Doubt (2008 film)
| Doubt | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Patrick Shanley |
| Screenplay by | John Patrick Shanley |
| Based on | Doubt: A Parable 2005 play by John Patrick Shanley |
| Produced by | Scott Rudin |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Roger Deakins |
| Edited by | Dylan Tichenor |
| Music by | Howard Shore |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 104 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | $50.9 million[2] |
Doubt is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, based on his Pulitzer Prize–winning and Tony Award–winning 2004 stage play Doubt: A Parable. Produced by Scott Rudin, the film takes place in a Catholic elementary school named for St. Nicholas. The film stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis.[3]
Doubt premiered October 30, 2008, at the AFI Fest before being distributed by Miramax Films in limited release on December 12 and in wide release on December 25. Grossing $50.9 million against a budget of $20 million, the film received positive reviews. Streep, Hoffman, Adams, and Davis were highly praised for their performances, and all were nominated for Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards. Shanley was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Plot
[edit]In 1964 at a Catholic mass in The Bronx, Father Brendan Flynn gives a homily on doubt. The priest notes that like faith, it can be a unifying force. Sister Aloysius, the strict principal of the church's parish school, becomes concerned when she sees a boy pull away from him in the courtyard. Her sisters are told to be alert to suspicious activity in the school.
Sister James, a young and naïve teacher, receives a request for Donald Miller, an altar boy and the school's only Black student, to see Flynn in the rectory. He returns to class upset, and she smells alcohol on his breath. Later, she sees Flynn placing an undershirt in Donald's locker. Reporting her suspicions to Aloysius, she states that such suspicions disquiet her faith. Aloysius tells her that addressing wrongdoing causes the taking of a step away from God but in His service.
Aloysius and James invite Flynn into the office, supposedly to discuss the school's Christmas pageant. During their discussion, the two express drastically different perspectives on how the church should function regarding the working class. Flynn believes in relating to the parishioners more actively through shared interests and community activities, but Aloysius believes that clear boundaries, which are set by the clergy, facilitate the relationship with the parishioners.
Eventually, Aloysius brings up Donald by noting that his race causes him to be at risk of being singled out. She states that even Flynn gave him special treatment like their private meeting last week. He becomes defensive over her insinuations and eventually reveals he called Donald to the rectory because he had been caught drinking sacramental wine. Flynn had been keeping it quiet to protect Donald, but now that Aloysius has forced it out, he must be removed as an altar boy. James is greatly relieved to hear the explanation. Flynn's next homily is on the evils of gossip.
In class, Donald was not paying attention as James is asking an important history question. Jimmy and others raise their hands but she calls on Donald and asks him what the question was. She refuses to let others help Donald and tells Jimmy to put his hand down. When James asks Donald what the question was and he doesn't know, she confronts him for not listening. She asks the question again and Donald does not know the answer. Jimmy answers the question correctly but James sends him down to the Aloysius for talking out of turn.
Unconvinced, Aloysius meets with Donald's mother regarding her suspicions. When describing the potential abusive relationship between Donald and Flynn, she is shocked by Mrs. Miller's seeming ambivalence. Finally, the mother tearfully admits that Donald is gay and fears his father would kill him if he knew. She describes her difficult position: since she is unable to protect her son from his father's violence, Flynn is the only male figure who has shown Donald any kindness. His position at the school shields him from bullies, and leaving the school now could compromise the better future that the school can give him. She begs Aloysius, if she wants to get her way, to remove Flynn instead of Donald. But her main desire lies for Donald to complete with good marks by June.
Knowing that she has spoken with Donald's mother, Flynn threatens to remove Aloysius from her position if she does not back down. She informs him that she contacted a nun from his last parish and discovered a history of past infringements. He demands to know what proof she has, and she admits that all she has is her certainty. Flynn accuses her of insubordination and acting outside her duties. She threatens that she will do whatever it takes to force him out even if it means being thrown out of the church herself.
Declaring his innocence, Flynn asks if she herself has never committed a mortal sin. Aloysius rejects his claims of innocence and threatens blackmail if he does not resign immediately. Acknowledging that his downfall would be inevitable if he ignores her threats, he maintains that he did nothing wrong and that her own certainty of wrongdoing is fallible. She demands Flynn request a transfer, which he does, delivering a final homily before departing.
