Mike boils hot dogs on the stove.

                         MIKE
               Richard, do you still go to mass?

                         SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
               No, I haven’t been to church for
               some time now. But I still consider
               myself a Catholic.

                         MIKE
               How does that work?

                         SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
               The Church is an institution, Mike,
               made of men. It’s passing. My
               faith is in the eternal. I try to
               separate the two.

                         MIKE
               Sounds tricky.

     Mike’s shakes his pen, out of ink. He crosses to his backpack
     by the front door. He reaches in, digs around.

                         SIPE (ON SPEAKERPHONE)
               It is. Especially since the Church
               continues to go after me. It takes
               a toll, Mike.

                         SIPE (CONT’D)
               They’ll try to silence anyone who
               speaks out. I’m sure they’ll come
               after you and your team soon enough.

                         MIKE
               And how do you think they’ll do
               that? Hello? ...Richard?

     Mike checks his phone. Disconnected. Huh. Suddenly,
     there’s a loud KNOCK on the door. Mike JUMPS.

                            MIKE (CONT’D)
               Who is it?
                              11/26/14                    82.


                    BEN (O.C.)
          The Archbishop of Canterbury.

Mike opens the door.    Ben’s there with a PIZZA BOX.

                    BEN (CONT’D)
          I had dinner at Santarpio’s, had
          some leftovers.

He hands Mike the pizza.

                    MIKE
          Ah, you’re the freakin’ best.    You
          want a beer?

                       BEN
          Yeah.

Ben enters, takes in Mike’s apartment.    Mike grabs two beers.

          Jesus. How much longer you gonna be
          in this shithole?

                    MIKE
          Working on it.

                    BEN
          She’s a good girl, Mike.

                     MIKE
          Yeah, she is. We’ll figure it out. I
          haven’t had a lot of time lately.
              (then)
          I was just on the phone with Sipe
          actually.

                    BEN
          Have you met this guy in person yet?

                    MIKE
          No, but his knowledge of this is on
          a whole other level.

Ben frowns, skeptical. Mike hands him a beer.    They sit.
Mike opens the pizza box, digs in.

                    MIKE (CONT’D)
          Oh man, I’m starving.

                    BEN
          So, where are we on the ninety?

                       MIKE
          Close.
                                   11/26/14                   83.


                             BEN
                How close?

                          MIKE
                We’re close.

                          BEN
                Just answer the question, will you?

      Mike clocks this.

                          MIKE
                We got 87 names. We’re trying to get
                confirmation. I think we will.
                    (then, off Ben)
                Something bugging you?

                          BEN
                Just surprising, that’s all.

                          MIKE
                Yeah, it is. For everyone.

93A   EXT. MIKE’S APARTMENT BUILDING, HALLWAY - NIGHT          93A

      Ben walks out of Mike’s apartment, heads up the stairs when
      Mike opens his door, calls after him.

                          MIKE
                Hey. Ben, I forgot to ask, Phil
                Saviano said he sent a bunch of info
                to the Globe years ago. You have
                any idea to who?

                          BEN
                    (irked)
                No. Why?

                          MIKE
                Just curious. I wanted to see if
                there were any other leads you guys
                didn’t run out?

                           BEN
                    (pissed off)
                Saviano was a fucking train wreck
                five years ago, Mike. We didn’t miss
                anything. This story needed
                Spotlight.

      Mike’s taken aback.

                          MIKE
                Yeah. I know. Just following up.
                                  11/26/14                   84.


     Nothing more to say.

                         BEN
               Good night.

     Ben walks off. Mike watches him go.

94   INT. GLOBE, MARTY’S OFFICE - DAY                          94

     CLOSE ON an EMAILED LIST of Priests and victims.

                         BEN (O.C.)
               This is unbelievable.

                         MARTY
               When did you get this?

                         ROBBY
               MacLeish emailed the list this
               morning. He settled cases against
               forty-five priests.

     REVEAL Marty and Ben across the table from Robby and the rest
     of the Spotlight team. Marty pages through the printout.

                         MARTY
               Where are we on Law? Anything that
               shows he had knowledge of this?

                         BEN
               We’re still working Garabedian.   But
               nothing concrete.

     Marty considers this.   Then he turns to Robby.

                         MARTY
               I keep thinking about that
               conversation we had the other night.
               You said Law called down the power
               of God when we reported on Porter.

                         BEN
               That’s just Law being Law.

                         MARTY
               Okay, but I checked the clips,
               Porter wasn’t even in the Boston
               Archdiocese. He was in Fall River.
               So, why the extreme reaction?

                         ROBBY
                   (realizing)
               Law had to know.
                         (MORE)
                                 11/26/14                            85.

                           ROBBY (CONT'D)
                 That’s why he had the reaction.     He
                 knew there were others.

                           MARTY
                 I think that’s the bigger story.

      The team reacts.   Robby watches.

                           MIKE
                 Bigger than fifty priests?

                           MARTY
                 If it came from the top down, yes.

                           SACHA
                 But the numbers clearly indicate
                 senior clergy were involved.

                           MARTY
                 That’s all they do, indicate.

                   MIKE
      You’re telling me we run a                       ROBBY
      story about fifty pedophile            (stepping in)
      priests in Boston --                Mike--

                           MARTY (CONT’D)
                 We’ll get into the same cat fight
                 you got into on Porter, which made a
                 lot of noise but changed things not
                 one bit. We need to focus on the
                 institution not the individual
                 priests. Practice and policy. Show
                 me the Church manipulated the system
                 so that these guys wouldn’t have to
                 face charges. Show me they put
                 those same priests back into
                 parishes, time and time again. Show
                 me this was systemic, that it came
                 from the top down.

      Beat.   Pretty fucking clear.

                           BEN
                 Sounds like we’re going after Law?

                           MARTY
                 We’re going after the system.

94B   INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT - LATER                                   94B

      The team enters together, heads for their desks.         Robby talks
      to Sacha.
                                      11/26/14                  86.


                            ROBBY
                  Make a list of all the victims we
                  have and start reaching out. Pull
                  Matt in if you need help.

                              SACHA
                  Okay.

                            ROBBY
                      (to Mike)
                  When you are going to Springfield?

                            MIKE
                  Hearing is Monday.

        Robby nods, heads into --

94C     INT. GLOBE, ROBBY’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS                  94C

        Robby settles in.    Starts to check e-mails.

                              MATT
                  Robby?    You got a second?

        Robby looks up, Matt’s in the door.

                              ROBBY
                  Yeah.

                             MATT
                  I, uh, got one of those treatment
                  centers a block from my house.
                      (then)
                  We got neighbors with kids. I know
                  our work is confidential but I feel
                  like I should tell ‘em.

                            ROBBY
                  We’ll tell ‘em soon.

        Matt hesitates.    Then nods and exits.

95-99   SUMMER VICTIM MONTAGE                                  95-99

        In a series of quick cuts, we see --

        -- Sacha (and Matt) out and about in JP, Dorchester, Mission
           Hill, trying to find victims. They knock on some doors
           and get no answer, they knock on others to find that
           victims have moved, it’s tough to track folks down.

        -- Sacha (and Matt) manage to track victims down, but face
           obstacles. Obstructionist family members, reticent
           victims...
                                    11/26/14                        87.


       -- Finally, Sacha (and Matt) actually are let in. We see
          shot after shot of them entering houses, some new, some
          where they were previously denied. They’re getting the
          story...

100    INT. RUNDOWN HOUSE, DORCHESTER - DAY                          100

       Sacha sits with the middle-aged-man.

                           MIDDLE-AGED-MAN
                 The Bishop came over the house. He
                 said nothing like this had ever
                 happened before, they asked us not
                 to press charges.

                           SACHA
                 And what did your mother do?

                              MIDDLE-AGED-MAN
                 My mother?     She put out freakin’
                 cookies.

       Sacha blinks.

103A   INT. DUSSOURD APARTMENT, JAMAICA PLAIN - DAY (FORMERLY 102)
                                                                 103A

       A small apartment. MARYETTA DUSSOURD, 57, wears a gold cross.

                           DUSSOURD
                 There was a lot of pressure to keep
                 quiet.

       She struggles.   Matt across from her, prods...

                           MATT
                 From the Church?

                           DUSSOURD
                 Yeah, from the Church... but not
                 just the Church. From my friends,
                 from the other parishioners...

101    INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - EARLY EVENING                  101

       CLOSE ON a spreadsheet, going up on the wall.     Names of
       priests, dates, reports...

                           SIPE (OVER THE PHONE)
                 Well, many of the priests I treated
                 were psychosexually stunted....

       REVEAL Sacha putting up the list of 15 priests on the
       corkboard as Matt walks over 3x5 CARDS with VICTIM’S STORIES.
       In the foreground, Mike talks on the phone to Sipe.
                                    11/26/14                       88.


                            SIPE (OVER THE PHONE) (CONT’D)
                  ...on the emotional level of a
                  twelve or thirteen year old.

                             MIKE
                  Jeez.

103     INT. COFFEE SHOP, HINGHAM - DAY                             103

        Sacha sits with the a COP, 40s, African-American.

