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Some years ago, before John Patrick Shanley's play "Doubt" was made into a movie, I read a magazine interview with him about this work. The sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church had broken a few years before, and Mr. Shanley remarked that at the same time much of this abuse must have been taking place, religious sisters were leaving their communities in droves. He pointed out that as many of the sisters were teachers in Catholic schools, they would have been in a position to be aware that something was wrong if a student were being abused, that in some cases they must have surely known about it. At the same time, their position was such that they had little recourse. He speculated that this may have been a driving factor behind many sisters' decision to leave the religious life. This speculation led him to write the script for "Doubt", a subtle, intricate, haunting movie about not just abuse, but about power -- the differences in power between adults and children, between blacks and whites, between teachers and students, between different members of a religious order, and between women religious and their male priests.
Do I think the priest was guilty? Absolutely -- but ultimately we cannot know. The story plays out as a long, beautifully nuanced sketch of the characters of the two antagonists, though, showing how each one wields his or her particular type of power and shows his or her motivations.
Sister Aloysius is the sort of person easy for contemporary Americans to laugh at, the dragon lady principal of a Catholic school who strolls the nave at Mass searching for misbehaving students, smacking heads, grabbing ears, barking harsh reprimands for minor infractions. She hates Frosty the Snowman because of his "pagan" origin. She has a thing about ballpoint pens. She has a maddening, almost unshakeable certainty that looks an awful lot like prejudice at times. And yet, she is also simply -- right most of the time. She is a shrewd, experienced observer who doesn't miss a trick and is usually proved correct -- for example, she clearly has William Lunden's number when she asks Sister James if his nosebleed was self-induced!
Probably a lot of viewers want to root for Father Flynn because he is more likeable. He tells jokes. (Sister Aloysius does, too, but her sense of humor is so dry that they tend to fall flat.) He hangs out with the kids and speaks to them about things that would concern and interest them, like how to shoot a basket or ask a girl to dance. He smiles; he is warm and physical. He says the Church must change by engaging popular culture, loosening up on secularism, and most importantly by showing that priests and religious are just like everyone else. This will appeal to many contemporary American viewers.
Yet this warm and charismatic man, who I think genuinely sees himself as a liberator and a champion, is also a callous, louche, loose-lipped sensualist. We see this most strikingly in the dinner he shares with the delightedly laughing bishop: Red-faced, shoveling in rare beef and swilling alcohol, his eyes gleaming with meanspirited glee, he can barely contain himself as he regales his dining companions with a cruel personal story about a woman who more than likely is or was his parishioner, under his spiritual care. The contrast between this self-indulgent and ill-mannered meal is in painful contrast to the humble, ascetic dinner shared by the sisters, who eat the gristle with their meat and quietly drink milk.
We know that this man is vain and of questionable masculinity (at least according to the conventions of the time) because he fusses over his long, immaculate fingernails. His comment about the length of his nails is interesting: Yes, they're "a little long", but they're clean, and that makes it all right. One wonders what other kinds of unusual behavior he considers acceptable as long as one observes the niceties.
He talks more than once about compassion, highlighting his own. But is he so compassionate? Look at the way he interacts with Donald Miller, the lone black student he has taken under his wing. After the Mass that opens the movie, the boy looks at his adored pastor with shining eyes and a shy, confiding smile and tells him that he wants to be a priest. What would the proper response be? Couldn't Father Flynn have taken a few minutes to talk to the boy about whether or not he had a vocation, offering him real encouragement and giving him real feedback? Instead, he makes a throwaway comment about how Donald would surely make a good priest, then gives him a little toy. Does he even take the boy's expressed wish seriously? (And what an interesting toy! A scantily clad dancer spinning endlessly in front of a mirror, perhaps a subtle reference to Father's exhibitionism and narcissism?)
The other scene that really stood out for me as showing the shallow, self-serving nature of Father's vaunted compassion was the one where William Lunden grabs and spills the contents of Donald Miller's book bag in the middle of a busy hallway. A caring adult witnessing this scene would come to Donald's aid, help him pick up his things, maybe offer a quick, encouraging word. That wouldn't be good enough for Father Flynn! Instead of offering him practical assistance, he takes the boy in his arms and cuddles him, right there in the hall with other students bumping past, in a way that might be appropriate for a very small child, but certainly not for a middle schooler, especially a boy! Does this look caring, or does it look like showy behavior that only serves to make Donald look even more conspicuous than he already is? And more suspect.
Contrast this with Sister Aloysius' behind-the-scenes concern for Donald. In her talk with Sister James, she makes clear that when a student hits Donald, it will be for the last time. When discussing the Christmas pageant, she is concerned that he be equally included with the other students but not made to stand out. In her much-noted scene with Donald's mother, her distress for the boy -- for his innocence, for the injustice of his situation, for his victimization at the hands of his violent father -- is clear. This scene, incidentally, is a standout not just for the superb acting on both sides -- doesn't Viola Davis tear up the screen in her brief appearance! Wow! -- but for its painful depiction of two women talking past each other, unable to understand each other, both wanting to protect Donald but at loggerheads because of the different share of power each woman has in the world. As a black woman in the '60s married to a brutal, unloving man, Mrs. Miller has almost none. Sister Aloysius has some, but mostly in the fact that she is highly intelligent and willing to be ruthless in the pursuit of right. She sees the long view, which includes Donald's soul and his future emotional intactness, whereas Mrs. Miller, inescably constrained by circumstance, can only see till June. Yet both women care deeply for the boy, whereas Father cares for how he personally is seen. He cares very much that he should be the one Sister James sees as looking out for Donald; he tells her as much, bluntly, in words that mirror those of an emotionally abusive parent castigating an ex-spouse to a child.
