Spotlight (I) (2015)

Michael Keaton: Walter 'Robby' Robinson

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Quotes 

• Mike Rezendes : We got Law. This is it.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : No, this is Law covering for one priest, there's another ninety out there.

  Mike Rezendes : Yeah, and we'll print that story when we get it, but we got to go with this now.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : No, I'm not going to rush this story, Mike.

  Mike Rezendes : We don't have a choice, Robby. If we don't rush to print, somebody else is going to find these letters and butcher this story. Joe Quimby from the Herald was at the freaking courthouse!

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Mike.

  Mike Rezendes : What? Why are we hesitating? Baron told us to get Law. This is Law.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : 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 Rezendes : Then let's take it up to Ben and let him decide.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : We'll take it to Ben when I say it's time.

  Mike Rezendes : It's time, Robby! It's time! They knew and they let it happen! To KIDS! Okay? It could have been you, it could have been me, it could have been any of us. We gotta nail these scumbags! We gotta show people that nobody can get away with this; Not a priest, or a cardinal or a freaking pope!

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : We've got two stories here: a story about degenerate clergy, and a story about a bunch of lawyers turning child abuse into a cottage industry. Which story do you want us to write? Because we're writing one of them.

• Mike Rezendes : [from trailer]  Six percent is 90.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : 90 priests?

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : If there were 90 of these bastards, people would know.

  Mike Rezendes : Maybe they do.

• Jim Sullivan : [from trailer]  I was doing my job.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Yeah, you and everyone else.

• [last lines] 

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : [answering the phone]  Spotlight.

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Did you play a sport here, Jack?

  Jack Dunn : Yeah. Football. Why?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Mmm. I ran track. You know, I went to Providence yesterday to talk to one of Father Talbot's victims. He played hockey here. And he's one of the better ones. He's got a wife, kids, good job. About ten minutes into the conversation, the guy breaks down. You know, couldn't stop crying. Said he could never figure out why Father Talbot picked him. Father Talbot coached the hockey team. So... I gues we just got lucky. You and me.

• Ben Bradlee Jr. : So it's thirteen priests?

  Sacha Pfeiffer : Yeah.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Looks that way.

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : Holy shit.

• Eric Macleish : Most of these folks, they just want some acknowledgement... of what happened. We got them a sit down with the Bishop and... a little dough, and that's the best they can hope for.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Well, certainly, the best that priest could hope for.

• Eric Macleish : I already sent you a list of names.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : What are you talking about? To whom?

  Eric Macleish : The Globe. Years ago. After the Porter case, I got plenty of calls. I had twenty priests in Boston alone, but I couldn't go after 'em without the press. So I sent you guys a list of names, and you buried it.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : I want those names tomorrow.

  Eric Macleish : Check your god damn clips, Robby.

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : You know thirteen priests in Boston who have molested children?

  Phil Saviano : Yeah! Why do you keep repeating everything I say?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : [quieter than before]  I just like to clarify things.

  Phil Saviano : Maybe you should have clarified it five years ago when I sent you all of this stuff! It's all... right here!

  [silence, Phil composes himself] 

  Phil Saviano : May I use your bathroom?

  [pause] 

  Matt Carroll : Yeah, sure, Phil.

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : [as Mike and Matt enter Baron's office]  Anything?

  Mike Rezendes : Law just turned us down.

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : Jesus Christ!

  Mike Rezendes : I just got off the phone with Donna Morrissey. She said, quote, "We don't even want to know what the questions are," end quote.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : She really said that?

  Mike Rezendes : Yeah!

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : Well, that ought to do it.

  Marty Baron : [as he writes it in the draft]  "The church had no interest in knowing what The Globe's questions would be." Work it in somewhere before the jump. Anything else?

• Mike Rezendes : Holy shit.

  Matt Carroll : Robby.

  Sacha Pfeiffer : That's three off Sipe's estimate. That's incredible.

  Mike Rezendes : Robby.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : How many?

  Matt Carroll : 87.

  Mike Rezendes : 87 priests in Boston.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Call Macleish. I wanna talk to him.

• Pete Conley : You know, you got a lot of people here who respect you, Robby.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Oh, well..

  Pete Conley : The work you do.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : That's good to know.

  Pete Conley : Well, it's 'cause you care about this place.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Yeah.

  Pete Conley : It's why you do what you do. It's who you are. You know, but people need the Church more than ever right now. You know, you can feel it. And the cardinal, um... you know, the cardinal, he might not be perfect. But we can't throw out all the good he's doing over a few bad apples. Now, you know, I'm bringing this up to you because I know this is Baron's idea. His agenda. I gotta tell you, I mean, honest to God, I mean, he doesn't care about this city the way we do. I mean, how could he?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : This is how it happens, isn't it, Pete?

