John Patrick Shanley brings his award winning play Doubt to the screen with Meryl Streep in place of Tony winner Cherry Jones and Philip Seymour Hoffman in Brian F. O'Byrne's shoes. And if you're going to replace the actors who made the story come to life on stage, then filling their roles with Oscar winners is probably the way to go. By hiring Streep and Hoffman, Shanley all but assures himself that if the film doesn't do as well as the play, it won't be the acting that is to blame. And on that count, Shanley got it right.
But Doubt may have benefited if Shanley himself had taken on solely the job of adapting the screenplay and not directing. There's no real style, no finesse to the direction of Doubt and, with its muted color palette and trim storyline, the film sorely needed a little oomph in places where Shanley showed too much restraint. Doubt feels flat, playing out one-dimensionally.
The Story
Set in the 1960s, Doubt takes place in a private Catholic school where Sister Aloysius (Streep) rules the roost with an iron fist. She's got a reputation as the dragon lady of the school, and it's a reputation she not only deserves but claims with pride. On the opposite end of the mean scale rests Father Brendan (Hoffman), a jovial priest the kids love and respect. Planted somewhere in the middle is the young, impressionable Sister James (Amy Adams) who seems truly dedicated to her young charges and almost in awe of the elder Sister Aloysius.
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams in 'Doubt.'
© Miramax FilmsSister Aloysius doesn't appreciate women being considered second class citizens in the Catholic Church. She's frustrated and powerless to do anything to change the pecking order and it's the happy go lucky Father Brendan who becomes the target of her ire. Sister Aloysius charges Sister James with keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary involving Father Brendan, and it's not long before Sister James does in fact see something that causes her to question his activities. Sister James suspects there's something wrong about the relationship Father Brendan has with the school's only African American student and voices her concerns to Sister Aloysius. Although Sister James didn't witness any inappropriate behavior, her observations fuel the fire of suspicion already burning in Sister Aloysius.
The Cast
Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to see the Tony Award-winning Doubt onstage, but I've heard the performances of Cherry Jones and Brian F O'Byrne were simply incredible. According to my colleagues who've seen the play, Streep and Hoffman had humongous shoes to fill when they stepped into the roles of Sister Aloysius and Father Brendan. From the point of view of a Doubt virgin, they did just fine. Hoffman's solid, playing Father Brendan in a way such that we don't know whether he did commit the act Sister Aloysius accuses him of. And Streep, who already has one box office hit in 2008 (Mamma Mia!), adds yet another award-worthy performance to her continuously growing list of accomplishments. Finishing out the threesome, Adams may be the least experienced of the leads but she's able to go toe-to-toe with Streep and Hoffman without missing a beat.
The Bottom Line
Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman in 'Doubt.'
© Miramax FilmsIn different hands, Doubt might have been a more engaging film. I found it to be standoff-ish, a strange word to apply to a movie but I believe a fitting one. Although I sort of felt for the boy involved in Sister Aloysius' investigation, the film didn't draw me completely in. The acting is what makes this one worthwhile, not the overall film. And, without giving away any spoilers, I have to say that the movie's last 10 minutes actually left me feeling cheated.
Doubt is decent, but not spectacular. Loved the acting and the story's intriguing, but the production is missing that jolt of adrenaline needed to really bring it to life.
GRADE: B
