Doubt Review

Let me say from the start that Doubt is a good movie with strong acting and a timely story. It's also long and slow at times, slow enough that I had to stop it halfway for fear I'd fall asleep. Still, Doubt is worth seeing and I recommend it.

The year is 1964, not long after the murder of John F. Kennedy. The characters in the film feel like they're still mourning the president's sudden death but carrying on as best they can. Sister James (Amy Adams) is a nun teaching a classroom of 12-year-olds in a Catholic school. Her principal is Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep), a stern disciplinarian who does not let the children step out of line. In the church next door, the priest is Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a gifted orator and storyteller who spins thoughtful sermons.

Father Flynn seems a little too attached to the new altar boy, Donald Miller (Joseph Foster), who is the only negro child in the school. Just how far does this relationship go and what does Sister James see? Can Sister Aloysius do anything to stop Father Flynn? Is there enough evidence and is Sister Aloysius worldly enough to outmaneuver a clever priest, who actually outranks her in the church hierarchy? Do any of them -- nun and priest -- have doubts about the right course of action?

Doubt is very well played, indeed. Amy Adams is sweet but smart as the observant teacher, and Meryl Streep is a tough-as-nails nun who is positive she knows what happened. Another standout in Doubt is Viola Davis as Donald Miller's mother, who will do anything to keep her son from her physically abusive husband. Still, Doubt is slow at times and the crime is danced around so much that it got a little tedious. I know those were more innocent times, but the characters in this movie all think they know what happened -- but are just too afraid to say it. Still, like the nun she is, Sister Aloysius sees everything in black and white. Or tries to.

I enjoyed Doubt in a slow-moving and intensely dramatic way. There are virtually no laughs and the dialog was a little too clever at times, but it's a well-made and well-acted movie. Doubt has no nudity or rough language, and nothing is shown on-screen that would be inappropriate for children. However, the theme is quite adult in nature and the movie is probably best left for teens age 15 and up.

I recommend Doubt but it is not for everyone, and the ending is a bit of a disappointment. However, the performances are excellent and the film addresses topics of concern to today's society, so it's a worthwhile film. I give it 3.5 stars, rounding back down to three.