'Doubt' review

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams (Credit: Andrew Schwartz/Miramax)

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At a Catholic school in 1960s New York, strict Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep) becomes suspicious of charismatic new priest Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and tells her fellow nuns to report any suspicious behavior directly to her. When naïve, young Sister James (Amy Adams) shares her concern that Father Flynn may be involved in an improper relationship with a student, Donald Miller, Sister Aloysius makes it her personal mission to find justice with or without concrete evidence of any wrongdoing.

The buzz: After opening on Broadway in 2005, “Doubt” went on to win numerous awards including the Tony for best play and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Playwright John Patrick Shanley wrote and directed this big screen adaptation (even though his only previous directing gig was the 1990 Tom Hanks comedy “Joe vs. the Volcano”) and assembled an enviable cast that also includes superb character actress Viola Davis as Miller’s mother.

The verdict: On stage “Doubt” was a force to be reckoned with. An intense meditation on power, tradition, certainty and even gender politics, many of the play’s thematic interests remain firmly intact in its transition to the screen. But what was a play of ideas becomes a movie of distractions, as Shanley opens up the narrative to include characters and actions that were never seen in its original form. The changes are necessary to make the story credible as a film, but they also take a minor toll on the material’s cumulative philosophical wallop. This “Doubt” simmers when it should explode, and audiences new to the tale may wonder what all the fuss was about—unless they’re too floored by the performances to complain. The dream cast doesn’t disappoint, with all four major players in top form. Expect well deserved award season recognition for Streep, Hoffman and Davis. (If Adams misses out it’s only because her character isn’t designed for dramatic fireworks.)

Did you know? Shanley brought in his first grade teacher, who was also the inspiration for Sister James, as a technical advisor on the movie.

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