Doubt is an award-winning play that has been brought to the screen and directed by its writer John Patrick Shanley, something incredibly rare, quite an accomplishment. There is no doubt that the filmmaker got the writer's vision right, they are one in the same.Doubt stars the two greatest living American actors, Meryl Streep, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, along with the wonderful Amy Adams, and newcomer Viola Davis. Each of these four have received Oscar nods for the film, by the way.
The film is a back and forth between Sister Aloysius (Streep) and Father Flynn (Hoffman), two workers at a Catholic church slash school. Sister Aloysius suspects Father Flynn of doing something inappropriate with an alter boy, as cliche as that sounds. They have many differences of opinion, as this is 1964 and things are beginning to change in this country. Sister Aloysius is all about tradition, discipline, and following the letter of the law. She wants to do the right thing, no matter what, and wants to punish wrongdoers. Father Flynn is all about embracing the change that is coming, focusing on compassion and kindness over justice and law. He wants to focus on love. Each of these ideas is important to God and His Church. How can you favor one over the other, should you, or can you do both?
Sister Aloysius had something against Father Flynn from the start, and has now found something that she can apparently use against him. Did he do that to this boy (who happens to be the only black kid in the school by the way)? Or is she merely conducting a witch hunt? In pursuing righteousness and condemning sin, do we draw closer to God, or are we drawn away from Him, trying instead to play God ourselves?
One powerful symbol in the film is wind. Sister Aloysius hates the wind, it is always causing things to get messed up and scattered. It causes pain (hurts one of the blind sisters) and is getting worse than it ever has. Father Flynn likes the wind, and sees it as something that brings good change. He keeps flowers in his Bible to remind him of spring, and spring only comes after the wind. Wind is a symbol for change. Is change good or bad for Christianity? If we change does that mean that truth changes? Doesn't that mean we didn't have it right before? Or do certain things need to change, even though God is unchanging? What should we change, if anything? It is a beautiful, stark symbol throughout the film.
Sister James (Adams) is an interesting character as well. She is the one we as an audience identify with the most. She is caught in the middle, trying to figure things out on her own, learning what it is like to follow God, to be a nun, and to deal with faith and doubt.
One thing I love about Doubt is its ability to take our stereotypes (overbearing nun, child-molester priest) and understand investigate that. There are real motivations behind these people, and maybe sometimes our stereotypes are completely wrong. *Spoiler Warning* I just have to talk about the ending and what I think it means. It is left inconclusive as to what actually happens and what the truth was. I love when films do that. But here is my theory. Father Flynn is gay, but he does not act out on it. He identifies with Donald Miller, the kid in question, because he is gay too. Therefore, Father Flynn wants to protect Donald, because he knows what it's like. That is also why he was scared Sister Aloysius knew something about his old post, him being gay. Yet, if he doesn't act out on it there is nothing wrong, There are many allusions to it throughout the movie (his fingernails, talk with boys about dances, sermons about tolerance, etc.). Just a theory. So Sister Aloysius was right that something was "wrong" with the Father, but didn't know the full extent, which is never fully divulged. There is my theory. The closing scene with the Sister is absolutely suprising and jarring, she finally lets her guard down and becomes real and shares her struggles and doubts. Meryl Streep is amazing.
Doubt is a beautifully written drama of morality, truth, compassion and judgment. It is perfectly acted and wonderfully shot, with an aura of depression but a light and hope hiding underneath.
3 comments:
O! As of right now, without having thought about it a lot, I say that Doubt is my favorite movie of the year. I love tension like this. I love the contrasts. I love how it was written, how it was acted, etc. One of the only movies that did not disappoint me in some way this year, and kind of even exceeded my expectations. I find your interpretation very interesting. I never thought about it like that, but I think it would make sense. Espeically with how big of a deal his fingernails are, etc. I was surprised, however, at how many people saw it and thought that it was entirely conclusive, that he did it, and there was no question. I have noticed that when it comes to such issues, people immediately assume the worst in the accused. This absolutely breaks my heart. I think that is why I sympathized with PSH's character so much. Though I did love and hate both him and Meryl Streep at points. Also, I loved the innocence and borderline naivete of Amy Adams' character. It was pretty refreshing with such intense things happening around.
So.. adding on to Daltons. The group that went and saw this was pretty weird. It was Annie, Tyler, Lindsey Settle, Dalton and I. I read "The Secrets We Keep" (BTW, you should read it if you haven't, so I had some expectations going into it. After seeing Mama Mia... I was skeptical she could pull a roll like this off, but I really did under estamate that woman. I literally got chills in the scene with her and PSH in her office the second time, when she was talking about the sisters at his other church. Man. Amazing movie. I am with ya Dalton, my favorite movie of the year.
Sweet guys, I was excited to get your opinions. I fell in love with this movie too, and can't stop thinking about it, so much there in the dialogue. One of my favorites for sure, but not my number one. Pefrect script though, that and Rachel Getting Married to review that one).
And Cady, I couldn't think of much to say about Burn After Reading, it was pretty funny, interesting, no one knows anything, ironic, all in all a pretty decent movie, thats about it.
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