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 & 88 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, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$33,422,556, 5 April 2009

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

Tom Hanks, John Cusack and David Hyde Pierce were considered to play Father Flynn.

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Goofs

In the movie, the street signs have black letters on a white background, without cross-streets. In 1964, NYC street signs had white letters on blue enamel backgrounds, with the cross-streets printed in smaller letters above.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #8.169 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Reginella Campagnola
Written by Eldo Di Lazzaro, Bruno Cherubini (as C. Bruno)

User Reviews

Thrilling, thoughtful, intriguing. One of the best films of 2008

Doubt {dir. John Patrick Shanley} (****/****)

Although it includes some heavy themes, Doubt, is one of the most entertaining and involving films to come along in quite sometime. Rarely have my heart and mind been so engaged in a film simultaneously. At its heart, Doubt remains the stage play upon which it is based, about a priest who is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a young boy. The priest is played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and the nun investigating (Sister Aloysius, great name) the situation is played by Meryl Streep, the best living actress and the best actress of the year. The language used in the film treats the situation very carefully and the confrontations between the characters crackle with well- written intensity. The film's central theme is indeed the title: Doubt. As an audience, we are left to our own devices in judging Father Flynn's relationship to the young boy. This uncertainty is a rare and valuable thing in film today. Great performances, wonderful writing and tough themes.