                            COP
                  Sure, the chief knew, everybody
                  knew. But nobody wants to cuff a
                  priest.

                            SACHA
                  What about the prosecutor?

                            COP
                  I shouldn’t talk about this shit.

                            SACHA
                  I think you should actually.

        Sacha waits, stares him down.

103a    EXT. JAMAICA PLAIN - DAY                                   103a

        Sacha talks to a painter on a ladder.

                            SACHA
                  Do you know a Father Hurley or a
                  Father Gale?

                             MAN
                  I do.

103aa   EXT. TWO DECKER, DORCHESTER - DAY                         103aa

        A man yells at Matt from his porch.

                     MAN
        You get out of here before I                   MATT
        kick the shit out of you,         Sorry to bother you.   Sorry
        alright?                          to bother you....

                            MAN
                  You leave me alone, leave my brother
                  alone, you hear me goddammit?
                                 11/26/14                   89.


104   EXT. TWO FAMILY HOUSE - MALDEN, MA - LATE AFTERNOON    104

      Sacha walks up to a door. The knock. A kindly looking OLDER
      MAN (RONALD PAQUIN) in a checkered shirt answers the door.

                          SACHA
                Hi, I’m looking for Ronald Paquin.

                           RONALD PAQUIN
                Yes?

      Sacha blinks, surprised.

                          SACHA
                You’re... Father Paquin?

                          FATHER PAQUIN
                Yes, that’s right.

                          SACHA
                    (rapid, tense)
                My name is Sacha Pfeiffer, I, I’m a
                reporter with the Boston Globe.

                           FATHER PAQUIN
                Okay.

      Sacha, awkward, reaches for her pad.

                          SACHA
                Could I ask you a few questions?

                          FATHER PAQUIN
                Go ahead, dear.

      Sacha starts recording.

                          SACHA
                We’ve talked to several men who knew
                you when they were boys at St. John
                the Baptist in Haverhill? They told
                us you molested them? Is that true?

                          FATHER PAQUIN
                ...Sure. I fooled around. But I
                never felt gratified myself.

      Sacha almost hides her shock.

                          SACHA
                Right, uh, but you admit that you
                molested boys at St. John the
                Baptist?
                           11/26/14                        90.


                    FATHER PAQUIN
          Yes, yes, but as I said, I never got
          any pleasure from it. That’s
          important to understand.

                    SACHA
          Right. Can you tell me where and
          how you, uh, fooled around with
          these boys.

                    FATHER PAQUIN
          I want to be clear, I never raped
          anyone. There’s a difference. I
          should know.

                    SACHA
          How would you know?

                    FATHER PAQUIN
          I was raped.

                    SACHA
          ...I’m sorry... who raped you?

     JANE PAQUIN (O.C.)
Ronny? Who’re you talking to?           FATHER PAQUIN
                                It’s okay, Jane.

                    SACHA (CONT’D)
          Father Paquin, who raped you?

Paquin’s sister, JANE PAQUIN, 50s, comes to the door.

         JANE PAQUIN
Who are you?                                SACHA
                                Sacha Pfeiffer, I’m with the
                                Globe--

         JANE PAQUIN
Please get off my porch.                FATHER PAQUIN
                                I can speak for myself, Jane.

         JANE PAQUIN
Get inside the house, Ronald.               SACHA
                                I just have a few more--

         JANE PAQUIN
Get inside, Ronnie.                         SACHA
                                I’m sorry, who are you?

         JANE PAQUIN
I’m his sister, and I don’t                 SACHA
want you coming back here.      Ms. Paquin --
                                    11/26/14                     91.


      But Jane SLAMS the door. Sacha stands there for a moment,
      STUNNED. Then she turns, quickly heads down the walkway,
      scribbling notes. She pauses as she reaches the sidewalk,
      finishing up. Two CHILDREN ride past on bikes. She’s VISIBLY
      SHAKEN by the encounter.

105   INT. HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT, COURTROOM, SPRINGFIELD, MA - DAY
                                                                 105

      Mike watching the Globe’s lawyer, JON ALBANO, 50s, white
      beard and moustache, present to JUDGE CONSTANCE SWEENEY, 40s.

                          JUDGE SWEENEY
                Could you please clarify the Globe’s
                position for me, Mr. Albano?

      The courtroom’s empty, Garabedian at one desk, WILSON D.
      ROGERS JR., 60s, the Church’s lawyer, at another.

                          ALBANO
                Yes, Judge Sweeney. Our argument to
                make these documents public rests
                mainly on 1st amendment grounds. We
                also have a number of other relevant
                arguments. After all, your honor,
                this was a discretionary order...

                          JUDGE SWEENEY
                Yes, Mr. Albano, it was made at the
                Judge’s discretion...

      Mike FIGHTS TEDIUM... until a REPORTER slides in next to him.

                             HERALD REPORTER (JOE QUIMBY)
                Hey Mike.

                             MIKE
                Hey Joe.

                          HERALD REPORTER
                What’s a Spotlight reporter doing in
                Springfield?

      Mike doesn’t answer.

                          HERALD REPORTER (CONT’D)
                Your man Albano’s sledding uphill.
                You really think you have a shot at
                winning this thing?

                          MIKE
                You want me to comment for the
                Herald?
                                  11/26/14                     92.


                          QUIMBY
                    (writing on his pad)
                “Globe reporter would not comment
                but did not seem hopeful.”

      Mike settles in.   Gonna be a long day.

106   INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE/ROBBY’S OFFICE - DAY            106

      Sacha downloads Robby. We see a large map of Boston on a
      desk, neighborhoods circled, writing and Post-its noting
      priests and victims.

                          SACHA
                He didn’t try to hide it at all, he
                had this odd rationalization for it.
                Like it was normal to fool around
                with little boys.

      Nearby, we see Matt adding 3x5 victim cards to the wall. On
      the wall, 19 OF ROUGHLY 50 PRIESTS have cards. [N.B.: The
      priests (and victims) should be grouped by neighborhood].

                          SACHA (CONT’D)
                I’d really like to go back.     I think
                he’d talk to us.

                          ROBBY
                We will. Just not yet... Let’s
                stay focused on victims right now.

                          MATT
                Sacha, where’d they send Father
                Talbot again?

                  SACHA
      I think it was Cheverus?                        MATT
                                         Yeah, that’s right.

                          ROBBY
                Father Talbot? From BC High?

                            SACHA
                Yeah.    You know him?

                          ROBBY
                He was there when I was.     We have a
                victim?

                            MATT
                Yeah.    He lives in Providence.

      Matt hands him the card.    Robby stares down at the name.
                                   11/26/14                      93.


108   INT. HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT, COURTROOM - DAY                108

      Mike is still listing.

                          ALBANO
                There’s nothing personal in these
                documents, your honor, they concern
                how the Cardinal is handling--

                          JUDGE SWEENEY
                Say the Archdiocese.

                          ALBANO
                Er, excuse me?

                          JUDGE SWEENEY
                You don’t get to tag the Cardinal
                with everything, Mr. Albano. Say
                the Archdiocese.

      Albano looks flustered.

                          WILSON D. ROGERS JR.
                Judge Sweeney, the Globe isn’t a
                party to this case, they just want
                to sell papers. If Mr. Garabedian
                hadn’t smeared the Cardinal’s good
                name, we wouldn’t even be here.

                          GARABEDIAN
                Your honor, I object to the use of
                the word smear.

                          JUDGE SWEENEY
                Duly noted, Mr. Garabedian.

      Garabedian, angry, mutters under his breath. Mike catches it.

109   EXT. HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT, SPRINGFIELD, MA - LATER        109

      Garabedian sits on the courthouse steps, eating a packed
      lunch out of tupperware. Simmering.

                          MIKE
                How you doing, Mitch?

      Mike walks up, sits down.

                            GARABEDIAN
                I’m fine.

                          MIKE
                    (pushing him)
                He’s tough, that Wilson Rogers.
                              11/26/14               94.


                       GARABEDIAN
          He’s smug.     And he’s sloppy.

                    MIKE
          He doesn’t seem sloppy.

                    GARABEDIAN
          You don’t know the half of it.
          Trust me.

                     MIKE
          What’s the half of it?
              (then)
          Tell me the half of it, Mitch.

Garabedian looks at him, wrestling with something.

                    GARABEDIAN
          Off the record.

                    MIKE
          Off the record.

                    GARABEDIAN
          Three years ago, I get a call from
          an ex-Priest. Anthony Benzevich.
          He was at Blessed Sacrament back in
          ‘62 and he saw Geoghan taking little
          boys up to the Rectory bedroom.
          Benzevich was appalled, he told the
          Bishop. And the Bishop threatened
          to reassign him. To South America.

                       MIKE
          Jeez.

                    GARABEDIAN
          Yeah. So, fast-forward 35 years,
          Benzevich reads Geoghan’s been
          charged with molesting more than a
          hundred kids. Benzevich feels
          guilty, he calls me.

                    MIKE
          You have testimony from a priest
          telling his superiors about Geoghan
          in 62’?

                    GARABEDIAN
          No, I do not. Because when I call
          Benzevich in to give a deposition,
          he shows up with a lawyer.
                 11/26/14              95.


