SPOTLIGHT FILMING LOCATIONS

Spotlight, the 2015 Best Picture winning film about the Boston Globe investigative journalism team, was primarily filmed in the city it takes place in.  The movie follows the team investigating molestation accusations within the Catholic Church located in Boston. The team works in many popular locations within Boston, including a few which are on our tour route!

Early on in the movie they visit Fenway for a Red Sox game, and discuss the early stages of working on the new project as well as the initial hurdles they need to cross. For many Boston employees, it is normal for work to have trips to go see the Red Sox, especially considering the proximity of the ballpark and the price of the tickets. Did you know that real life reporter Mike Renzendes is sitting behind Mark Ruffalo, the actor who portrays him in this film?

Another instantly recognizable location is the Boston Public Library, which is entered by Rachel McAdams playing Sacha Pfeiffer. The film takes place in the early 2000s, so the journalists had to visit the BPL to do some researching using public records and materials stored in the library. McAdams enters from the Copley Square side, where you can see the Hancock Tower, which dominates the Boston skyline.

In another scene featuring McAdams, she can be seen in the South End’s Union Park, which is in the heart of a popular South End walking trail. She joins a victim of assault here and has a tender conversation about the power he has as someone with a story, and the weight of the case Spotlight is working on. The warm and quiet park is the perfect backdrop for this heavy conversation and investigation.

In addition to winning Best Picture, it also won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The film was nominated for awards in Best Editing, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo) and Best Supporting Actress (Rachel McAdams). These two performers along with Billy Crudup, Bryan D’Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci won the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

See these locations from the Spotlight and more on the Boston TV and Movie Sites Tour when you visit Boston!

* In an effort to stay current, we are constantly updating our tours with new locations and cannot guarantee the presence of locations mentioned on our site. If you have a particular interest in locations from a specific TV show or movie, please let your tour guide know and we will do our best to accommodate your request.