Director John Patrick Shanley brings his Tony and Pulitzer prize-winning play Doubt to the big screen. The film takes place a year after JFK was killed at a Catholic school in the Bronx. Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a priest trying to shake up the old Catholic customs that are strictly held by Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep). Sister Aloysius is the school's principal, and everyone is deathly afraid of her. Sister James (Amy Adams) is a sweet, naive history teacher.Sister Aloysius and Sister James notice that Father Flynn has taken an interest in the only black child in school, Donald Miller. Sister Aloysius has no actual proof of an inappropriate relationship, but she tries to threaten and guilt Father Flynn into leaving the school. Miller's protective mother is played by Viola Davis.
This film is an acting powerhouse!
While the film is an acting powerhouse, I've heard--through my Catholic fiance and his parents--that the movie was somewhat of a "Debbie Downer." So many people already view Catholics and Catholic priests as hypocrites; I wonder what overall message this movie/play was trying to convey to its' readers/movie goers. My fiance was somewhat perturbed that so many people view Catholics as evil doers who molest children and this film only seemed to re-enforce that notion!
ReplyDeleteWho would think that someone who is Catholic would simply think Doubt was a Debbie Downer? Also what some priests did is far worse than being hypocrites. In the end of the movie the outcome simply that doubt has been cast. You do not know if he is really guilty. Also didn’t Catholic priests, sadly and tragically, bring this upon themselves, and it is a wrong that is to be corrected not simply forgotten. It must be remembered so that it will not happen again. Didn’t the movie Defiance cast a harsh light on Germans and Russians? Are supposed to forget the massacre of Jews so Germans will not be offended?
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