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Title: Doubt
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| CONSUMER ADVICE |
Parents, though there is, technically, nothing of offense here, though the movie is about child nolestation (though it's never directly referenced). Still, I recommend this for ages 12 and up. |
“Doubt” plays off of the all-to-common emotion of feeling certain about something, yet having no evidence to back up that feeling. It’s not something that can be proven, it’s just something you know. Or, at least, you hope you know. This is the situation with Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), who suspects that Father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) may have immoral feelings towards the young boys at their Catholic school. One day when young Donald Miller (the first black student to attend the school) comes back from Father Flynn’s office smelling of alchol, Sister James (Amy Adams) reports it to Sister Beauvier, who feels they must stop him from preying on the boy any further. That sounds simple enough, there’s just one problem: They have no proof.
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When they confront Father Flynn about the incident he gives his version of the story, in which he’s innocent. More troubling is the fact that his story actually makes a lot of sense, and Donald actually backs this version of the story. Not getting much help from the church, Sister Beauvier seeks out Donald’s mother (Viola Davis in a scene steeling performance), who seems unconcerned about Donald’s relationship with the pastor. After all, when you have a husband who beats your son as well as you, accusing the one person who shows your son kindness of rape when there is no foreseeable evidence seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face. So whose side of the story is true? What is evidence and mere speculation? Who’s to trust and who’s not. Around and around the situation goes, so much so I can see some audience members feeling confused fairly early on.
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Though the script is complicated the film making is not. Director John Patrick Stanley adapted the script from his own Broadway play of the same name. The films theater roots show through in the film making, where long periods of drawn-out dialog are the focus of the film, and the movie has no visual flair to speak of. Yet while the movie doesn’t look like much it has brains in it’s writing. The fact that it always leaves you doubting everything is the key to everything. If this were an easy puzzle to figure out the movie would be boring. This puzzle is complicated though, and more then one viewing may be required. Of course, to recommend this movie as if it were a game would be unfair, and I would be doing a disservice to the film if I left out the wonderful acting.
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Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Philip Seymour Hoffman absolutely carry this movie from beginning to end, and one sour (or even slightly unconvincing) note would bring this film down. Thankfully these people are pros at what they do, and therefor the movie never falters, the characters are always in question, and the final answer always doubtful. Though it has little visual flair, “Doubt” will leave you pondering the questions and the answers long after you leave the theater.
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