Sometime later, Aloysius tells James that Flynn has since been appointed to a more prestigious position at a larger church. She reveals that she lied about contacting a nun at Flynn's former parish and reasons that if it were false, the ruse would not have worked. To her, his resignation is proof of his guilt. James, still believing in Flynn's innocence, is shocked by her lie, but Aloysius restates, "In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God." However, she adds that doing so comes with a price. She then tearfully exclaims, "I have doubts... I have such doubts!"
Cast
[edit]- Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the parish school principal
- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Father Brendan Flynn
- Amy Adams as Sister James, a history teacher at the school
- Viola Davis as Mrs. Miller, Donald Miller's mother
- Joseph Foster as Donald Miller, the school's first black student
The other sisters in the film include Alice Drummond as Sister Veronica, Audrie J. Neenan as Sister Raymond, and Helen Stenborg as Sister Teresa. The child actors who played the students of the school include Mike Roukis as William London, Lloyd Clay Brown as Jimmy Hurley, Frank Shanley as Kevin, Frank Dolce as Ralph, Paulie Litt as Tommy Conroy, Matthew Marvin as Raymond, Bridget Clark as Noreen Horan, Molly Chiffer as Sarah, and Lydia Jordan as Alice. The actors who played the other staff of the school include Susan Blommaert as Mrs. Carson, Carrie Preston as Christine Hurley, John Costelloe as Warren Hurley, Margery Beddow as Mrs. Shields, Marylouise Burke as Mrs. Deakins, and Jack O'Connell as Mr. McGuinn.
This would mark John A. Costelloe's final film role as he would die four days after the film's release.
Production
[edit]Production began on December 1, 2007.[4] The film, which concentrates on a Bronx Catholic school, was filmed in various areas of the Bronx, including Parkchester, St. Anthony's Catholic School, and the 2nd floor chapel in the Founders Hall of College of Mount Saint Vincent, as well as Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.[5] The "garden" exterior scenes were shot at the historic Episcopal Church St. Luke in the Fields on Hudson Street in New York's Greenwich Village. The associated St. Luke's School was also heavily featured. The film is dedicated to Sister Margaret McEntee, a Sister of Charity who was Shanley's first-grade teacher and who served as a technical adviser for the movie, after whom Shanley modeled the character of Sister James.
Before Viola Davis was cast as Mrs. Miller, Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan, Taraji P. Henson, Sophie Okonedo and Adriane Lenox were all considered for the role.[3]
Reception
[edit]On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 79% approval rating based on 220 reviews, with an average rating of 6.99/10. The site's consensus reads, "Doubt succeeds on the strength of its top-notch cast, who successfully guide the film through the occasional narrative lull."[6] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, gave the film a 68/100 approval rating based on 36 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]
Critic Manohla Dargis of The New York Times concluded that "the air is thick with paranoia in Doubt, but nowhere as thick, juicy, sustained or sustaining as Meryl Streep's performance."[8] Streep's performance as the stern, intimidating and bold principal Sister Aloysius Beauvier was praised, as were Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams's performances.
The Observer's Philip French wrote, "Doubt is a provocative, pared-down work that in the theatre carried the subtitle 'A Parable', and it has four outstanding performances. At the centre are two of the finest actors alive, Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Once again, they prove capable of transforming themselves, creating persuasive characters without adopting excessive make-up or a battery of eccentric mannerisms. They're supported by Amy Adams, who has several excellent scenes as Sister James, a young woman of transparent integrity, and by Viola Davis as Mrs Miller, a loving mother attempting to maintain her personal decency under intolerable conditions. Davis makes an indelible impression in her single scene."[9]
Viola Davis's performance as Mrs. Miller was praised by critics; Salon declared that the character was acted with: "a near-miraculous level of believability ... Davis, in her small, one-scene role, is incredibly moving—I can barely remember a Davis performance where I haven't been moved ... [she] plays her character, an anxious, hardworking woman who's just trying to hold her life and family together, by holding everything close. She's not a fountain of emotion, dispensing broad expression or movement; instead, she keeps it all inside and lets us in".[10]
NPR called Davis's acting in the movie "the film's most wrenching performance ... the other [actors] argue strenuously and occasionally even eloquently, to ever-diminishing effect; Davis speaks plainly and quietly, and leaves [no] doubt that the moral high ground is a treacherous place to occupy in the real world".[11]
Roger Ebert, who thought Davis's performance worthy of an Academy Award, gave the film four stars, his highest rating, and praised its "exact and merciless writing, powerful performances and timeless relevance. It causes us to start thinking with the first shot", he continued, "and we never stop".[12] Ebert goes on to say, "The conflict between Aloysius and Flynn is the conflict between old and new, between status and change, between infallibility and uncertainty. And Shanley leaves us doubting."[12]
The film and the cast earned numerous awards and nominations including five Academy Award nominations: for Best Actress for Streep, Best Supporting Actor for Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress for both Adams and Davis, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Shanley.