          MIKE
Wilson Rogers.

          GARABEDIAN
Suddenly, Father Benzevich has a
foggy memory. Can’t remember
anything. He’s useless. So I go
back to work, I forget about it,
whatever. Until about a year ago. I
find an article about a priest who
warned church officials about
Geoghan.

          MIKE
    (stunned)
Benzevich went to the press.

          GARABEDIAN
Local paper, Patriot Ledger, nobody
saw it. But now I got Benzevich on
record, so I file a motion to depose
him a second time. And Wilson
Rogers, that smug son of a bitch, he
files a motion opposing my motion.
And that’s when I have him!

          MIKE
Have him how?

          GARABEDIAN
Rogers opposes my motion. So I gotta
make an argument as to why I’m
allowed to depose Father Benzevich a
second time. But now, I’m allowed
to attach exhibits. You follow what
I’m saying?

          MIKE
The sealed documents...

          GARABEDIAN
Yes, I can use the sealed documents
I’ve gotten in discovery, Mr.
Rezendes, the same documents your
paper is currently suing for.

          MIKE
You’re shitting me.

          GARABEDIAN
No, I am not shitting you. So I
pull out the 14 most damning docs
and I attach them to my motion. And
they prove everything.
          (MORE)
                                 11/26/14                         96.

                          GARABEDIAN (CONT'D)
                About the Church, about the bishops,
                about Law...

                          MIKE
                And it’s all public? Because your
                motion to oppose Rogers’ motion...

                          GARABEDIAN
                ...is public. That’s correct.     Now
                you’re paying attention.

                           MIKE
                    (head spinning)
                So I can just walk into the
                courthouse right now and get those
                documents?

                          GARABEDIAN
                No. You cannot. Because the
                documents are not there.

                          MIKE
                But you just said they’re public.

                          GARABEDIAN
                I know I did. But this is Boston.
                And the Church doesn’t want them to
                be found. So they are not there.

                          MIKE
                Mitch, are you telling me that the
                Catholic Church had legal documents
                removed from the courthouse?

      Mitch collects his things, turns to Mike.   With clarity.

                          GARABEDIAN
                Look, I’m not crazy, I’m not
                paranoid, I’m experienced. Check
                the docket, you’ll see. They control
                everything. Everything.

      Mitch exits. Mike watches him go, UNNERVED. Is Mitch right?
      And was that just the mother of all tips? A beat... then
      Mike grabs his stuff and runs towards his car.

110   EXT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, DOWNTOWN BOSTON - LATER      110

      Mike gets out of his car, runs across same street into the
      courthouse.
                                 11/26/14                       97.


111   INT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, RECORDS ROOM - DAY          111

      A mousy looking CLERK #2 (O’BRIAN) pushes a BINDER across a
      help desk to... Mike. Who starts going through the file.

                           CLERK #2 (O’BRIAN)
                Docket entry #49 in the Geoghan
                case.
                    (then)
                We’re closing in ten minutes.

      CLOSE ON DOCKET ENTRY #49: Plaintiff’s opposition to
      Reverend Anthony Benzevich’s Motion for Protective Order.
      Dated APR 2, 2001. And a list of 14 exhibits.

      Mike, excited, opens the file, finds the motion and a FOLDER,
      EXHIBITS A - N. Mike opens it. It’s empty. HOLY SHIT.

112   INT. ROBBY’S HOUSE, ROBBY’S HOME OFFICE - EARLY EVENING     112

      Robby stands, searching through bookshelves... until he finds
      a BC HIGH YEARBOOK. He flips to the faculty page, homing in
      on a PHOTO... FATHER JAMES TALBOT. A beat. His phone RINGS.

                           ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                Robby.

                          MIKE (OVER THE PHONE)
                Hey, it’s me. You’re not gonna
                believe it.

113   EXT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, DOWNTOWN BOSTON - SAME TIME113

      Mike is walking out of the courthouse.

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                Garabedian gave me a tip, some of
                the sealed docs are already public.
                They’re part of a motion he filed.
                He said they’re the best of the
                bunch, we don’t have to wait for
                Sweeney’s ruling.

      INTERCUT THE TWO SCENES

                          ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                So we can get them?

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                Yeah, but they’re not there! I
                already talked to Albano, he said
                all we have to do is file a motion
                and Sweeney will order Mitch to
                refile the docs.
                                   11/26/14                       98.


                          ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                And you think these documents are...

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                He said these 14 docs are all we
                need. They’re huge, Robby.

                           ROBBY
                Okay.   I’ll call Ben.    Good work.

114   EXT. GLOBE, PARKING LOT - EARLY MORNING                      114

      Marty gets out of his car and walks toward the building. It’s
      a beautiful September morning.

115   INT. GLOBE, NEWSROOM - MOMENTS LATER                         115

      It’s pretty empty. Marty walks in, heads toward his office,
      but slows when SOMETHING on a TV catches his attention. He
      walks to the TV, joins A YOUNG REPORTER already watching.

                          MARTY
                What happened?

                          YOUNG REPORTER
                They’re saying it’s a prop plane but
                that’s not a prop plane.

      We glimpse the TV.   The World Trade Center.     On fire.

                          MARTY
                Tell Linda to get every reporter we
                have in here now.

116   INT. GLOBE, NEWSROOM - DAY                                   116

      CLOSE ON a TV. Cardinal Law addressing a large group of
      reporters, citizens in front of the Cathedral.

                          CARDINAL LAW (REAL FOOTAGE)
                You pray for the injured, and those
                who survived. You pray, too, for
                the nation, that our response might
                reflect our best ideals and God’s
                teaching as it is found in
                Christianity and Islam as well.

      REVEAL a group watching TV in the corner of the newsroom, Ben
      front and center. Robby, Matt, Sacha are off to the side.

                           BEN
                Not bad.   Who’s there?
                             11/26/14           99.


                     FEMALE EDITOR
          Paulson.

Ben starts to move, an editor at his side.

                    BEN
          I wanna talk to him when he’s back.
              (to Robby)
          Did Rezendes find a way to get to
          Florida?

                    ROBBY
          They just opened the airport in
          Providence, he’s on his way there
          now.

News to Sacha and Matt.

                    CANELLOS
          Ben, I’m gonna need more people on
          Massport.

                    BEN
          I’ll give you three of my guys.
          Robby, put your team on that too.

                     ROBBY
          Got it.

                    BEN
          And Robby, everything else stops.

                    ROBBY
          Understood.

Ben heads off.

                    MATT
          Why’s Mike going to Florida?

                    ROBBY
          Flight school. It’s where they
          learned to fly.

                    SACHA
          Robby, I’ve got a lot of victim
          interviews set up this week.

                    ROBBY
          You’re gonna have to cancel ‘em.

                    SACHA
          That’s going to be hard.
                                  11/26/14                      100.


                          MATT
                This is nuts. Two days ago, I told
                my wife we gotta be working the
                biggest story on the planet....

      Robby nods as we PAN to Reception.     Linda and several others
      taking calls.

                  LINDA
      Boston Globe. We have no                 RECEPTIONIST 1
      knowledge of additional          Boston Globe. One second
      threats.                         please.

                          RECEPTIONIST 2
                Yes, if you have a tip I’ll transfer
                you to the metro desk.

      Off the RINGING PHONES --

117   INT. GARABEDIAN’S OFFICE, CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY             117

      Garabedian works at his desk.   The phone rings, he picks up.

                          GARABEDIAN (INTO PHONE)
                Mitchell Garabedian.

118   INT. MIKE’S CAR (MOVING), I-95 - DAY                        118

      Mike speeds frantically down I-95 towards Providence, phone
      to his ear. It’s ringing.

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                Mitch, it’s Mike, I’ve been trying
                to reach you...

                          GARABEDIAN (OVER THE PHONE)
                I don’t have time to talk to you,
                Mr. Rezendes.

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                Did you refile those documents yet?

                          GARABEDIAN (OVER THE PHONE)
                No, I just got the order, it takes
                time.

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                Okay, great. Can you to hold off on
                refiling them?
                                   11/26/14                   101.


                  GARABEDIAN                         MIKE
      Hold off?                         I have to go to Florida, once
                                        you refile, they’re public,
                                        other newspapers will be able
                                        to get a hold of...

                            GARABEDIAN (INTO PHONE)
                  Other newspapers are not my concern.
                  I received a judicial order, I told
                  you the Church is watching me...

                            MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                  Mitch, please, I just need a few
                  weeks.

                            GARABEDIAN (INTO PHONE)
                  I can’t make any promises. Goodbye.

      Garabedian hangs up.

                             MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                  Mitch?   Mitch! Shit!

119   EXT. T-STOP, BOSTON - DAY                                     119

      The season has changed. The leaves are all but gone.    Sacha
      emerges from the subway, crosses the street.

120   INT. BAR, JAMAICA PLAIN - SAME TIME                           120

      A relatively empty bar. ON TV, we see CNN coverage of the US
      BOMBING IN AFGHANISTAN. Phil Saviano sits in a booth across
      from Sacha. Phil’s on the edge.

