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Screen grab from the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Hollywood's awards season closed on a high note for journalism. "Spotlight" won the best picture Academy Award on Sunday, and there was Boston Globe investigative reporter Mike Rezendes on the Oscars stage in a tux, arm-in-arm with actress Rachel MacAdams. "Spotlight" collected two Oscars tonight -- Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer also won for best original screenplay -- and there were inspirational words for what journalists do and a nice shout-out from the stage to the real reporters behind the movie.
The cooler moment might have come Saturday afternoon at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, held in a tent on Santa Monica Beach. It looked like the whole Boston Globe Spotlight team portrayed in the movie was there. Then-Globe editor Martin Baron, now editor at the Washington Post, sat next to his on-screen portrayer, Liev Schreiber. I forget who, but someone introduced the team by name from the stage and the journalists received a standing ovation from the indie film crowd. That's what happens when you make a good movie about journalists doing their jobs well. "Spotlight," as everyone here probably knows by now, depicts the Boston Globe investigation into the Catholic Church cover-up of sexual abuse by priests in Boston. The film's name comes from the name of the Globe's investigative team.
"Spotlight" won a total of five Spirit awards — best feature, Tom McCarthy for best director, McCarthy and Josh Singer for screenplay, Tom McArdle for editing, and Film Independent's Robert Altman Award for ensemble cast and the casting directors Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee.
Here's video of the real Spotlight journalists on stage with the movie team accepting the best feature award.
Also taking home Oscars were Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson for lead actor and actress, Alicia Vikander and Mark Rylance for supporting actors, Alejandro G. Iñárritu for directing "The Revenant," "Amy" for best documentary feature, "Son of Saul" for best foreign language film and "Mad Max: Fury Road" for costume design. Mad Max led the night with six Oscars. Full list of Oscar winners
By the way, Mya Taylor of "Tangerine" — the film about two transsexual hookers shot mostly on Santa Monica Boulevard and with iPhones — won the Spirit acting award for best supporting female actor. Here is Iris Schneider's interview with Taylor last year for LA Observed. Full list of Spirit Award winners.