  Pete Conley : What's that?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : A guy leans on a guy, and suddenly the whole town just looks the other way.

  Pete Conley : Robby. Robby. Lookit. Marty Baron is just trying to make his mark. He's gonna be here for a couple of years and he's gonna move on. Just like he did in New York and Miami. Where are you gonna go?

• Pete Conley : Looks like a long day.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Hey, Pete.

  Pete Conley : I'm sorry to make it longer.

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Has anyone ever said no to a drink with you, Pete?

  Pete Conley : Well, sure. But the trick is to keep asking.

• Sacha Pfeiffer : Does Jack Dunn work for the school?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : No, he's PR for Boston College. They call him when they need help.

  Sacha Pfeiffer : And Pete Conley, why-why was he there?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : 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 Pfeiffer : It's like everybody already knows the story.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : [indicating the Globe building across the street]  Yeah. Except us. And we work right there.

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Look, I'm close to stories on 70 priests. We nail that, along with those letters, this is proof that this is bigger than Law. It's the whole system.

  Marty Baron : You have multiple sources confirming all those priests?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : On some. I can get more.

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : Too risky. If we're not buttoned up on every single one of them, the Church will pick us apart.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : I think I can get us someone from the other side of the aisle.

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : Somebody inside the Church?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Yeah. A lawyer.

  Marty Baron : Will he go on the record?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Deep background. But he's a solid source.

• Mike Rezendes : You're not gonna believe it. 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 Sweeny's ruling.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : So, we can get them?

  Mike Rezendes : Yeah, but they're not there. Already talked to Albano. He said all we have to do is a file a motion, and Sweeny will order Mitch to re-file the docs.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : And you think these documents are...

  Mike Rezendes : He said these fourteen docs are all we need. They're huge.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Okay. I'll call Ben. Good work.

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : 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 Sullivan : Are you out of your mind?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Come on. This is our town, Jimmy. Everybody knew something was going on, and no one did a thing. We gotta put an end to it.

  Jim Sullivan : Don't tell me what I gotta do.

• Marty Baron : These are substantial. They... they clearly show that Law was negligent.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : I need more time. I wanna keep digging.

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : For what? This is the god damn story.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : It's not the whole story.

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : Tough shit. We're on a clock now. Even if we don't run Sweeny's ruling, another paper could find these letters and fuck the story.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Agreed. But we run these letters alone, Law apologizes, says it's a one-time thing. He can bury it.

  Marty Baron : How? These clearly show he knew and did nothing about it.

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : When we do run the story, uh, I'm gonna need a comment from the cardinal.

  Pete Conley : We'll talk again later. Good night, Robby.

• 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 had in any way...

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Gibbons and Callahan. I mean, they ran this place like the Navy. You really think they didn't know?

  Jack Dunn : It's a big school, Robby. You know that. A-And we're talking about seven alleged victims over, what, eight years?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : No, we're talking about, you know, seven that we know about.

  Jack Dunn : This is ridiculous. You're reaching for a story here.

  Principal Bill Kemeza : Jack. Jack, Jack. If I had been president then, I would've known.

  Jack Dunn : Bill, I'm not sure that's relevant.

  Principal Bill Kemeza : Why do you think they sent Talbot up to Cheverus? You know they wanted him out of town.

  Pete Conley : Robby, as well-intentioned as Bill's remarks are, I'm hoping we can keep this between us until we all get on the same page.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Is that why we're here, to get on the same page?

• Sacha Pfeiffer : He didn't try and hide it at all. He had this really odd rationalization for it, like it was totally normal to fool around with little boys. I'd really like to go back. I-I think he'd talk to us.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Oh, we will. Just not yet. I want you to stay focused on the victims right now.

• Ben Bradlee Jr. : 90 fucking priests. In Boston?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : That's what he said.

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : If there were 90 of these bastards, people would know.

  Mike Rezendes : Maybe they do.

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : And no one said a thing?

  Mike Rezendes : Good Germans?

  Ben Bradlee Jr. : I don't think that's a comparison you want to make publicly.

• Mike Rezendes : So, just ignore those guys?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : I think we got to start ignoring everybody on this one.

  Mike Rezendes : I'm good at that.

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : [from trailer]  I wanna keep digging.

• Walter 'Robby' Robinson : [from trailer]  Guys, listen. Everybody's gonna be interested in this.

• Matt Carroll : I got one of those treatment centers a block from my house. We got neighbors with kids. I know that the work we do is confidential, but I'm feeling like... I should tell 'em.

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : We'll tell 'em soon.

  Matt Carroll : You sure?

  Walter 'Robby' Robinson : Yeah.

  Matt Carroll : Okay.