Doubt

(2008)

Directed by

John Patrick Shanley

Review by Todd Plucknett

Doubt is a fantastic little film. I say “little” implying little in size, but it is truly grand in impact and significance. It is directed by Oscar-winning screenwriter-playwright-director John Patrick Shanley, whose first feature was Joe Versus the Volcano. This is a huge change of pace from his previous film. Shanley is first and foremost a writer, though. He definitely has a way with words, with this and his Oscar-winning Moonstruck being the strongest evidence supporting that claim. Doubt is a fascinating and undeniably thought-provoking experience that ranks with the best films of the year.

The story revolves around just a handful of principle characters at the Saint Nicholas School and Church in New York. Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Oscar-winner Meryl Streep) is the principal of the school, and she is the kind of nun that is completely intolerant of every type of imperfection in the school and uses her power to influence and shape the people below her. Father Flynn (Oscar-winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman) is the priest who heads the school and church. Sister James (Amy Adams) is the sweet, kind-hearted teacher at the school. Her students include Donald Muller (Joseph Foster), who may or may not have engaged in an “improper relationship” with Father Flynn. That is basically the premise of this deep and rich characters study. Sister Aloysius claims that she is absolutely certain that the speculations are true. This is largely thanks to the minor, yet revealing details of the case that Sister James gave her. Sister James does not want to believe that it is true. Father Flynn is floored at the whole situation and how it was handled, leading him to feel and act very uneasy about the whole ordeal, leading the audience not to know whether he is acting that way out of guilt or heartbrokenness.

The film is really all about the actors, who nonetheless get lost in their roles. Meryl Streep gives her best performance in years as the crazy and ruthless nun trying to get to the bottom of the case no matter what it takes. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a marvel of uncertainty, emotion, and sternness. Amy Adams steals the show, however. Every scene somehow becomes her scene. She is just such a pleasure to watch especially in such a principle and difficult role as this one, being the character in the film that almost anyone will most closely identify with. Viola Davis also has a very strong near-cameo role in one of the crucial scenes of the film where certain details of the boy’s life are revealed. She needs to get cast in a larger part at some point. With this film and with her tiny part in Antwone Fisher, she has proven that her talent is immense, but her roles are just so limited that she so often gets lost when looking back on her films.

Part of what makes this film so special is the uncompromising visual style of the film. It is put together just like a play. There are long sequences of riveting dialogue, and essentially the entire film takes place on the campus of the school/church. Shanley really has developed as a director since his first film. He moves the camera around in a way that highlights his performers and draws the audience in, creating a superbly exciting and engrossing atmosphere. His screenplay is one that has been worked to near perfection. Doing a film like this is probably the hardest of any to actually make work. The strength of the dialogue is really the only thing to keep the audience interested. Shanley’s script is crafted in a way in which it seems like an indictment of Father Flynn, but there are still serious doubts in every person’s mind, though some of them will not admit it. The plot is thick, when it seems as if it could just have an insignificant and thin scope. The film leaves the audience guessing throughout, never knowing exactly what is going on in the minds of anyone except Sister James, who wears her feelings on her sleeve.

At its core, Doubt is about just what you would expect: doubts. It is about doubting your certainty, doubting your faith, and the ramifications of both. Father Flynn’s sermons are always directly related to experiences he has, which is originally the main reason why Sister Aloysius suspects him of some wrongdoing. He indirectly chastises Sister James for gossip, and he does a sermon on intolerance due to his sudden disliking of Sister Aloysius and how she handled the situation. No one has any evidence of Father Flynn doing anything wrong, but the actions and relentless certainty of Sister Aloysius are hard to get around. “Doubt is a bond as powerful and sustainable as certainty.” This is a quote from one of Father Flynn’s sermons, and it basically defines the film and what it is about.

There is a lot to chew on here. Did Father Flynn actually do it? Does Sister Aloysius know something that we don’t? What was going through the boy’s head when the conclusion draws near? All of this leads to the eventual final scene, which ends with a strange final line that leaves you feeling a fair amount of discomfort and extreme uncertainty. Some may find it to be over-the-top, but that line is essential to the feeling that the audience is left with as the credits role. It actually brought to mind the final line of last year’s Breach, in which Chris Cooper unveils the awkward line “Pray for Me!” The last line in Doubt will leave some unsettled, but to people like me, that line is one aspect that left me haunted and wanting more from these fascinating characters. It leaves the conclusion up to the audience, giving evidence to make both sides seem legitimate. When you are still thinking about and debating a film days after it is over, that is the undeniable mark of greatness.

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