Doubt Review

I first want to thank my parents for never putting my brother and sisters in Catholic school. We went to a “hippie” church in the 70’s that had guitar mass with weirdo modern dancers, patchouli oil and insane amounts of plaid and hair. It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I learned that patchouli oil was a type of “perfume”, rather than the idea that all hippies had the same stink. It is clear that John Patrick Shanley is writing from his own life. Doubt was filmed on the street he grew up on and in the Catholic school he attended. This gives the film the accuracy that only an insider can. He draws people into a world that is closed to outsiders and lets us live it. Solid film. Doubt is about a young Priest (Hoffman) who sees the outside world changing and wants the church to do the same. Streep plays the stricter than a Marine Corps drill sergeant at wartime nun. Who views change, like using a ballpoint pen, as a form of evil. Amy Adams the young naïve nun who just wants to be faithful. These three all come to a head when Adams thinks that Hoffman has had “inappropriate” dealings with the only black student at the school. Set amidst the backdrop of 1964. The year after JFK was killed and when the Beatles came to America. The year that gave America the first glance of the most radical upheaval in the 20th century. Meryl Streep is rock solid. She must have been tormented by some steely eyed, ruler swinging, afraid a smile might break her vampire white skin, task-master nun. Behind the mean eyes is a hurt that drives a person mad, or into a life of nunnery. See this film if only for her. And then see if for Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. They both play their parts well. Hoffman the kind, but likes the power of the cloth, priest. Adams plays the naïve but good-hearted young nun. Then watch the scene between Streep and Viola Davis, who plays the kid in question’s mother. That scene alone is a testament to what good acting is. And two strong women fighting with icy tears, always good. It’s like a tough lady cage match, where both fighters give a “nice punch” nod of respect to the other. The only downside is seeing the difficulty in converting form stage to screen. A little too theatery at times. You know: two people, one room, and a lot of talking. Long slabs of dialogue stacked on top of each other would be tough to take if not for the caliber of the cast. Solid actors’ debating moral ambiguity buys a lot of leeway for me, even if they don’t have tambourines, corduroy and weird beards. Go see this film and know that had I gone to Catholic school I would’ve PALM STRIKED a fist full of priests. —Graham Elwood