Doubt (2008)

A Catholic school principal questions a priest's ambiguous relationship with a troubled young student.

Director:

John Patrick Shanley

Writers:

John Patrick Shanley (screenplay), John Patrick Shanley (play)

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 26 wins & 90 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Sister Aloysius Beauvier
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Father Brendan Flynn
Amy Adams	...	Sister James
Viola Davis	...	Mrs. Miller
Alice Drummond	...	Sister Veronica
Audrie Neenan	...	Sister Raymond
Susan Blommaert	...	Mrs. Carson
Carrie Preston	...	Christine Hurley
John Costelloe	...	Warren Hurley
Lloyd Clay Brown	...	Jimmy Hurley
Joseph Foster	...	Donald Miller (as Joseph Foster II)
Mike Roukis	...	William London
Haklar Dezso	...	Zither Player
Frank Shanley	...	Kevin
Robert Ridgell	...	Organist

Storyline

It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A charismatic priest, Father Flynn, is trying to upend the school's strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear-based discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the community, and indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James, a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her guilt-inducing suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shard of proof besides her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which threatens to tear apart the community with irrevocable consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

priest | student | nun | boy | catholic | 

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Taglines:

There is no evidence. There are no witnesses. But for one, there is no doubt.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

La duda

Filming Locations:

Beach and Mansion Streets, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$507,226, 14 December 2008

Gross USA:

$33,446,470

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$51,018,161

Company Credits

Production Co:

Goodspeed Productions, Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some scenes in the film are extremely lengthy. Some of the conversations between Sister Aloysius, Father Flynn, Sister James and Mrs Miller run to 10-15 minutes.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 29 mins) When Sister Aloysius leaves Father Flynn in her office, the lighting, Flynn's facial expression, and the position of Flynn's coat change dramatically after she closes the door.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Christine Hurley: Jimmy? Come on! You're serving today.

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Fast & Furious/Adventureland/Sugar (2009)

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Soundtracks

The First Noel
Traditional
Arranged by Simon Benson
Courtesy of APM Music

User Reviews

New genre - the moral thriller

Normally we give too much credit to actors. They often work for short periods and force myriad takes. Directors manipulate and cajole them. Then the filmmakers spend months choosing the best shots, carving them and stringing them together to make the story (and the long-gone actors) look good.

"Doubt" is an exception, only in that the actors are especially marvelous. The many close-ups and the length of the shots attest to the trust John Patrick Shanley puts in them. Streep and Hoffman are superb. Adams and Davis are remarkable as well.

Still the most credit for this phenomenal effort must go to Shanley.

What a fascinating story, with layers and springbacks that will leave you thinking and rethinking.

Thank you very much to all involved with this fine film.