Set in the Bronx in 1964, Doubt is an intricate play-turned-film about two nuns, a priest, and a troubled young boy. Originally written for a cast of 4, to be played to a small audience, the play Doubt garnered a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony Award before being translated to the screen by its playwright, John Patrick Shanley, who wrote the screenplay and directed the film. The screen version stars two of today’s most heralded actors, Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, both of whom earned Oscar nominations for their roles, along with supporting actress nods for both Amy Adams and Viola Davis and a best adapted screenplay bid from Shanley. The film didn’t win any of them. It was a tough year to be nominated, against the likes of Milk and Slumdog.
The first dialogue of any length in the movie is a sermon, a monologue by Father Flynn (Hoffman). Hoffman’s portrayal of the priest is warm, laid-back, jovial and multi-faceted, interesting and mysterious. Shanley grew up educated by the subjects of the film, the real Sisters of Charity, and based the young, idealistic but principled Sister James on his childhood teacher. The head nun, the dogged, determined and tough Sister Beauvier, a complete foil to Father Flynn, is masterfully portrayed by Streep. The continually doe-eyed Sister James (Adams) is annoying at times, but Adams is typecast in this role, though I expected something different from her in this type of movie.
Without much background on the film before I saw it, I really didn’t know what to expect. The plot moves along well once the story is established, and I was drawn in without even realizing it.
In the special features, Writer/Director Shanley notes that he wrote the play intending for the last act to happen after the movie is over, which is a bold way to write a story. It’s clearly based on his experiences growing up but has created valuable modern discussions about the nature of faith, human nature, and life. It raises more questions than it answers, but that’s one of its biggest strengths. The production design is flawless, too, as you feel like you’ve been transported back four decades.
Other special features include featurettes about the scoring of the movie with composer Howard Shore, about the real Sisters of Charity and their backgrounds, and about the casting process. A longer feature chronicles the journey from the stage to the big screen, and of course, there’s a feature-length audio commentary as well. All features include strong interviews with the principle actors and Shanley, adding a lot of relevant insight about the process and characters.
In one of his sermons, Father Flynn declares, “Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty.” I’d venture that’s true of the movie and the idea.