Doubt

Doubt“Did he or did he not?”

Cast: Evan Lewis; Paulie Litt; Lydia Jordan; Viola Davis; Philip Seymour Hoffman; Joseph Foster; Lloyd Clay Brown; Meryl Streep; Bridget Megan Clark; Amy Adams
Directed by: John Patrick Shanley
Runtime: 104 mins
Genre: Drama
Rating: PG-Some Disturbing Elements

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS NOMINEES• Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama) - Meryl Streep
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Amy Adams
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Viola Davis
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Best Screenplay - John Patrick Shanley

Meryl Streep’s take as the terrifying Miranda Priestley in The Devil Wears Prada was absolutely memorable, and having just seen her cavorting with three men, singing and prancing around happily at the beautiful Greek island by the Aegean sea on Mamma Mia DVD, it completely threw me to see her in yet another total change of character. She’s a thespian in the truest sense. No wonder fans have been asking for her to be chipped on Mount Rushmore alongside the greats!

It is a period of change in 1964 in New York. The old school of traditions and by-the-book rules fronted by Sister Aloysius versus the more liberated and forward-looking new direction fronted by Father Flynn. Sister Aloysius is all about giving the students the best of what religious schools can offer – inculcating the right education in terms of learning calligraphy, writing with pencils and not ballpoint pens, living a simple life, discipline, manners and punishment. Father Flynn on the other hand is the complete antithesis of Sister Aloysius.

His easy, charming ways, makes it easy for the students and the congregation to be drawn towards him. He smokes, drinks, eats healthily, laughs easily and takes 3 cubes of sugar for his cup of tea. Never quite accepting the modern ways of Father Flynn, Sister Aloysius nevertheless respects him for his work. In contrast, her big round and black habit gives her an austere and unapproachable air. But this is nicely balanced by little acts of kindness like when she protected an old nun who was going blind and her sincerity in wanting the best for the school children.

The story is tightly woven and it made me anguished throughout the movie, flitting back and forth as to whether the charismatic Father was actually guilty as accused. Did he or did he not do it? Why wouldn’t he admit? If he didn’t do it, why would he quit when threatened to open up his previous bad record of leaving parishes so frequently? What wrong did he commit previously that he had to leave, despite his reluctance? Why was he promoted even though he had seemingly admitted to his wrongdoing?

From start to finish, Father Flynn not once admitted to his indiscretion but flinched a little when challenged by Sister Aloysius who was convinced of his wrongdoing though she did not get any confirmation or admission of his guilt. Simply based on her “experience” and her clever little test, as well as observing how he behaved with the students, I gathered that Sister Aloysius was right and Father Flynn was indeed guilty. However when Sister Aloysius doubted herself in the last moments of the movie, it made me question myself as to the validity of her accusation.

Why was she so cocksure in the beginning and so determined to bring him down? And now that he left, isn’t that enough to confirm his guilt? Did Father Flynn leave to spare the black boy the embarrassment? Did he have his difficulties as he claimed? Was he innocent and merely a victim of prejudice on the part of Sister Aloysius who was bent to destroy him before he destroys the old-school educational ways?

Who was the one with a hidden agenda? Was it the sister or the father or both? The plot is brilliant because even towards the end of the movie, questions just keep floating on our minds. Once doubt has been cast, there is no looking back. It shall continue to lurk, in the back of our minds. And the director, the original playwright from which this movie was adapted from, has succeeded. It was only much later when my thoughts settled that I recalled how another student feigned illness to skip school and Father Flynn finding fault at him for the slightest things like long fingernails. He did it.