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 |
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. Written by Miramax Films
Wow! Incredible performances from Meryl Streep and Philip Seymore Hoffman. Mesmerizing intensity from Streep as the nun seeking to find Hoffman guilty of a sin he may or may not have committed. Amy Adams gives a sincere performance as the nun who sets the ball rolling with her suspicions that Hoffman may have molested a black student. The scenes between Streep and Hoffman crackle with intelligence and frightening intensity. Streep, as the unrelenting figure of justice, determined at any cost to destroy Hoffman, is terrifying and unrelenting. Hoffman gives a performance less restrained and mannered than the one he gave in Capote (and won the Oscar for) and boy, does he ever deserve to have won a second one for this outing. An absolute knockout, nuanced and convincing in every way. What a masterful performance! John Patrick Shanley's script is riveting from start to finish. If anyone has any doubts about watching this movie due to the theme then put those doubts aside as the writing and acting are without doubt amongst the finest ever committed to film. A superb piece of work.