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"Doubt," says Father Flynn (Best Supporting Actor nominee
Philip Seymour Hoffman) during one of his sermons, "can
be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty." For
all intents and purposes, he was speaking directly to the
audience watching "Doubt," the Oscar-nominated film adaptation
of John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Here's
a film that doesn't impose a belief so much as it encourages
thought. It's an absorbing character study with the structure
of a mystery and the subtext of a morality play, which is
to say that the blending of genres makes for a fascinating
story. ***
So do the characters, each so thoroughly developed
that they never once felt like shallow stereotypes. I felt
as if I could listen to them talk for hours, which really
must give you an idea how engrossing their dialogue is;
Shanley reveals his characters more with the careful, deliberate
usage of words than with actions. Some may find that boring.
I found it masterful. ***
Taking place in 1964, "Doubt" tells the story of a nun
who suspects a priest of abusing a teenage boy at a New
York City Catholic school. The nun is Sister Aloysius Beauvier
(Best Actress nominee Meryl Streep), the school's principal.
She's a stern, unsympathetic, conservative woman with a
keen eye for misconduct. Some would say it's too keen; there's
a sense that she actively looks for something to discipline,
be it a student not sitting up straight, the obvious pagan
undertones to "Frosty the Snowman," the undignified usage
of ballpoint pens, or teachers with an innocent outlook
on life. ***
Such a teacher is Sister James (Best Supporting Actress
nominee Amy Adams), the school's eighth grade teacher; despite
a relatively pleasant disposition, she's also somewhat reserved,
afraid to provoke Sister Aloysius by not living up to her
standards. Consider this moment when all the Sisters eat
their dinners in silence--when Sister James takes a bit
of food out of her mouth and puts it on the side of her
plate, Sister Aloysius gives her a piercing stare, one that
says, "Not in my school, you don't." ***
Early on, she tells Sister James to be watchful of
Father Flynn, who teaches boys' Basketball. It seems he's
been spending a lot of time with Donald Miller (Joseph Foster
II), an alter boy who happens to be the school's only black
student. Sister James tells Sister Aloysius about the day
he went into the school's rectory alone with Father Flynn;
when he came back, his expression was troubling, and worse
yet, there was alcohol on his breath. ***
"So it's happened," says Sister Aloysius as if she
knew it would happen all along. Thus begins an intense battle
of wills, pitting a nun who has nothing but her certainty
against a priest who maintains his innocence. ***
The genius of this movie is that tackles religious
and authority issues without getting preachy. We're shown
only what needs to be shown, and from that, we're asked
to make up our own minds. As in any good debate, both sides
have their good points and their bad points. Take Father
Flynn; he does seem to care about young Donald Miller, a
young man who has made no friends and wants the security
and guidance of an adult male figure. ***
At the same time, there's a sense that maybe Father
Flynn is taking too much of an interest in him and not enough
of an interest in other boys. There are many possible reasons
for this. It could be as simple as the boy's skin color--because
Donald is the only black student, Father Flynn is compelled
to give him just a little more attention than his white
classmates. Or maybe he pities Donald for being abused by
his father, which, for some, would explain the odd expression
noticed by Sister James. ***
Now, take Sister Aloysius. One could argue that she's
the product of a very different set of values, having been
conditioned to believe that teachers are enforcers, not
nurturers, and that modern-day conveniences--a handheld
transistor radio, for example--hinder a child's ethical
development. And after years of seeing priests come and
go, it's fair to say that she knows a thing or two about
people. *** That being said, accusing a priest of abuse
without proof is serious, perhaps even unwarranted. Sister
James believes this to be true. She also has trouble accepting
the idea she should look at people with suspicion. ***
"It feels as if I'm less close to God," she pleads.
*** "When you take a step to address wrongdoing," Sister
Aloysius replies matter-of-factly, "you are taking a step
away from God, but in His service." One wonders: Did Torquemada
tell himself the same thing? ***
The film's most pivotal scene features a conversation
between Sister Aloysius and Donald's mother (Best Supporting
Actress nominee Viola Davis), who fears her son's expulsion
so strongly that she seems willing to let anything happen
to him. "It's just until June," she keeps saying, knowing
that graduating from this school will mean access to a better
high school. Sister Aloysius is at a loss to understand
Mrs. Miller's line of thinking, although I suspect it has
less to do with Donald's welfare and more to do with punishing
Father Flynn. ***
The emotions running through this scene are raw and
intense, a perfect counterpart to the escalating tensions
within the walls of the school. They eventually channel
themselves to the film's inevitable climax and make it powerful,
which is amazing given the fact that, for some, certainty
can't be guaranteed. When I first saw this film back in
December, I left the theater feeling no surer than I did
entering, which is a testament to the brilliance of Shanley's
writing and direction. ***
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| Special
Features: |
Along with an audio commentary by director John Patrick
Shanley, both the DVD and Blu-Ray editions include four
featurettes. In the first, “From Stage to Screen,” Shanley
discusses the history of “Doubt” along with Meryl Streep
and Sister Margaret McEntee, Shanley’s former teacher and
consultant on the film. The second, “Scoring ‘Doubt,’” features
in interview with the film’s composer, Howard Shore. The
third, “The Sisters of Charity,” Shanley discusses with
Streep the process of interviewing actual nuns to ensure
they would be accurately portrayed. The fourth, “The Casting
of ‘Doubt,’” features a conversation with Streep, Philip
Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis. The film is
presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen format and features
Dolby 5.1 Digital sound. ***
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