                             SAVIANO
                  Look, I get it, no one wants to read
                  about kids getting raped by priests.
                  Especially now. But you asked a lot
                  of people to relive some very
                  painful experiences and then you
                  disappear!

                  SACHA
      Phil, you know why we were                   SAVIANO
      taken off the story.              It’s been six weeks since
                                        9/11.

                            SACHA
                  I realize that and we’re going to
                  get back to it.

                 SAVIANO
      When? You’re doing the same                     SACHA
      thing you guys did last time--    ...no...
                                    11/26/14             102.


                          SAVIANO
                --you’re dropping us! Maybe I
                should tell the Herald that story!

                          SACHA
                Okay, Phil. You can do that, it’ll
                undo all the work we’ve done. But I
                can’t stop you.

      Phil looks away, but quiets.

                          SACHA (CONT’D)
                Listen to me. I am here because I
                care. We are not going away. We
                are not going away. We are going to
                tell this story and we’re going to
                tell it right. We just need more
                time, that’s all we’re asking for.

                          PHIL
                Why bother asking? You’re gonna do
                what you want anyway. You always do.

      He gets up and leaves.

                            SACHA
                Phil.    Phil...

      But he’s gone.    Off Sacha --

121   INT. GLOBE, MARTY’S OFFICE - EVENING                 121

      Marty’s working at his computer.     Ben knocks.

                          BEN
                Marty, you gotta a second?

                            MARTY
                Sure.

      Marty turns as Ben walks in.

                          BEN
                Robby’s itching to get his team back
                on the church story. At this point,
                I think we’re covered on 9/11.

                            MARTY
                Okay.    Sounds right.

      Ben starts to leave when --
                                  11/26/14                   103.


                           MARTY (CONT’D)
                Ben.
                    (then)
                I, uh, wanted to say thank you for
                taking the lead on 9/11. All the
                politics at Logan and Massport, I
                wasn’t the person to do it. You’ve
                done an excellent job over the last
                six weeks.

      Ben is completely caught off guard.

                          BEN
                Oh.  Well... thanks.
                    (awkward, exiting)
                Good night.

                          MARTY
                Good night.

122   INT. HOLIDAY INN, HOTEL ROOM, MIAMI, FL - LATER          122

      A crappy hotel room. ESPN on TV, a suitcase, clothes, papers
      everywhere. Mike takes a burrito out of the hotel microwave,
      tries to pick it up when his phone RINGS. He grabs the phone.

                           MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                Hey.

                          ROBBY (OVER THE PHONE)
                How’s South Beach?

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                I’m in Boynton Beach. Remarkably
                different place. What’s up?

                          ROBBY (OVER THE PHONE)
                Mitch Garabedian called me today.

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                Why’d he call you?

                          ROBBY (OVER THE PHONE)
                Because he knew you’d yell at him.
                He refiled the docs.

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE)
                    (yelling)
                What? Robby, those docs are public
                now, we gotta get them before anyone
                else does...
                                   11/26/14                   104.


123   INT. GLOBE, ROBBY’S OFFICE/SPOTLIGHT - SAME TIME             123

      Robby sitting in his chair.

                          ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                I know, wrap up what you’re doing
                and catch the first flight you can.

                          MIKE (OVER THE PHONE)
                I’ll book a flight, go straight to
                the courthouse tomorrow.

                           ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                Good.   Call me when you get it.

      Robby hangs up.   Sacha is in his door, putting on her coat.

                          SACHA
                Robby, I’d like to let Phil Saviano
                know that we are back on it.

                          ROBBY
                Good idea. Go have dinner with
                Hansi. Might be the last time for a
                while.

                           SACHA
                Okay.

      Sacha hesitates, then grabs a clip off her desk.

                          SACHA (CONT’D)
                Robby, after we saw MacLeish, I
                started going back through the
                clips... and I had a little time
                last week finally, so, uh...
                    (she hands him the clip)
                I found that. It’s from ‘93.

      Robby looks down. We see the clip. “LAWYER FOR PORTER
      VICTIMS SAYS 20 OTHER PRIESTS IN AREA ARE ACCUSED.”

      Robby’s face CHANGES.   Sacha waits, expecting a response.

                           ROBBY
                That it?

      Robby’s abrupt tone catches Sacha by surprise.

                           SACHA
                Yeah.   That’s it.

                          ROBBY
                Good night.
                                   11/26/14                   105.


                           SACHA
                Okay.   Good night.

      Sacha takes a beat, then leaves, a bit confused and hurt.
      Robby looks down at the clip. Off Robby --

124   INT. MATT CARROLL’S HOUSE, BEDROOM, WEST ROXBURY, MA - NIGHT
                                                                 124

      Matt sits up in bed. Checks the clock. 4am. Can’t sleep.

125   INT. MATT CARROLL’S HOUSE, KITCHEN - LATER                   125

      Matt walks in, takes two aspirin. He eyes a 9/11 BUMPER
      STICKER on the fridge. His gaze drifts down to the photo of
      the house on Pelton Street. Matt frowns... realizing he’s
      back on the church.

126   EXT. MODERN RESTAURANT, PROVIDENCE, RI - DAY                 126

      A wide shot.   A well dressed, good looking MAN checking his
      blackberry.

      Robby walks in, introduces himself to the man.   PRELAP --

127   INT. MODERN RESTAURANT, PROVIDENCE, RI - LATER               127

      Robby and the man, KEVIN, 40s, sit at a table. We’re in a
      long shot. We see them talking. Kevin is friendly, amiable.

                          KEVIN
                So, I was probably a few years after
                you, right?

                          ROBBY
                More than a few.

                          KEVIN
                    (laughing)
                Well after BC High, I came down to
                Providence, played hockey for the
                Friars.

                          ROBBY
                You must’ve been pretty good.

                          KEVIN
                No, rode the bench in college. But
                I loved the city, never left. We
                just had our third kid. And I still
                get my Globe, for the record.

                          ROBBY
                Good to know.
                                    11/26/14                     106.


      Kevin smiles.   Robby nods.    Takes a beat.   Then dives in.

                          ROBBY (CONT’D)
                Look, Kevin, that’s actually why I’m
                here. I need ask you some questions
                about Father Talbot.

      Kevin’s face tightens, his eyes intense. Robby waits.

                          KEVIN
                How’d you find out? I guess that
                doesn’t matter.
                    (shakes his head)
                I never even told my wife.

129   INT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER         129

      Mike, still carrying his bags from the plane, emerges from an
      elevator, hurries down the hall, nearly knocking people out
      of the way. He arrives at the Records Room and slams up
      against the glass just as the clerk (O’BRIAN) LOCKS the door.

                          MIKE
                Hey, hey, I need to get in there.

                          CLERK O’BRIAN
                We’re closed.

                          MIKE
                Come on, let me in, five minutes,
                come on.

                          CLERK O’BRIAN
                I’m sorry, we’re closed!

                          MIKE
                Come on, five minutes!

      But the clerk leaves.   Mike bangs the door in frustration.

130   INT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, HALLWAY - MORNING               130

      The elevator door opens and Clerk O’Brian walks out with
      coffee and a copy of the Globe. He approaches the door and
      stops.

      Mike sits on the floor, waiting. O’Brian eyes him.      A beat,
      then he unlocks the door. Mike follows him into --

131   INT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, RECORDS ROOM - MORNING          131

      O’Brian walks in. Mike fills out a form at the ‘application
      for records’ table. He turns to the desk, hands the form to
      Clerk O’Brian, who reads it.
                                  11/26/14                       107.


                          CLERK O’BRIAN
                This is the Geoghan case?

                            MIKE
                Yeah.    That’s right.

                          CLERK O’BRIAN
                Those records are sealed.

                          MIKE
                No, that’s a public motion, those
                records are public. Look, I work
                for the Globe.

      Mike shows his credentials.

                          CLERK O’BRIAN
                Good for you.

                          MIKE
                Can I talk to your supervisor?

                          CLERK O’BRIAN
                He’s not in today.

      Mike, frustrated, eyes the CROSS the clerk is wearing.

                          MIKE
                What about a judge? You gotta have
                a judge who handles these issues.

      The clerk eyes Mike.

                          CLERK O’BRIAN
                Sixth floor.

132   INT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, JUDGE’S CHAMBERS - LATER     132

      Mike walks in.    Sees a receptionist.

                          MIKE
                I’d like to see Judge Volterra
                please. It’s urgent.

                          RECEPTIONIST
                Judge is in court until 3:30.

                          MIKE
                There’s no other judge on duty?

                          RECEPTIONIST
                Would you like to have a seat?

      Her look says it all.
                                    11/26/14                        108.


                              MIKE
                   Yeah.   Sure. I’ll take a seat.

      Mike sits.    Frustrated and anxious.      We PRELAP --

                             JACK DUNN (PRELAP)
                   We understand the nature of the
                   allegations against Father Talbot.

133   INT. BC HIGH, PRESIDENT KEMEZA’S OFFICE, DORCHESTER - DAY 133

      Robby, Sacha sit with PRESIDENT BILL KEMEZA, 50s, SPOKESMAN
      JACK DUNN, 40, and Pete Conley, the swell we met earlier.

