7.2
In 1964 Bronx, two Catholic school nuns question the new priest's ambiguous relationship with a troubled African-American student.
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
Bridget Megan Clark
Noreen Horan
Mike Roukis
William London
Frank Shanley
Kevin
Frank Dolce
Ralph
Paulie Litt
Tommy Conroy
Matthew Marvin
Raymond
Molly Chiffer
Sarah
Lydia Jordan
Alice
Suzanne Hevner
Mrs. Kean
Helen Stenborg
Sister Teresa
Tom Toner
Monsignor Benedict
Michael Puzzo
Father Sherman
Margery Beddow
Mrs. Shields
Jack O'Connell
Mr. McGuinn
Marylouise Burke
Mrs. Deakins
Alannah Iacovano
Girl in Church
Valda Setterfield
Parishioner
Gerard Adimando
Parishioner
George Aloi
Parishioner
James P. Anderson
Parishioner
Jackie Brown
Parishioner
Jonathan Castillo
Parishioner
Jennifer Lauren DiBella
Parishioner
Seth Donavan
Parishioner
Brian Hopson
Parishioner
Evan Lewis
Parishioner
Bernadette Lords
Parishioner
Jenny Paul
Parishioner
Robert Shulman
Parishioner
Felicia Tassone
Parishioner
Steph Van Vlack
Parishioner
Robert Ridgell
Organist
Director, Screenplay, Theatre Play
John Patrick Shanley
September 23, 2016
9
Knee-deep in the throes of my first love, I was quite surprised to hear that my lady's favourite movie was 'Joe Versus the Volcano'. (I still haven't seen the film). It dawned on me, when I wanted to check out an American film which, to my knowledge, had a plethora of fine acting, that this was written and directed by the same guy who made that film much earlier. Being raised Christian and hearing in the press over the past few years about misdeeds, especially involving leaders of the Catholic church (represented in films as diverse as 'The Boys of St. Vincent' (John N. Smith, 1992) and 'In Bruges' (Martin McDonagh, 2008), I was especially intrigued by this, his work of more recent vintage.
The ambiguity at the core of the film (and hence the 'doubt') really acts in the movie's favour. The script and direction are both tense and flawless, and the beautiful New York locations chosen to illustrate The Bronx in 1964 help air the play out, and give it more cinematic scope. It features some of the finest work I have seen from Philip Seymour Hoffman (though my favourites will always be 'Happiness' and 'The Master'), Meryl Streep (my most-esteemed works of hers are 'The Deer Hunter' and 'The Devil Wears Prada') and Amy Adams (this is her finest performance IMHO) as well as a breakthrough role for Viola Davis, who steals every scene she's in. This easily holds up well even with Shanley's Oscar-winning screenplay for 'Moonstruck', and, though dark and depressing, is thoroughly recommended for those who can stomach its subject matter, and peer into that abyss without flinching, as these fine exemplars of 21st-century American cinema so easily do here.
That it didn't win any of its five Oscar nominations is almost as ghastly, to the cinephile, as the misdeeds insinuated here are to the community at large. Must have been a strong year for film, methinks.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$20,000,000.00
Revenue:
$50,907,234.00