‘Doubt’

Directed by: John Patrick Stanley

Starring: Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Amy Adams

B+

As the new year progresses, members of the film industry have one thing on their minds: the Oscars. ‘Doubt’ will be one of those productions that may just steal the show along with several little golden men.

This Broadway-play-turned-film is directed by John Patrick Shanley (‘Moonstruck’), the original playwright. This fact alone generates confidence in the movie’s execution – there’s less room for error.

Set in a Catholic school in the 1960s, the drama deals with rumors and suspicion within the clergy.

Given events in the past decade involving priests who engage in unsavory activities, the film’s plot is easy to grasp, even though any variation of the word ‘abuse’ is hard to find. The film also brings in issues of racism when it focuses on the first black student in the school.

Meryl Streep plays Sister Aloysius, the strict, tradition-following principal. Streep adopted a New York accent to get into character, but it wavered throughout. However, this doesn’t deter from the strong character that she brought to the silver screen. Streep’s powerful accusations and her chilling demands give viewers goose bumps at all the right times.

Father Flynn, the priest under question, is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Known for his work on Academy Award-winning dramas (‘Capote’, ‘Cold Mountain’), Hoffman is completely in his element. The character called for charisma with students and professionalism with fellow clergy members. Hoffman made sure that Father Flynn kept his secrets from the suspicious Sister Aloysius.

Another character that should be mentioned is Sister James (Amy Adams). Adams is demure in contrast to Streep’s brazen attitude, a nice complement. Knowing Adams and her work in movies like ‘Enchanted,’ audiences will find it easy to fall in love with her character’s innocence and simplicity in a dramatic setting.

A small, but significant part of the story is brought by Viola Davis, who plays the mother of Donald Miller – the child involved with Father Flynn. Davis only appears for 15 minutes at most, but she shows the emotions of a mother torn between wanting her child to have better life opportunities and protecting her child’s well-being. The only disappointment I had with Davis was that she wasn’t in the movie for too long.

Dramatic camera angles add some tension to scenes, but weren’t a huge addition to the dramatic plot. It reminded me of angles you’d find in an Alfred Hitchcock film.

Some play-to-movie adaptations do not succeed (can someone say ‘Romeo + Juliet,’ the 1996 version?). The script lacked finality. Sister Aloysius says that she ‘has such doubts,’ but never reveals what those doubts are.

It would come as no shock if ‘Doubt’ was awarded an Oscar for best actress, best actor or best supporting actress. The only question is whether Adams or Davis will get the latter title.

smtracey@syr.edu

Published on January 14, 2009 at 12:00 pm