Doubt
September 30th, 2009
In this Oscar-nominated adaptation of John Patrick Shanley’s Tony-winning play, Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) begins to have doubts about doting priest Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who seems to have become overly involved in the life of a young African American pupil. But Flynn isn’t the only one she doubts. Is she overreacting to the situation, or is there truth behind her convictions?
Within the long shadow of grief following the assassination of JFK, there was change happening to our Nation as a whole in general, and the Catholic Church was no exception. The Church, whose very existence was firmly rooted in history and the prudent discipline of faith had to face the future and make the painful transition into a more current role in our culture. Set among the pristine halls of a Catholic Middle School in the Bronx during the 1960s, “Doubt” is the Pulitzer Prize winning play written by John Patrick Shanley. This film adaptation was also written and directed by Shanley and stars Meryl Streep as the formidable Sister Aloysious and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the approachable and more contemporary Father Flynn. Although quite ambiguous, the writing seems to reflect a certain confidence in the intelligence of its audience and does not deem it necessary to fall into the trap of “dumbing it down” in order to satisfy the lowest common denominator. That decision allows us to bring our own discretion to the table and to personally invest in the experience of this story. A true “character study” in every sense of the term, I found myself quite immersed by the telling of this intrigue that posed the question of guilt, innocence and the weight of doubt. Both Streep and Hoffman are riveting in their complete embrace of their roles and added a sterling quality to the portrayal of these fictitious characters. Shanley’s reign maintained a tight focus on the essence of his story, not seeming to allow any possible pressure from Studio Heads to create a broader view in order to please a wider audience. I found this film to be a concise body of work and a rare blend of restraint. I was impressed with the unique and independent nature of this powerful film and would highly recommend seeing it, (and at least in that), I have no lingering doubt!
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Categories: Drama