                             JACK DUNN
                   I’m just not sure what you want from
                   President Kemeza. Talbot taught
                   here long before Bill took over.

                             SACHA
                   Of course. We just want to know if
                   it’s possible that the faculty, the
                   President, the Board, that no one
                   knew what was going on at the time.

                             JACK DUNN
                   I graduated in 1979 and I had no
                   idea about any of this, so if you’re
                   suggesting that Father Gibbons and
                   Father Callahan --

                             ROBBY
                   Gibbons and Callahan ran this place
                   like the navy, Jack, you really
                   think they didn’t know?

                             JACK DUNN
                   It’s a big school, Robby, you know
                   that. You’re talking about seven
                   alleged victims over eight years.

                             ROBBY
                   Seven that we know about.

                JACK DUNN                        PRESIDENT KAMEZA
      This is ridiculous. You’re         Jack.   Jack --
      reaching for a story here, we
      can’t possible know if...

                             PRESIDENT KAMEZA
                   Jack. If I had been President back
                   then, I would have known.

      Conley looks at him, sharp.
                            11/26/14                   109.


          JACK DUNN                     PRESIDENT KAMEZA
Bill, I’m not sure that’s        Why do you think they sent    *
relevant --                      Talbot up to Cheverus? You    *
                                 know they wanted him out of
                                 town.

                    PETER CONLEY
              (to Robby, direct)
          Robby, as well-intentioned as Bill’s
          remarks are, I’m hoping maybe we can
          keep this between us until we all
          get on the same page.

                    ROBBY
          Is that why we’re here, to get on
          the same page?

                    PETER CONLEY
          No, we’re here because you’re an
          important alumnus, Robby, and a
          friend.

                    JACK DUNN
          Exactly. We know you care about
          this school as much as we do.

Robby contains his anger.

                    ROBBY
          Did you play a sport here, Jack?

                    JACK DUNN
              (confused)
          Yeah. Football. Why?

                     ROBBY
          I ran track.
              (then)
          I went to Providence yesterday, to
          talk to one of Talbot’s victims, he
          played hockey here. He’s one of the
          better ones, has a wife, kids, good
          job. Ten minutes into the
          conversation guy breaks down,
          couldn’t stop crying. Said he could
          never figure out why Father Talbot
          picked him.
              (beat, to Jack)
          Father Talbot coached the hockey
          team. So, I guess we just got lucky,
          you and me.

Off Sacha, watching him.
                                   11/26/14                      110.


134   EXT. BC HIGH, DORCHESTER, MA - DAY                           134

      Robby and Sacha walk from BC High back to the Globe.

                          SACHA
                Does Jack Dunn work for the school?

                          ROBBY
                No. He’s PR for Boston College. They
                call him when they need help.

                          SACHA
                And Pete Conley? Why was he there?

                          ROBBY
                Good question. Pete’s a big alum.
                But I called Bill directly and I
                asked for a sit-down, I never
                mentioned anybody else.

                           SACHA
                It’s like everybody already knows
                the story.

      This hits Robby.   He pauses, looks back at BC High.

                          ROBBY
                Yeah, except us.    And we work right
                there.

135   INT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, JUDGE’S CHAMBERS - LATER     135

      Mike is still waiting.   A JUDGE enters.   Mike stands.

                          MIKE
                Judge Volterra?

                           JUDGE VOLTERRA
                Yes?

                          MIKE
                Hi, I’m Mike Rezendes from the
                Boston Globe. I’m having some
                trouble accessing some public
                records down in the records room. I
                was wondering if I could have a word
                with you?

136   INT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, JUDGE’S CHAMBERS - LATER     136

      JUDGE VIERI VOLTERRA stares down at Mike’s request.
                                 11/26/14                     111.


                          JUDGE VOLTERRA
                These exhibits you’re after, Mr.
                Rezendes, they’re very sensitive
                records.

                          MIKE
                All due respect, your honor, that’s
                not the question here. The records
                are public.

                          JUDGE VOLTERRA
                Maybe so, but tell me, where is the
                editorial responsibility in
                publishing records of this nature?

                          MIKE
                Where’s the editorial responsibility
                in not publishing them?

137   INT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, RECORDS ROOM - DAY        137

      Clerk O’Brian drops the file in front of Mike, who dives in.
      His face says it all. HOLY SHIT. A beat, then Mike grabs
      the files, starts to rush out.

                          CLERK O’BRIAN
                You can’t take those. You need to
                make copies.

                          MIKE
                Yeah, I’m going to the copy room.

                          CLERK O’BRIAN
                It closed at four.

      Mike stops, fucked.   He digs into his pocket, counts bills.

                          MIKE
                I’ll give you 83 bucks to use yours.

138   EXT. SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, DOWNTOWN BOSTON - TWILIGHT 138

      Mike, already on his cell phone, hurries across the street
      toward and catches a cab.

                          MIKE
                Hey, Cabbie! Hey, hey, hey!

      Mike gets in cab.

                          MIKE (CONT’D)
                I’m going to the Boston Globe on
                Morrisey Boulevard. Don't take 93.
                Take Dorchester Avenue.
                          (MORE)
                                  11/26/14                       112.

                           MIKE (CONT’D)
                     (into phone)
                 Robby, it’s incredible!

138A   EXT. STATE STREET, BOSTON - MOMENTS LATER                  138A

       Mike’s cab moves up State Street.

                            MIKE (V.O.)
                 Law knew about Geoghan for years, no
                 question! There’s a letter to Law
                 from a woman, Margaret Gallant, who
                 lived in Jamaica Plain in the early
                 80’s when Geoghan was there. Listen
                 to this...

139    EXT. KING’S CHAPEL, TREMONT STREET, BOSTON - MOMENTS LATER 139

       Mike’s cab whisks past the old King’s Chapel.

                            MIKE (V.O.)
                     (reading)
                 “Our family is rooted in the Church,
                 our desire is to protect the Holy
                 Orders...”

140B   EXT. MONSIGNOR REYNOLD’S WAY, SOUTH END - MOMENTS LATER    140B

       Mike’s cab passes the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

                           MIKE (V.O.)
                 “...even in the midst of our agony
                 over the seven boys in our family...

140C   EXT. PLAYGROUND BY THE CATHEDRAL - MOMENTS LATER           140C

       Patrick McSorley plays with his kid on the playground.

                           MIKE (V.O.)
                 ...who have been violated.”      Seven,
                 Robby! Seven boys!

141    EXT. WEST 4TH STREET BRIDGE, BOSTON - LATER                 141

       The cab crosses over the bridge into Dorchester.

                           MIKE (V.O.)
                 “It was suggested we keep silent. We
                 did not question the Authority of
                 the Church two years ago...

142    EXT. OLD COLONY ROAD, DORCHESTER - LATER                    142

       The cab is stuck on Old Colony Road. It turns into a TRAFFIC
       CIRCLE, past St. Monica’s church and onto Columbia Road.
                                     11/26/14                 113.


                           MIKE (V.O.)
                 ...but since Father Geoghan is still
                 in his parish...” She sent it to
                 Law and Law did shit!

142A   EXT. COLUMBIA STREET, DORCHESTER - SAME TIME            142A

       The cab drives down by the water.

                           MIKE (V.O.)
                 Here’s another one to Law, same
                 year. Listen to this...
                     (reading)
                 “A word on the recent assignment of
                 Father John Geoghan...”

144    EXT. BOSTON GLOBE - EVENING                              144

       The cab pulls up. Mike jumps out, pays the driver, hustles
       inside.

                           MIKE (V.O.)
                 “...as an associate at Saint Julia’s
                 in Weston. Father Geoghan...”

145    INT. GLOBE, LOBBY - LATER                                145

       Mike races in through the glass doors, then hustles up the
       escalator...

                           MIKE (V.O.)
                 “...has a history of homosexual
                 involvement with young boys. I
                 understand his recent departure from
                 Saint Brendan's may be related to
                 this problem...”

147    INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - NIGHT                     147

       The whole team sits around as Mike finishes reading.

                           MIKE
                 “I wonder if Father Geoghan should
                 not be reduced to weekend work while
                 receiving therapy. You know how
                 grateful I am to you for your
                 constant concern, sincerely yours in
                 our Lord, Most Reverend John M.
                 D'Arcy, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston.
                 December 7, 1984.”

                           MATT
                 An auxiliary bishop wrote that?
                            11/26/14                      114.


We see the letters, both addressed to Law.     The team reels.

                    SACHA
          It’s incredible. He broke ranks.
          When did Gallant write her letter?

                     MIKE
          1984.

                    SACHA
          And Law just ignored her.

                    MATT
          How do you ignore that freakin’
          letter?!

                    MIKE
          We’ve got him. You can’t read those
          letters and think anything else.
          It’s proof.

                     ROBBY
          Yeah.   It is. This is good work.

                    MIKE
          Should we take it up to Ben?

                    ROBBY
          No, not yet.

                     MIKE
          Why not?   We got Law. This is it.

                    ROBBY
          No, this is Law covering for one
          priest. There’s another 90 out
          there.

                    MIKE
          Yeah, and we can print that story
          when we get it but we gotta go with
          this now.