I found it striking that whereas Sisters James and Aloysius both do what they can to preserve the innocence of the flirtatious girl (I can't remember her name), Father Flynn encourages her (shudder!) to tell the boy with whom she was "in love" all about her feelings. Who is more careful of the well-being of that child, the sisters or Father?
Abusers come in all styles and persuasions, with some, like Father Flynn, priding themselves on being progressives, and others more conservative and traditional. The propensity to be an abuser has nothing to do with theological orthodoxy, politics, or personality type. However, Father Flynn reveals himself to be hypocritical in his progressiveness. For all that he waxes passionate about priests and religious coming down among the people and showing themselves to be no different, he sure doesn't like it when his privileged position is challenged, pulling rank on Sister Aloysius as he belligerently reminds her of her vows of obedience and the fact that she has no right to ask a fellow nun about his past behavior. This follows a great deal of disrespectful and inappropriate behavior toward her: belittling her to her subordinate ("The dragon is hungry" comment at the beginning), openly digging at her during their first meeting by letting her know pointedly that he is going to give a sermon on intolerance, indirectly accusing her of "gossip" simply for doing her job and asking questions about his suspicious behavior (which she has the right and responsibility to do as principal), twitting her about her Lenten sacrifice of sugar, and taking her seat behind the desk in her own office. His progressiveness is merely self-serving, something that allows him to do what he wants while still enjoying the perks of kingly authority over the sisters, lavish meals every night, the ear of the admiring bishop.
When Sister Aloysius breaks down at the movie's close and tearfully confesses her "doubts", I don't think she is saying that she doubts Father Flynn's guilt. I think she is deeply distressed that her move to protect the boys at her school has resulted in Father having unlimited access to the boys of another school; I think she doubts the hierarchy that is not doing its job of shepherding and protecting the flock; she is disillusioned by the painfully apparent good ole boys' network that keeps her from being able to do her job and protect the students under her care; and I think she doubts God, Who allows evil to flourish.
I can agree neither with Sister Aloysius' dishonesty, her ruthlessness in forcing a confession, nor her attitude toward addressing wrongdoing. Does one really step away from God "in His service" when making a move to redress wrong? How can it be so? Yet what a powerful, anguished portrait of what can happen to someone spiritually when struggling for justice in the face of appalling abuse of power and the failure of those in charge to listen.
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Poignant, Thought-Provoking, Riveting!!!!
As with all art forms, the perspective bought into the mix totally defines the impact. This was an excellent screen adaptation of the award-winning play by director, John Patrick Shanley which ultimately resulted in a uniquely liberating, somewhat painful, yet truly thought-provoking viewing experience. Kudos goes to the principal players, Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis and Joseph Foster, all of whom gave wrenching award-worthy performances.The story is set in the mid-sixties, not long after the assassination of JFK. A Catholic school in the Bronx accepts its first black student, Donald Miller, beautifully portrayed by Joseph Foster. The priest, wonderfully realized by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, is truly empathetic and realizing what a struggle it must be for the student, keeps an eye on him to make sure he adjusts well to this new and very intricate situation. Because of his attention, one sister, a very effective Amy Adams, initially becomes slightly suspicious of his motives and, unfortunately, reports her suspicions to the principal, an exceedingly pedagogical nun, exquisitely played by Meryl Streep. She, of course, confronts the priest with her suspicions which he vehemently denies and she steadfastly refuses to believe. She even confronts the boy's mother, portrayed by Viola Davis who gives a wrenching performance. The encounter between these two is as taut and revealing as those between the accusing nun and the outraged priest. The overall dialogue is crisp, biting, poignant and positively riveting.Certain aspects of this whole scenario evoked poignant memories making it rather easy for me to relate to. Moreover, certain revelations the mother made to the nun re the boy's home life raised VERY serious questions. These questions will be at the focal point of any discussions about the play for the simple reason the author wisely neither confirmed nor denied those suspicions which, obviously, was pivotal to the whole theme. Any "doubts" you find yourself faced with while watching this further fuels the profound impact the film makes because in the final analysis, it will be up to the viewer to draw his/her own conclusions - as well it should be. The ending is little short of devastating.With such a riveting and important play being realized by a positively flawless cast, this could hardly miss. Just eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeescellent. I hiiiiiiiiihgly recommend!!!!
Top reviews from other countries
Patricia P
An unsentimental gaze
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2010
Kazhero Kazi Goda
Very challenging and richly rewarding! 見るものに挑む10年に一度の名作
Reviewed in Japan on January 12, 2012
