MOVIE REVIEW - Doubt (2008)

I’m used to Hollywood presenting the Catholic Church as evil. Here, they do not. I thought the church was shown in a pretty good light, where priests and nuns have compassion and courage. Still, the writers don’t understand church doctrine. There was a very long sermon by Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman, as good here as usual) that opened the movie. Of course, he didn’t say a thing about God. “Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty.” Ugh. The teaching nun (Amy Adams): “FDR, JFK, and Lincoln are our three greatest presidents.” Uh… There may be some church where these are the tenets of the faith, but I would not call it standard Catholicism.

Still, the (inaccurate) doctrine of the church was just a backdrop to this surprisingly enjoyable and decent movie. The story revolves around the lead nun’s (Meryl Streep) accusations that Father Flynn abused a kid. Whether guilty or innocent, the priest is shown here as a good priest, one who cares deeply for his parishioners. It is fairly intense, given that it is a dialogue-heavy drama. There is even a healthy dose of comic relief that is actually funny (e.g., a contrast between the priests and nuns at their respective dinners). Amy Adams and Philip are always terrific. Viola Davis was stellar as the mother, a surprising character who protects her child in highly unexpected ways. I’ve never in a movie seen snot left on the face for such a long soliloquy – brave! I don’t understand, though, why Meryl would get a nomination for her constant frowns. She is one dimensional, and too similar to her Devil Wears Prada tight ass (including the tearful breakdown), just with a habit.