                    ROBBY
          I’m not gonna rush the story, Mike.

                    MIKE
          We don’t have a choice, if we don’t
          run to press, somebody else is gonna
          find those letters and butcher the
          story! Joe Quimby from the Herald
          was at the freakin’ courthouse!
                                  11/26/14                   115.


                          ROBBY
                So we’ll write a holding story and
                we’ll keep an eye on the Herald.

                          MIKE
                    (losing it)
                Keep our eye on the Herald? They
                run this and they get it wrong, the
                Church will bury it! We gotta do
                this now!

                  MATTY                             MIKE
      Mike --                          What? Why are we hesitating!
                                       Baron told us to get Law!

                          ROBBY
                Baron told us to get the system. We
                need the full scope, that’s the only
                thing that will put an end to this.

                          MIKE
                Then let’s take it up to Ben, let
                him decide!

                          ROBBY
                We’ll take it to Ben when I say it’s
                time.

                          MIKE
                It’s time, Robby. They knew and they
                let it happen! To kids! This
                coulda been you, it coulda been me,
                it could have been any one of us.
                We gotta nail these scumbags, show
                people that no one can get away with
                this! Not a priest or a Cardinal or
                a fricking Pope!

      Robby, Sacha, and Matt are still. Mike looks around the room,
      out of breath, adrenaline draining. Robby is pissed.

                          ROBBY
                You finished?

                          MIKE
                Yeah. I am. This is bullshit.

      Mike leaves, slamming the door behind him.

149   INT. SACHA’S HOUSE, KITCHEN - NIGHT                      149

      Sacha and Hansi have just finished dinner. Hansi’s cleaning
      off the table as Sacha loads the dishwasher.
                                     11/26/14                     116.


      She tries to slide the upper rack into the dishwasher. It’s
      jammed. She tries again. It won’t go. She jiggles the rack,
      tries a third time... she SNAPS, slamming the rack hard,
      sending the dirty glasses crashing into each other.

      She looks up... Hansi is just staring at her.     Whoa.

                             HANSI
                You okay?

      Before she can answer, there’s a KNOCK on the door.       Hansi
      walks over, opens the door. It’s Mike.

                          MIKE
                Hey, Hansi.

                          HANSI
                Hard day at work, Mike?

150   EXT. SACHA’S HOUSE, BACK PORCH - LATER                        150

      Sacha walks onto the porch with two beers, hands one to Mike.

                         MIKE
                Thanks. I dunno why I got so pissed
                off. I mean I think Robby’s wrong
                but...

                          SACHA
                You care about the story, Mike.    We
                all do.

      Mike takes a drink.

                          SACHA (CONT’D)
                I stopped going to church with my
                Nana. It was just too hard. I’d be
                sitting there and I would start
                thinking about Joe Crowley or
                someone else and I’d just get so
                angry.

                          MIKE
                Did you tell her why?

                          SACHA
                She goes to church three times a
                week, Mike.

      Mike considers this.    Shakes his head.

                           MIKE
                Really pisses me off.
                    (then)
                           (MORE)
                                    11/26/14                     117.

                          MIKE (CONT'D)
                You know, I actually liked going to
                mass when I was a kid.

                          SACHA
                Why’d you stop?

                           MIKE
                Typical shit.
                    (then)
                But the weird thing is, I think
                there was a part of me that figured
                one day, maybe I’d go back. I was
                holding on to that.

      Sacha watches him, not expecting this.

                          MIKE (CONT’D)
                And when I read those letters,
                something just cracked.

                          SACHA
                That’s a shitty feeling.

                           MIKE
                Yeah.   It’s a shitty feeling.

      Off the two of them, a little lost...

151   INT. FAIRMONT HOTEL, OAK ROOM, DOWNTOWN BOSTON - NIGHT       151

      The posh bar of one of Boston’s oldest hotels.      Robby is at
      the bar, a glass of red wine in front of him.

                          PETER CONLEY
                Looks like a long day.

                            ROBBY
                Hey Pete.

                          PETER CONLEY
                I’m sorry to make it longer.     Brian?

      Peter Conley sits, nods to the barman: ‘the usual.’

                           ROBBY
                Anyone ever said no to a drink with
                you, Pete?

                          PETER CONLEY
                Sure. The trick is to keep asking.
                    (raising his glass)
                For Boston.
                             11/26/14                   118.


                     ROBBY
           For Boston.
               (drinks, then)
           So, you here for the Cardinal?

                      PETER CONLEY
           No, no, I wouldn’t presume to speak
           for the Cardinal.
               (then)
           You gotta a lot of people here who
           respect you, Robby, respect your
           work.

                     ROBBY
           Good to know.

                     PETER CONLEY
           It’s ‘cause you care about this
           place. It’s why you do what you do,
           it’s who you are. But people need
           the Church more than ever right now.
           You can feel it. And the Cardinal
           may not be perfect but we can’t
           throw out all the good he’s doing
           over a few bad apples.

Robby lets this sink in.     Nods as if in agreement.

                     PETER CONLEY (CONT’D)
           I’m bringing this up with you
           because I know this is Baron’s idea.
           His agenda. And I gotta tell you,
           honest to God, I don’t think he
           cares about this city the way we do.
           How could he?

Robby looks at Conley.   A long beat.

                     ROBBY
           This is how it happens, isn’t it,
           Pete?

                     PETER CONLEY
           What’s that?

                     ROBBY
           A guy leans on a guy and suddenly
           the whole town just looks the other
           way.

Stung.   Pete downs his drink.   Gets up.
                                    11/26/14                  119.


                          PETER CONLEY
                Robby, look. Marty Baron is just
                trying to make his mark. He’ll be
                here for a couple years and he’s
                gonna move on. Just like he did in
                New York and Miami. Where you gonna
                go?

      He starts to go.

                          ROBBY
                Pete?
                    (Pete turns)
                When we do run the story, I’m gonna
                need a comment from the Cardinal.

      Conley takes it.    Then smiles.

                          PETER CONLEY
                We’ll talk again later.        Good night,
                Robby.

153   INT. GLOBE, ROBBY’S OFFICE/SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - DAY          153

      Robby, Mike, Sacha and Matt sit working. It’s dark, quiet,
      serious. A beat, then Robby’s phone RINGS. He answers.

                           ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
                Robby. What? No shit, when?         Okay.
                     (hangs up, calls out)
                Hey.

      The team looks towards Robby’s office as he walks in.

                             MIKE
                What’s up?

                          ROBBY
                Sweeney ruled in our favor. She
                ruled to unseal the documents.

                             MIKE
                Jeez...

      The group sits stunned.

154   INT. GLOBE, MARTY’S OFFICE - EARLY EVENING                 154

      Marty, Ben, Robby, and Canellos (the Metro editor we met
      earlier) sit with the Globe lawyer, Albano.
                            11/26/14                   120.


                    ALBANO
          The Church already filed an appeal.
          But the trial court’s ruling is
          generally upheld in these matters.

                    MARTY
          And when would we get the documents?

                    ALBANO
          Probably takes Cohen a few weeks to
          rule, then there’ll be a redaction
          process... I’d say they’ll be made
          public mid-January.

                      MARTY
          Okay.    Thanks, John.   And nice work.

Albano exits.

                    CANELLOS
          Metro should run something, Marty.

                    ROBBY
          We can’t run this big.

                    CANELLOS
          Why wouldn’t we? It’s a major First
          Amendment victory. Not to mention,
          an Irish Catholic judge rules
          against the church? That’s a hell
          of a precedent.

                    ROBBY
              (to Ben)
          We don’t want the Herald going too
          deep on this.

                    MARTY
          Why’s that?

                    ROBBY
          You’re gonna have to step out,
          Peter.

                    CANELLOS
          I’m not stepping out.

Robby picks up a FOLDER OF DOCUMENTS on the table beside him.
He places it in front of Marty. Marty picks it up.

                      BEN
          Peter.

Marching orders.   Canellos exits, not happy.
                                   11/26/14                   121.


155   INT. GLOBE, MARTY’S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER                155

      CLOSE ON the letters.   Reveal Marty and Ben reading, STUNNED.

                          MARTY
                When did you --

                          ROBBY
                A couple of weeks ago.

                          BEN
                A couple of weeks?

                           ROBBY
                Yeah.

                          BEN
                And you’re telling us now?

                          MARTY
                These are substantial. They clearly
                show that Law was negligent.

      Ben and Marty stare at Robby.    A beat, then --

                          ROBBY
                I need more time. I want to keep
                digging.

                          BEN
                For what? This is the goddamn story.

                          ROBBY
                It’s not the whole story.

                          BEN
                    (dismissive)
                Tough shit. We’re on a clock now.
                Even if we don’t run Sweeney’s
                ruling, another paper could find
                these letters and fuck the story.

                          ROBBY
                Agreed. But we run the letters
                alone, Law apologizes, says it’s a
                one time thing, he can bury it.

                          MARTY
                How? These clearly show he knew and
                did nothing.

                          ROBBY
                Look, I’m close to stories on 70
                priests.
                          (MORE)
                             11/26/14            122.

