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I spent the 2014 installment talking about the need for fresh blood, about that heady desire to refresh one’s life. Stagnation kills the soul, and our routines become more crystallized the longer we are alive. Getting a shot in the arm is rejuvenatory, be it from something small like a new hobby or something large like a change in job or a new friend. This time around, though, we’re going to the absolute opposite end of the human experience, far away from disruption and the unknown. It is time to talk about the other pole of existence, the anxiety-shattering balm, the feeling of safety that comes from having a specific set of tasks to do in a specific order. It is time to wax romantic on the procedural narrative.
“But I don’t like procedurals,” says the strawman. I am very happy for you, strawman, that you lead such a trailblazing and endlessly free life that you have neither time nor need to watch people be good at their jobs. For the rest of us, there are procedurals. The issue may be that one is not aware of just how much of the movies, books, podcasts, and series that we enjoy are procedurals. For my definition, I don’t just mean true crime, heists, and medical/legal/crime procedurals (the bread-and-butter of network television). Home renovation shows and cooking shows are also procedurals, as their structure is a) present a problem and b) then we watch as that problem is resolved step-by-step over the course of the runtime with c) unexpected setbacks providing narrative tension. We consume procedurals like we breathe air.
This is a movie website, though, and while I am guilty of years past of watching far too much NCIS and Boston Legal, that is not our focus. (To give credit where it is due, dear strawman, I’ve never been much into cooking shows, singing contests, true crime, or home renovation.) I love procedural movies. I love movies where the characters are good at their jobs. It is a treat to watch crooks be caught through meticulous attention to detail and rigorous application of tried-and-true methods. As I said above, it quells anxiety when one experiences, even if only in fiction and for a short time, a sense that there is some order in the world.
This even applies when the subject matter is disturbing, as in Spotlight. Pedophilia, the violation of trust between children and adults in positions of authority, and massive cultural/political/religious institutions covering it up, that’s where the Spotlight shines. The Boston Globe‘s lengthy investigation revealed how the Catholic Church cajoled, browbeat, sued, and utilized creative accounting to shield sexual predators within the ranks of the clergy. The Spotlight team managed to succeed in their investigation despite pressure from lawyers, cardinals, police, and even members of the community (for who wants to think about that kind of thing happening at their church?). The molestations were so far beyond the expected scope that the movie comes to a complete halt when the team take the percentage from the national studies and apply it just to Boston. That scene is tremendous, with an uncredited Richard Jenkins on speakerphone and members of Spotlight stunned by the implications as they sit around the desk. Can the number of sexual predators truly be that high? It would appear so.
Talking about Richard Jenkins is a good segue into mentioning just how unbelievable this cast is. It is one of the great dramatic ensembles in recent memory. The Spotlight team is Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, and Bryan d’Arcy James. Two other members of the Globe staff are Liev Schreiber and John Slattery. And then we have Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup, Paul Guilfoyle, Jamey Sheridan, Leonard Cariou, Elena Wohl… I could go on. This is one of those movies where everybody is a face that you recognize from something else. Like with its obvious forebears, All The President’s Men (1976) and Zodiac (2007), you can’t throw a rock without hitting two character actors quietly filing paperwork in the background of a scene.
I missed Spotlight when it first released, even though 2015 ended up being the most movies that I saw in a theater since my days as a movie critic. I saw Mad Max: Fury Road (twice); Star Wars, Episode XII: The Force Awakens; The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies; The Last Witch Hunter; and Spectre. My biggest theatrical regret of the year was missing Blackhat, which lay entirely outside of my awareness until I heard a podcast about it three years ago. It’s a great thriller! And I’m a huge Michael Mann fan, so it was frustrating to miss what was likely his last theatrical release, as it seems the big directors of the 80s/90s/2000s have cast their lot with streaming services.
For various reasons, the first half of the 2010s was stuff that I had to catch after the fact. I made up for lost time with Spotlight, as I have seen the movie at least ten times in the past five years. In fact, of the 21st century releases, the most rewatched movies for me are all procedurals: No Country for Old Men and Zodiac (2007); Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011); Blackhat, Spy, and Spotlight (2015). Even the riotously funny Spy (2015) is kind of a procedural, or at least a sharp-tongued satire of one.
To part the curtain just a wee bit, I’ve relied on my Google Calendar to fill in blanks on life events, as a lot of this century has blurred together for me. 2015 was a transitional year in our household, as there were some career changes that all led to very positive places, but there was a great deal of uncertainty at the time. It was also the last time that I let myself be nerd-shamed, as I had tried to meet new people through a Meetup event and they completely stonewalled me when I arrived at the gaming store to join them. It was like stepping into a time warp back to elementary school as I stood there as three nerdlingers lied to my face about posting the meetup event (to say nothing of responding to my messages in the lead-up to the event). Anyway, we’ll talk more about that in the 2016 installment.
Other 2015 candidates: Mad Max: Fury Road
I turn 40 in December. To commemorate the milestone, I’m writing 40 short biographical essays pertaining to a movie per year of my life.