Set in a Bronx Catholic elementary school in 1964, DOUBT centers on a fierce war of wills between an iron-gloved nun (Meryl Streep) and a popular priest she accuses of sexually abusing a black student. He vehemently denies the charge and has a logical answer for every piece of the nun's circumstantial evidence, but nothing sways her; she's absolutely convinced the priest is guilty. Much of the film’s emotional dialogue tackles themes of religion, morality, and authority, but the basic question comes down to, did he or did he not molest the boy? Clues to both points of view abound, which of course is why the movie is titled DOUBT, but without talking with the author, there’s no way to know for sure. Here's what I think: any movie that provokes so much debate about such an important topic is a movie worth seeing. And this one happens also to offer performances and dialogue as good as they get.
DOUBT (2008)
Set in a Bronx Catholic elementary school in 1964, DOUBT centers on a fierce war of wills between an iron-gloved nun (Meryl Streep) and a popular priest she accuses of sexually abusing a black student. He vehemently denies the charge and has a logical answer for every piece of the nun's circumstantial evidence, but nothing sways her; she's absolutely convinced the priest is guilty. Much of the film’s emotional dialogue tackles themes of religion, morality, and authority, but the basic question comes down to, did he or did he not molest the boy? Clues to both points of view abound, which of course is why the movie is titled DOUBT, but without talking with the author, there’s no way to know for sure. Here's what I think: any movie that provokes so much debate about such an important topic is a movie worth seeing. And this one happens also to offer performances and dialogue as good as they get.
