cast, crew, story, theme, review, muse-en-scene, life connections “they worshiped him; but some...

Cast, Crew, Story, Theme, Review, Muse-En-Scene, Life Connections

“They worshiped him; but some doubted.”

--Matthew 28:17

It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A vibrant, charismatic Bronx. A vibrant, charismatic priest, Father Flynn (Philip priest, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), is trying to Seymour Hoffman), is trying to upend the schools' strict upend the schools' strict customs, which have long been customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), the iron-gloved Principal who the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and believes in the power of fear and discipline.discipline.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for thematic material)

DOUBTDOUBT 2008 Miramax Films. Review © David Bruce

MERYL STREEP MERYL STREEP (Sister Aloysius Beauvier)(Sister Aloysius Beauvier)

Sister Aloysius is a dictatorial, heartless nun

She has an inner passion, and ultimately her doubts about her quest for justice and even her faith.


PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN (Father Flynn)(Father Flynn)

People want to reduce the his role to ‘who’s right, who’s wrong,’ but with Seymour, you’re never able to pin his character down because he brings out all the subtle contradictions. Your with him, then you’re not.


AMY ADAMS AMY ADAMS (Sister James)(Sister James)

Streep says, “There are very few people who can convey true innocence, who have the quality of untrammeled snow. (Amy) can create the feeling of a girl who truly believes - and that’s why she is where she is.”


JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Writer-Director) (Writer-Director)

He was born and raised in the Bronx, where Doubt is set.

He is famous for insisting in his contract that not a single word can be changed in the screenplays that he writes.


The Broadway play ran for over a year, The Broadway play ran for over a year, with 525 performances. with 525 performances. The play won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.


The principal of St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx, Sister Aloysius, is a religiously conservative nun who insists that her students not be coddled. She also believes that the first duty of the sisters is to protect the children.


Father Flynn, following the Second Vatican Council's directive, believes the clergy should be more accessible to the parish and be thought of “as members of their family.”


Father Flynn's and Sister Aloysius's schools of thought come into direct conflict when she suspects him of sexual contact with Donald Muller, the school's first black student.


Sister Aloysius confides to Sister James that she has had experience: "Here there's no man I can go to, and men run everything. We are going to have to stop him ourselves".


Father Flynn says there is an innocent explanation, although he does not state what it is, and denies any guilt. He tells Sister Aloysius that "you have no right to act on your own! …You answer to us!” Is Father Flynn guilty? Is Sister Aloysius targeting Flynn for the changes happening around her? Doubt!


“This is a film that takes place in the autumn -- not just the autumn of the year, but the autumn of an era in which ideas that were once vibrant and green have now turned brown and are falling to the ground.”-- Director John Patrick Shanley DOUBTDOUBT 2008 Miramax Films. Review © David Bruce

Wind, dreary weather, and storms are all used to symbolize this era of uncertainty and change. “Windows keep opening and the wind keeps getting into places it shouldn't be and Sister Aloysius keeps closing those windows,” Director Shanley remarks. “It seems to be the winds of change.”


The winds of change are literally tapping at the very windows of the church!


72% Positive72% PositiveConsensus voice: Consensus voice: "Magnificent "Magnificent adaptation... Every adaptation... Every element of Doubt is element of Doubt is in perfect balance" in perfect balance" -- Peter Howell, -- Peter Howell, Toronto StarToronto Star


“What was always important to me, is that the sense of doubt belongs to the audience. I’m not going to tell them what’s right and wrong. I wanted to simply make them think and feel something, rather than tell them what to think and feel.” -- Director Shanley


An amazing and gripping film about faith and doubt. An amazing and gripping film about faith and doubt. —From the opening moments of John Patrick Shanley’s —From the opening moments of John Patrick Shanley’s DOUBT to its conclusion, uncertainty hangs in the air, DOUBT to its conclusion, uncertainty hangs in the air, drawing the audience into a provocative mystery in which drawing the audience into a provocative mystery in which two nuns, a priest, and the mother of a young boy – as well two nuns, a priest, and the mother of a young boy – as well as the audience itself -- are forced to confront their core as the audience itself -- are forced to confront their core beliefs as they struggle with judgment and verdict, beliefs as they struggle with judgment and verdict, conviction and doubt— conviction and doubt— Now what could make a better story than that? To doubt is Now what could make a better story than that? To doubt is such an important part of faith. As Oliver Wendell Holmes such an important part of faith. As Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wisely observed, “To have doubted one's own first Jr. wisely observed, “To have doubted one's own first principles is the mark of a civilized man.”principles is the mark of a civilized man.”

DOUBTDOUBT Review © David Bruce

““I have a tendency to agree with every one of my I have a tendency to agree with every one of my characters while they are talking. But that’s my characters while they are talking. But that’s my experience of life. experience of life. Human beings are contradictory and Human beings are contradictory and paradoxical and mysterious, and they remain that wayparadoxical and mysterious, and they remain that way.”.”-- Director John Patrick Shanley


“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts” --Bertrand Russell


cast, crew, story, theme, review, muse-en-scene, life connections “they worshiped him; but some...

Documents

miramax films

review david brucethis

father flynn guilty

schools strict customs

director john patrick

heartless nun

whos wrong

conservative nun