Cast: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis; Director: John Patrick Shanley; Producers: Mark Roybal, Scott Rudin; Screenwriter: John Patrick Shanley; Music: Howard Shore; Editor: Dane Collier, Ricardo Gonzalez, Dylan Tichenor; Genre: Drama; Cinematography: Roger Deakins, Matt Turve; Distributor: Miramax Films; Location: USA; Running Time: 104min;Technical Assessment: 3.5
Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above
It is 1964 and the winds of political change are blowing more strongly over post-Kennedy assassination communities in the U.S. St. Nicholas School , a Catholic institution, has opened its doors to desegregation and has now accepted its first Afro-American pupil. Soon, this precipitates a confrontation between the principal Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) who runs the school with stern discipline and fear to safeguard its moral standards, and a charismatic priest Fr. Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who insists on the spirit of Vatican II that the church have a “more familiar face”. A neophyte, Sister James (Amy Adams), notices that Fr. Flynn has been taking undue interest in the colored boy, and based on certain circumstances, suspects him of having molested the child. But Fr. Flynn with his easy charm has ready explanations and Sister James lets the matter rest. But Sister Aloysius believes he is guilty and pressures him to leave the school. He does not admit his guilt but Sister Aloysius unrelentingly pursues her campaign to have him removed, even trying to convince the boy’s mother Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis) to file a complaint against the priest. Who will win this battle of wills?
Doubt is Director John Patrick Shanley’s film adaptation of his own Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same title. Simply but effectively directed, the film boasts of the excellent powerful performances of a high caliber cast and their tight ensemble acting. Meryl Streep outdoes herself here as she again showcases not only her sensitivity to the nature of her “character” but also her versatility. From the devil in Prada’s fashionable clothes to an optimistic bohemian singing and dancing queen and now as a stern uncompromising guardian of morals. In this movie Doubt, Hoffman’s Fr. Flynn with his pleasant disposition and lighthearted cavalier view of sin is her perfect foil. As Sister Aloysius says, he is “invulnerable to deep regret.” For he can sin again and again and think he can continue to bask in God’s mercy and enjoy some perks when a lost sheep is found. These contrasting personalities highlight the conflict between two opposite positions taken by the protagonists. The film tries to round out character delineation through little details. The sharp edges of Sister Aloysius’ character are softened, for instance, by the kindness she shows an old, almost embarrassed blind nun groping for her cutlery by quietly shoving her a fork. And then, though condescending often, she shows a maternal concern to the young inexperienced Sister James. The film also sheds more light on Fr. Flynn’s interests. He is shown heartily enjoying a big bloody medium rare steak and shows no inclination for any kind of mortification (as when he asks for sugar for his tea, a simple but unheard of luxury in the convent of ascetic nuns who had to search for it). The highlighting of Fr. Flynn's fondness for pressed flowers and long and perfectly groomed nails may give clues to his sexual orientation. In a way, the film seems manipulated so that the audience may sympathize with Fr. Flynn and look at Sister Aloysius as some kind of villain.
Doubt touches on an important subject relevant to our time: child molestation. Though this dramatic film treats the subject seriously, it ends ambiguously without any clear indication of what/who is right or wrong. Doubt permeates the film. It begins with Fr. Flynn’s sermon on doubt and the whole film ends in doubts. We ask questions like: Is Sister Aloysius right or wrong in accusing Fr. Flynn of wrongdoing, given only the “circumstantial evidence” but without certainty? Is she justified in pursuing the priest’s ouster from the school under the circumstances? Is Fr. Flynn innocent or guilty? I s Sister Aloysius intolerant as accused by Fr. Flynn? Is Fr. Flynn right in saying that she is an obstruction “to progressive education and a welcoming church”? There is probably some grains of truth to some of the accusations. In the light of Vatican II, we can indeed be more welcoming but without compromising on important moral issues. Teachers can be more warm and understanding to students but still be firm and “strict” without engendering fear. On the other hand, in the face of the sex scandals that rocked the U.S. Church in recent times, probably priests strive to be above suspicion. They can strictly draw the line between being compassionate (especially to the marginalized like this film’s Negro boy) and showing undue interest. Tense and gripping, this engrossing film stimulates the mind and engages the heart. It is worth seeing.
