It tackles questions about god, faith, and evil in a way that will most likely be either uninteresting or too complex for young audiences. So either ask one of the three men, or figure out for yourself. The guilt or innocence of father flynns perceived child molestation is never. Though children are in the cast, the movie s themes are mature particularly the question of whether or not a priest has abused a child and how doubt about what happened undoes three main characters. A vibrant, charismatic priest, father flynn philip seymour hoffman. Doubt involves the question of whether or not a priest named. He had reasonable explanations for everything he is accused of and it seems as though sister aloysius is extremely paranoid great acting and dislikes his progressive nature.
The sister believes the father is guilty of something terrible and she is trying to convince the other in the church. The title of doubt, which is about doubting whether father flynn is guilty or innocent. The real problem with doubt, though, is that it exhibits too little of its titular quality. Is he in fact presumed guilty until proven innocent. In the movie, sister beauvier accuses father flynn of a particular act, and viewers wonder.
She lied to protect someone whod done nothing wrong. It is difficult to make the decision if father flynn is innocent or guilty. Some of it could certainly be an actor trying to make him look more or less guilty, but the movie clinched it when the nun bluffed that she called his old parish and talked to a nun there who confirmed her suspicions. Doubt, the play, the movie, the sad reality of child abuse.
What is she so doubtful about she has absolute certainty that the priest was guilty. However, sister james waivers and is caught in a web of doubt over her faith in flynns innocence. No easy answers john patrick shanleys doubt the cresset. Those who have seen doubt 2008, what are your thoughts.
Streeps character cried at the end because she had to lie, commit a sin, to prove to herself that father flynn was guilty. Remember the blonde haired boy who was smoking, cutting class, bullying the next kid the black boy that might get raped also. First time i saw the scene i momentarily thought maybe she had doubts about the priests guilt, but i. Jan 11, 2009 she was not guilty of child molestation and we have no way of knowing that the priest was innocent. The priests primary and really sole prosecutor is sister aloysius, the uberstern and terrifying principal of the catholic school that provides doubt its setting. Do most viewers think that father flynn was innocent or.
The person told me that father michael kelly is straight out of the john shanley play and movie doubt where an unproven charge against a priest results in his removal from a parish. The scenes about the toy, the camping trip and the undershirt cause much confusion. Father flynn in john patrick shanleys doubt essay bartleby. Add to watchlist the movie doubt, which is based on a play, is the story of a priest in brooklyn in 1964 who is accused of molesting an altar boy at the churches school. While it can be unclear throughout the play and even at the end if father flynn is. Doubt is a play about a priest who is being accused of having sexual interactions with the only black boy in the catholic school and the principal, sister aloysius, is determined to prove her suspicions to be true. Under aloysius is the sweet and innocent sister james amy adams whose. That the priest seems innocent, that sister james comes to believe she was mistaken in her suspicions, means nothing. The film stars meryl streep, philip seymour hoffman, amy adams and viola. Directed by john patrick shanley from his pulitzer and tonywinning play, it is about the title word, doubt, in a world of certainty. However, sister aloysius is confident that father flynn is guilty even though she has no evidence.
I have not seen the play, which is widely praised for its ambivalence on. Mar 10, 2015 uncertainty about whether a priest committed a crime is at the heart of doubt. The play movie ends on an open note because thats the way the director wanted it to be. Doubt 1 tran 1 innocent or guilty in the movie doubt the. New questions about father michael kellys guilt or innocence. The issue is confused by the introduction of the possibility that he might, after all, be innocent. Not only do we never know for sure if father flynn is guilty of impropriety with donald, we are led to suspect. Especially when i work with children on a daily basis. Doubt is a tightly written play in which a toughminded nun becomes determined to nail a priest, who may or may not be guilty of child abuse. This award winning playturnedfilm is cast with awardwinning actors, and the result is a quality piece that addresses many issues at once while providing few answers of any certainty. Does he have a right to know that he has been accused, before his name is filed and passed on to authorities.
Do most viewers think that father flynn was innocent or guilty in the. Jul 16, 2004 i doubt that the local press is devoting as much time on the priests exoneration as it did during the arrest. Philip seymour hoffman interview doubt collider collider. Dec 10, 2008 but doubt is not intended as a docudrama about possible sexual abuse. Father brendan flynn philip seymour hoffman opens his sermon with a question which underlies the plot of the entire film. While father flynn urges the congregation to accept doubt and its role in human life, sister aloysius reacts and seeks to.
A catholic school principal questions a priests ambiguous. She planted that seed of doubt in sister james head. The issue raised by the movie was not whether or not we personally believe father flynn. I recently had the pleasure of watching doubt, the oscar winning film, staring meryl streep and philip seymour hoffman. I am not naive, i know that the press rarely makes a big deal out of an innocent verdict, but it seems to me that a priest being exonerated of being a pedophile warrants more that just a backpage paragraph. Im not sure if it was eldards performance on broadway or hoffmans performance in the movie that explains the difference. When hopeful innocent sister james amy adams reluctantly. The issue raised by the movie was not whether or not we personally believe father flynn is a pediphile or not, but whether or not he was fairly convicted of being a pediphile by the nun. The sermon sets parameters for this provocative movie. The priest, father flynn, played by philip seymour. That the priest seems innocent, that sister james comes to believe she was mistaken in her.