                    ROBBY (CONT'D)
          We nail that along with those
          letters, it’s proof that this is
          bigger than Law. It’s the whole
          system.

Marty considers.

                    MARTY
          You have multiple sources confirming
          the 70 priests?

                     ROBBY
          On some.   I can get more.

                    BEN
          Too risky. If we’re not buttoned up
          on every single one of them, the
          Church’ll pick us apart.

Robby’s up against it. He plays his hand.

                    ROBBY
          I think I can get someone from the
          other side of the aisle.

                    BEN
          Someone inside the Church?

                    ROBBY
          Yeah, a lawyer.

                    MARTY
          Will he go on the record?


                    ROBBY
          Deep background.    But he’s a solid
          source.

Marty considers.   A beat, then Ben steps in.

                    BEN
          Rezendes needs time to write up the
          story. We don’t want to drop this
          at Christmas, not after 9/11. We
          could run it just after New Year’s,
          before the rest of the documents are
          released.

                    MARTY
          Okay. Tell Canellos to bury the
          ruling in Metro.
              (then, to Robby)
          You’ve got six weeks.
                                    11/26/14                       123.


        Robby nods, gets up and leaves.   Ben follows him into --

156     INT. GLOBE, NEWSROOM OUTSIDE MARTY’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS     156

        Ben and Robby walk out.

                            BEN
                  Tell Mike I want a draft before
                  Christmas. And we need a response
                  from Lake Street. Who does PR for
                  the Cardinal? Still John Walsh?

                            ROBBY
                  No, somebody new, Donna Morrisey,
                  she came from TV, she’s young.

                            BEN
                  Good, get a quote, we need something
                  from Law to appear even-handed.

                            ROBBY
                  Got it.

                            BEN
                  And Robby? Next time give me a
                  goddamn heads up?

        Ben exits. Robby takes it on the chin then walks off. As he
        does, we hear a child’s voice start into SILENT NIGHT...

157     INVESTIGATION/WRITING MONTAGE                                157

        As a second child joins in, we see a SERIES OF SHOTS...

157A    MIKE’S COMPUTER. 41 days until deadline. The very       157A
        start of the story. FIND Mike in SPOTLIGHT, pecking out
        the story on his COMPUTER. Matt, coat and briefcase,
        walks out...

157I    Sacha with Phil, Crowley and another guy at a shitty        157I
        DINER, sad Christmas decor. Sacha doesn’t eat, she
        writes on a pad.

157Fa   MIKE’S COMPUTER. 21 days until deadline.   The story       157Fa
        is further along...

157Fb   Matt drives down the street in HIS CAR, eyes on an old 157Fb
        man, putting down salt on the front walk of the
        TREATMENT CENTER.

157E    In BEN’S OFFICE, Mike watches Ben and Robby read the        157E
        story. Cross outs. He hands it back to Mike.
        Not there yet.
                                     11/26/14                    124.


157F    A SMALL HYDE PARK LIVING ROOM. A man in 40s cries,        157F
        talking to Sacha. A Christmas tree in the background.

157J    MIKE’S COMPUTER. 8 days until deadline. More edits on 157J
        the story. FIND Mike in his APARTMENT. Editing. A beer
        by the computer...

157Ja   An E-MAIL to Robby from Ben: ‘Where are we on your    157Ja
        source? It’s time.’ Find Robby IN HIS OFFICE, staring
        at the computer.

157M    A night mass at an EAST BOSTON CHURCH.                    157M

        As the children’s choir finishes Silent Night, we FIND
        Mike, in the doorway, standing there. Watching. Cut to --

161     EXT. SULLIVAN HOUSE, BROOKLINE - NIGHT                      161

        The door of a pretty colonial, a wreath still up. A hand
        knocks. The door opens. A pretty woman (JIM’S WIFE) smiles.

                             JIM’S WIFE
                  Robby.   What a nice surprise.

        REVEAL Robby at the door.    He walks into --

162     INT. SULLIVAN HOUSE, JIM’S HOME OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER      162

        Jim sits at on a leather couch watching golf. Through a
        door, we see a Christmas tree. His wife and Robby walk in.

                            JIM’S WIFE
                  Look who I found outside.

        Jim looks up, less than happy to see Robby standing there.

                            JIM
                  Hon, give us a minute, will you?

        Jim’s wife looks surprised.

                               JIM’S WIFE
                  Sure.

                            ROBBY
                  Good to see you, Karen.

        She leaves.   Jim turns off the TV,

                               JIM
                  What’s up?

        Robby pulls out a list, hands it to Jim.
                                   11/26/14                  125.


                          ROBBY
                I’m out of time, Jim. We’ve got
                cover-up stories on 70 priests, but
                the boss isn’t gonna run it unless I
                get confirmation from your side.

      Jim turns off the TV, looks it over.

                          JIM
                Are you out of your mind?

                          ROBBY
                Come on. This is our town, Jimmy.
                We all knew something was going on
                and no one did a thing. We gotta
                put an end to it.

                          JIM
                Don’t tell me what I gotta do!
                Yeah, I helped defend these
                scumbags, but that’s my job, Robby.
                I was doing my job!

                           ROBBY
                Yeah.   You and everyone else.

      Jim stands, hands Robby the list.

                          JIM
                Get out of my house.

163   EXT. SULLIVAN HOUSE, BROOKLINE - MOMENTS LATER           163

      Robby walks out of the house, toward his car.

                           JIM
                Hey!

      Robby turns, finds Sullivan.

                           JIM (CONT’D)
                You come to my home and lay this
                shit on me!
                    (then)
                You’re right, Robby, we all knew
                something was going to on. So where
                were you? What took you so long?!

      This lands with Robby.     No answer.

                          ROBBY
                I don’t know, Jimmy.

      Jim shakes his head, looks like he might slug Robby.
                                    11/26/14                     126.


                           JIM
                 Give me the list.

       Jim holds out his hand. Robby hands him the list. Jim eyes
       the first page, flips to the second. He checks the names...
       then flips back. He looks at Robby. Holds out a hand for a
       pen. Robby gives him one.

       Jim leans on the roof of Robby’s car. Marks up the list,
       then hands it back to Robby. Nothing more to say, Jim turns
       and walks away. Robby looks down at the list. Reacts.

       THE ENTIRE first page is CIRCLED.       And the second.

163A   EXT. GLOBE - DAY (FORMERLY 171A, ALREADY SHOT)             163A

       The Globe Building.   Snow falls.

                           MIKE (INTO PHONE, PRELAP)
                 Larry, we’re going to press in six
                 hours.

164    INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - DAY                          164

       Mike and Matt work the phones.

                           MATT (INTO PHONE)
                 Donna Morrisey said she’d call us
                 with a quote from Law hours ago.

              MIKE (INTO PHONE)                  MATT (INTO PHONE)
       That’s what I thought. Okay,        When did you talk to her?     *
       Larry.                              Yeah. That’s good to know.    *
                                           Thanks, Pete.

       They hang up.   Mike walks to the coffee machine.

                             MIKE
                 Anything?

                           MATT
                 Conley said Donna Morrisey should
                 have called, he just left Lake
                 Street.

                            MIKE
                 Yeah.   Rasky said the same thing.

                           MATT
                 This is ridiculous. You’d think
                 they want to get out ahead of this.
                                    11/26/14                 127.


                          MIKE
                They’d be idiots not to. I’d love
                to see their faces when they read
                this.

      Both of them wait.

                          MATT
                You know, Sunday’s the Feast of the
                Epiphany.

                          MIKE
                Seems appropriate.

      The phone rings.   Mike grabs it.

                          MIKE (INTO PHONE) (CONT’D)
                Mike Rezendes. Hi Donna. Thanks for
                calling. I just had a few questions
                if you have a minute....

      Mike listens.   Matt waits.

                          MIKE (CONT’D)
                What? I just hung up with Larry
                Rasky...

      He listens, then grabs a pad and starts writing furiously.

165   INT. GLOBE, MARTY’S OFFICE - DAY                            165

      Marty sits reading copy. He crosses something out.   Ben,
      Robby and Sacha sit opposite Marty.

                            BEN
                What?

                          MARTY
                Another adjective.

      Mike and Matt roll in.

                            ROBBY
                Anything?

                          MIKE
                Law just turned us down.

                          BEN
                Jesus Christ.

                          MIKE
                I just got off the phone with Donna
                Morrisey. She said, quote:
                          (MORE)
                            11/26/14             128.

                    MIKE (CONT'D)
              (off his pad)
          “We don’t even want to know what the
          questions are.” End quote.

                    ROBBY
          She really said that?

                    MIKE
              (slight smile)
          Yeah.

                    BEN
              (to Marty)
          That oughta do it.

                     MARTY
              (writing)
          “The Church had no interest in
          knowing what the Globe’s questions
          would be.”
              (hands it to Mike)
          Work it in somewhere before the
          jump.
              (to the team)
          Anything else?

                    ROBBY
          Matt wants to put the letters online
          so readers can see it for
          themselves.

                    MATT
          We can run the URL at the bottom of
          the article. It’s pretty
          straightforward.

No one really knows what that means.

                    MARTY
          Okay.