The scholar Daniel Cutrara, in his book on sex and religion in cinema, commented that the film works as a metaphor for worldwide uncertainty over priests accused of pedophilia—specifically through Father Flynn's resignation as an indication of guilt and then Sister Aloysius's subsequent doubt.[13]
Awards
[edit]Doubt received five Academy Awards nominations on January 22, 2009, for its four lead actors and for Shanley's script. It was the fourth film to date—following My Man Godfrey (1936), I Remember Mama (1948), and Othello (1965)—to receive four acting nominations without being nominated for Best Picture.
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References
[edit]- ^ "Doubt (15)". British Board of Film Classification. December 18, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- ^ "Doubt". Box Office Mojo. January 4, 2009. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Hughes, Jazmine (April 12, 2022). "Viola Davis, Inside Out". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023.
- ^ Pincus-Roth, Zachary (April 19, 2007). "Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman to Star in Doubt Film". Playbill. Archived from the original on April 27, 2007. Retrieved February 7, 2008.
- ^ "The benefit of the 'Doubt'". New York Daily News. February 5, 2008. Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2008.
- ^ "Doubt (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ^ "Doubt (2008)". Metacritic. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (December 12, 2008). "Between Heaven and Earth, Room for Ambiguity". The New York Times.
- ^ French, Philip (February 8, 2009). "Doubt". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (December 12, 2008). ""Doubt"". Salon.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Viola Davis Tackles Fear, Shines In 'Doubt'". NPR. December 10, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
- ^ a b Ebert, Roger (December 10, 2008). "Bless you, father, for you have sinned. Or maybe you haven't". RogerEbert.com.
- ^ Cutrara, Daniel S. (March 15, 2014). Wicked Cinema: Sex and Religion on Screen. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-75472-0.
- ^ "2009 Academy Awards". oscars.org. October 7, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Film in 2009". BAFTAs.org. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "2008 - Winners of the 21st Annual Chicago Film Critics Awards". ChicagoFilmCritics.org. Archived from the original on February 24, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Winners of the 14th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards". Critics’ Choice Awards. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association 2008 Awards". Movie City News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
- ^ "Detroit Film Critics Society announces its awards". mlive.com. December 19, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ "Doubt". Golden Globes. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "2008 Official Awards Ballot with Winner in * Bold" (PDF). Houston Film Critics Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "2008 Awards". National Board of Review. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Amy Adams to receive Spotlight Award at Palm Springs". Screen Daily. December 4, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Phoenix critics honor 'Slumdog'". Variety. December 16, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "2008 Awards". International Press Academy. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". SAG.org. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "The 2008 St. Louis Film Critics Awards Winners!". We Are Movie Geeks. December 15, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "2008 WAFCA Awards". Washington D. C. Area Film Critics Association. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Doubt at IMDb
- Doubt at AllMovie
- Doubt at the TCM Movie Database
- Doubt at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Doubt at Rotten Tomatoes
- 2008 films
- 2008 drama films
- 2008 in Christianity
- American drama films
- American films based on plays
- American independent films
- Films about Catholic nuns
- Films about Catholic priests
- Films about Catholicism
- Films about educators
- Films directed by John Patrick Shanley
- Films produced by Scott Rudin
- Films scored by Howard Shore
- Films set in 1964
- Films set in New York City
- Films set in religious buildings and structures
- Films set in schools
- Films set in the Bronx
- Films with screenplays by John Patrick Shanley
- Media coverage of Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals
- Miramax films
- 2000s English-language films
- 2000s American films
- Films set in convents