'Spotlight' Nominated For 6 Academy Awards; Matt Damon Gets Best Actor Nomination
BOSTON (CBS) - "Spotlight," the movie about the Boston Globe's investigative team uncovering the Boston Archdiocese's priest sex abuse scandal, was nominated for six Academy Awards Thursday.
In addition to being named a finalist for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Film Editing, Tom McCarthy was nominated for Best Director, Mark Ruffalo was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Rachel McAdams was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
"I can't imagine any actor doing a better job than Mark Ruffalo did," Michael Rezendes, the reporter played by Ruffalo in the movie, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens. "I think he was sensational. He worked very hard at it. He spent a lot of time with me, he visited my home, he shadowed me at the Globe. Mark Ruffalo put his entire heart and soul into this project and it really paid off."
"I'm really happy for all the victims and survivors of clergy sex abuse, because these nominations will keep their story in the forefront of public attention, which is where I think it needs to be," he added.
Rezendes says the film sheds a floodlight on the importance of investigative journalism.
"It's really only investigative reporters that hold powerful institutions and powerful individuals accountable for what they do," he said.
Walter V. Robinson, the editor played in the film by Michael Keaton, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 that the nominations were important for several reasons.
"They picked "Spotlight" because, I think, I hope, they recognize the importance of investigative journalism, and the importance of that kind of journalism in holding public officials and institutions accountable," said Robinson. "And also I see it as a recognition of the courage of the thousands, literally thousands of survivors of clergy sexual abuse, without whose help and assistance the film and the stories that we did back in 2002 would not have been possible."
Cambridge native Matt Damon was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his leading role in "The Martian."
Johnny Depp, who starred as Whitey Bulger in "Black Mass" was not nominated in the Best Actor category, as some had expected.
Read: The Oscar Nominations
"The Revenant" leads this year's Academy Award race with 12 nominations.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