Feb 15, 2009 ive never seen the movie, however, i have seen the play, and ive read the script for both. I have watched too many films to see the underlining clues. Those i spoke to after the movie were quite sure, maybe even certain, that father flynn was either guilty or innocent. The person who knows kelly for over twenty years says they believe that kelly was likely innocent but they could not be absolutely certain. Philip seymour hoffman plays father flynn, the aforementioned priest. But the point of the movie was to leave you with doubt. Doubt and certainty are prominent themes due to the fact that the character of sister aloysius does not have enough evidence to prove that father flynn is guilty. Also, the question of whether or not flynn is guilty is never resolved. Is she just agonizing over the methods she used to defeat him. Spoiler question the ending of movie doubt last night i finally got around to watching the movie doubt with meryl streep, phillip hoffman, and amy adams. From my own experience i am led to think particularly of the accused person who is innocent. A parable, the upcoming play by the city of fairfax theatre company.
Father flynn is a priest at a catholic church in the bronx in 1964. Doubt sister james and sister aloysius play a very important role in john patrick shanleys movie doubt, which is about the mistrust that takes place in a school directed by the church on priest flynn command. Mar 02, 2009 i dont think the movie is about the priest being guilty or not. The film stars meryl streep, philip seymour hoffman, amy adams and viola davis and. The movie doubt, now in theaters, offers an interesting chance for a disagreement case study.
When i saw the play i was convinced father flynn was guilty. I have a question i am sure many others had thought about because of the end of the movie where sister aloysius breaks down to sister james and tells her i have such doubts. If you know hes guilty, but youre wrong, you ruin a innocent man, a man who had the potential to help many. She hadnt done it, but the movie priest acted like hed just been caught redhanded and capitulated thereafter. When i saw the movie, i was convinced he was innocent. Sister aloysius is convinced that father flynn is guilty of taking advantage of a lost and lonely child, but he vehemently argues his innocence. The movie kept me glued to my seat, which i wasnt expecting. Florida priest found innocent of sexual abuse charges. Tran 1 innocent or guilty in the movie doubt, the main storyline is about a nun, sister aloysius, accusing a priest, father flynn, of having an inappropriate relationship with one of the children in their school, donald miller. Doubt 1010 movie clip i have such doubts 2008 hd youtube. Dec 21, 2008 already playing in limited release and expanding on christmas day is john patrick shanleys movie doubt. It could also be about faith itself, suggested by aloysiuss final confession of having doubts. Mesmerizing intensity from streep as the nun seeking to find hoffman guilty of a sin he. At the center of doubt is the mystery of whether or not a priest played by philip seymour hoffman is guilty of taking advantage of an altar boy.
She was not guilty of child molestation and we have no way of knowing that the priest was innocent. Sister aloysius harbors no uncertainty that flynn is guilty, and flynn insists that he is. Flynn knows a breath of scandal would destroy his career. The second time, i thought sister aloysius was a crazy old bat with an axe to grind. Could it be that the real doubt in this movie is merely whether or not the ends justify the means if so, how disappointing, when so many other questions have been. A play about a priest essay emotion, feeling, 2002.
It is the story about father brendan flynn and sister aloysius beauvier. The movie is an adaptation of his original play doubt, a parable for which he received the pulitzer prize. On the surface, doubtfirst the play and now the film, opening. She lied to protect the nun from discrimination based on her physical disability. I think she just didnt appreciate the more relaxed style of the priest. Father flynn in john patrick shanleys doubt essay john. She believed that the priest had done something wrong and chose to go with her gut. Okay, so since ive never seen the play, i was always under the impression that the story left the viewer with doubt over whether the priest did or didnt do it. Like her, we at first believe that father flynn is guilty. That the priest seems innocent, that sister james comes to believe she was mistaken in her suspicions. There, sister aloysius is the principal, so she is in charge of the students rights and responsibilities. The movie doubt is a great cerebral exercise in how we determine guilt. If you know hes innocent, but youre wrong, youre dooming this child to abuse.
At its heart, that is the point of john patrick shanleys doubtthe realization that all of our beliefs and convictions are part of a facade we build to protect ourselves. The story begins with father flynns sermon about the nature of doubt, which in turn prompts sister aloysius to doubt the priest s actions and intentions. Did the priest on the movie doubt sexually abuse the boy. Regarding the movie doubt, do you think the priest is guilty. In the films opening scene, he delivers a powerful sermon on the topics of doubt and uncertainty. As the title suggests, doubt is the films central theme. However, by the end of the movie i was pretty certain the priest was guilty. He is characterized as progressive and friendlyhe prides himself on being approachable and amiable with the students at the parish. Dec 25, 2008 a catholic school principal questions a priests ambiguous relationship with a troubled young student. With flynn gone and aloysius in tears, james becomes the priest who hears.
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