                    MATT
          We also put the Spotlight tip line
          at the end of the story so people
          can call in. Goes directly to our
          office.

                    SACHA
          Matt and I will be in in the morning
          in case we get any calls.

                    BEN
          I’m more concerned about the phones
          at reception.
                    (MORE)
                            11/26/14              129.

                    BEN (CONT'D)
          After we ran the Porter story, the
          message center was tied up for
          weeks. It was a real problem.

                    MATT
          And we had picketers.   Lots of them.

                    MARTY
          I’ll talk to Gilman about security
          and the phones.
              (to Robby)
          How’s it coming on the folo story?

Robby looks to Sacha.

                    SACHA
          We’ve nailed down multiple stories
          on seventy priests.

                    MARTY
          All seventy?

                    SACHA
          Yeah. And with the confirmation
          from Robby’s source, we’re ready to
          go. We can have a draft next week.

                    MARTY
          Robby, that source of yours, is this
          someone we could revisit?

                    ROBBY
          Might be tough.

                    BEN
          But he has no problem helping the
          church protect dozens of dirty
          priests. Guy’s a scumbag.

Matt glances at Robby.   Who’s looking at Ben.

                    MATT
          He’s a lawyer, he’s doing his job.

                    MIKE
          He a shill for the Church.

                    BEN
          He knew and did nothing.

                    MIKE
          He coulda said something about this
          years ago. Maybe saved some lives.
                            11/26/14                 130.


                    ROBBY
          What about us?

                    BEN
          What’s that supposed to mean?

                    ROBBY
          We had all the pieces.     Why didn’t
          we get it sooner?

                    BEN
          We didn’t have all the pieces.

                    ROBBY
          We had Saviano, we had Barrett, we
          had Geoghan. We had the directories
          in the basement.

                    BEN
          You know what?    We got it now.

                    MIKE
          Robby, this story needed Spotlight.

                    ROBBY
          Spotlight’s been around since 1970.

                    BEN
          So what? We didn’t know the scope
          of this. No one did. This started
          with one goddamn priest, Robby.

Robby looks at Sacha.   A beat.

                    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                        131.


                           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                  132.


       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                       133.


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                     134.


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                     135.


      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                    136.


                             LINDA (CONT’D)
                       (calls out after them)
                   Great article guys.

                    ROBBY                               MIKE
      Thank you.                         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,
      the murmur GROWS. We hear more phones... and VOICES...

      Mike and Robby get to the door. We HOLD ON them for a second
      as they stand in the doorway, looking into --

179   INT. GLOBE, SPOTLIGHT OFFICE - CONTINUOUS                   179

      Chaos. Sacha and Matt and two INTERNS answering phones.
      Overwhelmed. An intern cups a phone, turns to Matt --

                  INTERN
      I got another Shanley victim.                   SACHA
                                         I’ll take it.
                                            (to Robby)
                                         The phones have been ringing
                                         all morning.

      Sacha takes the call. Nearby, Matt’s on the phone, marking
      up the board... it has tons of new names, phone numbers.

          MATTY (INTO THE PHONE)            SACHA (INTO THE PHONE)
      Uh huh, yeah. I know it’s          This is Sacha Pfeiffer. Yes,
      tough to talk about.               thank you for calling. Who am
                                         I speaking with?

      Mike and Robby stare.    Matt spots them.

                             MATT (INTO PHONE)
                   Hold one minute please.
                       (to Mike)
                   Mike, could you grab that?

      Mike moves for his desk, grabs the phone.

                             MATT (CONT’D)
                   They’re almost all victims, Robby.
                             11/26/14                    137.


This lands on Robby. A beat. Then he moves to his desk.
Passing Mike, already picking up a phone...

                    MIKE (INTO PHONE)
          This is Spotlight.

Robby moves to his desk. He watches the team answering
phones, working. A beat. Then he grabs a phone.

                       ROBBY (INTO PHONE)
          Spotlight.

                                            FADE TO BLACK.

A CARD APPEARS.

Over the course of 2002, the Spotlight team published
close to 600 stories about the scandal.
The card fades.   ANOTHER CARD APPEARS.

249 priests and brothers were publicly accused of
sexual abuse within the Boston Archdiocese.
The number of survivors in Boston is estimated to be
well over 1,000.
The card fades.   ANOTHER CARD APPEARS.

In December 2002, Cardinal Law resigned from the
Boston Archdiocese.
He was re-assigned to the Basilica di Santa Maria
Maggiore in Rome, one of the highest ranking Roman
Catholic churches in the world.
The card fades.   ANOTHER CARD APPEARS.

Major abuse scandals have been uncovered in the
following places:
                       11/26/14                 138.


Anchorage AK, Fairbanks AK, St. Michael AK, Stebbins
AK, Mobile AL, Phoenix AZ, Tucson AZ, Yuma AZ, Los
Angeles CA, Los Gatos CA, Monterey CA, Oakland CA,
Orange CA, Sacramento CA, San Bernardino CA, San
Diego CA, Santa Barbara CA, Santa Rosa CA, Stockton
CA, Denver CO, Bridgeport CT, Hartford CT, Wilmington
DE, Miami FL, Palm Beach FL, Marietta GA, Savannah
GA, Honolulu HI, Davenport IA, Dubuque IA, Farmington
IA, Grand Mound IA, Chicago IL, Joliet IL, Peoria IL,
Indianapolis IN, Conway Springs KS, Kansas City KS,
Anchorage KY, Covington KY, Louisville KY, New
Orleans LA, Fall River MA, Springfield MA, Wellesley
MA, Worcester MA, Baltimore MD, Portland ME, Detroit
MI, Grand Rapids MI, Collegeville MN, Greenbush MN,
Onamia MN, St.Paul/Minneapolis MN, Cape Girardeau MO,
Hannibal MO, Kansas City MO, St. Louis MO, Jackson
MS, Billings MT, Helena MT, St. Ignatius MT, Raleigh
NC, Fargo ND, Lincoln NE, Omaha NE, Manchester NH,
Camden NJ, Mendham NJ, Gallup NM, Santa Fe NM, Albany
NY, Brooklyn NY, Goshen NY, New York NY, Rochester
NY, Rockville Centre NY, Cincinnati OH, Cleveland OH,
Toledo OH, Baker OR, Portland OR, Altoona PA,
Philadelphia PA, Pittsburgh PA, Scranton PA, East
Greenwich RI, Providence RI, Charleston SC, Marty
Indian School SD, Rosebud Reservation SD, Memphis TN,
Nashville TN, Dallas TX, El Paso TX, Fort Worth TX,
San Antonio TX, Richmond VA, Burlington VT, Briscoe
Memorial, WA, Seattle WA, Spokane WA, Yakima WA,
Milwaukee WI, St. Francis WI
                       11/26/14                 139.


Berazategui Argentina, Buenos Aires Argentina, Morón
Argentina, Paraná Argentina, Pilar Argentina, Quilmes
Argentina, Salta Argentina, Adelaide Australia,
Ballarat Australia, Bass Hill Australia, Bathurst
Australia, Bindoon Australia, Canberra Australia,
Dandenong Australia, Goulburn Australia, Hobart
Australia, Lancefield Australia, Melbourne Australia,
Mildura Australia, Mittagong Australia, Morisset
Australia, Mount Isa Australia, Neerkol Australia,
Newcastle Australia, Perth Australia, Sydney
Australia, Toowoomba Australia, Wagga Wagga
Australia, Wollongong Australia, Hollabrunn Austria,
Bruges Belgium, Flawinne Belgium, Ottré Belgium,
Arapiraca Brazil, Franca Brazil, Mariana Brazil, Rio
de Janeiro Brazil, Antigonish Canada, Chatham Canada,
Igloolik Canada, Sherbrooke Canada, St. John's
Canada, Wilno Canada, Cottolengo Chile, Maipú Chile,
Melipilla Chile, Quilicura Chile, Santiago Chile,
Medellín Colombia, Rab Croatia, Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic, London England, Manchester
England, Middlesbrough England, Preston England,
Reading England, Caen France, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
France, Berlin Germany, Munich Germany, Riekhofen
Germany, Ollur India, Curracloe Ireland, Dublin
Ireland, Gortahork Ireland, Kilnacrott Ireland,
Letterfrack Ireland, Lota Ireland, Monageer Ireland,
Wexford Ireland, Nairobi Kenya, Ngong Kenya, Ciudad
de México México, Cuacnopalan México, San Luis Potosí
México, Auckland New Zealand, Christchurch New
Zealand, Feilding New Zealand, Hamilton New Zealand,
Masterton New Zealand, Silverstream New Zealand,
Akute Nigeria, Kircubbin Northern Ireland, Trondheim
Norway, Ayacucho Peru, Chimbote Peru, Bontoc
Philippines, Cebu City Philippines, Manila
Philippines, Naval Philippines, Tubay Philippines,
Poznan Poland, Edinburgh Scotland, Rufisque Senegal,
Bo Sierra Leone, Brits South Africa, Cape Town South
Africa, Comillas Spain, Grenada Spain, Soni Tanzania,
Mérida Venezuela
                                          FADE OUT.
