Awards season contender Doubt brings an array of screen heavyweights together in a film about Catholic faith, guilt and suspicion. Michele Manelis reports
KEY POINTS:
Back in the 60s, the horror of paedophilia in the Catholic Church was still something to be whispered about in hushed tones, something to be swept under the proverbial carpet.
It inspired writer-director John Patrick Shanley, 58, to pen his Pulitzer-winning play Doubt which is now a
movie of the same name starring veteran Oscar winners Meryl Streep, 59, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, 41, in a dialogue-driven piece which explores the themes of suspicion, the power of gossip and faith.
Based loosely on Shanley's Catholic upbringing in New York's working-class area of St Nicholas in the Bronx, Doubt marks his first directorial effort in 18 years (after the dire Joe vs the Volcano).
"I came from this neighbourhood. I wanted to show the way the nuns lived in the convent and the priests lived in the rectory. The church school we shot in was the one I attended, and the rooftops and alleyways in the movie are where I played. It has a tremendous amount of specificity that I couldn't show in the play."
It was a risky move to take this four-time Tony award-winning play to the big screen, and cleverly written screenplay notwithstanding, the success of the movie relies heavily on the shoulders of the four central actors - Streep, Hoffman, Amy Adams, (Junebug, Enchanted), and Viola Davis, 43, star of TV productions including Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Without a Trace. All of them have garnered Golden Globe nominations, and subsequent
Oscar buzz.
Shanley says of the casting: "It was strangely easy. I was asked who I wanted. I said Meryl Streep. I think if I'd asked five people on the subway they would have said the same thing. It was a no-brainer. And I wanted Philip Seymour Hoffman. He is probably the smartest person I've ever met who chose to be an actor." He paused for effect before going on. "I'll say no more on that subject. But I knew he would make Meryl sweat."
As for Adams, her character, Sister James, was based on Shanley's beloved first-grade teacher. "I knew within a few minutes of meeting Amy she'd be right for the part. And as for Viola Davis - when she screen-tested, the whole crew stopped breathing."
The crux of the movie is centred on the combative relationship between Father Flynn (Seymour Hoffman) and Sister Aloysius (Streep) when she suspects him of taking an "unhealthy" interest in one of the students.
"I certainly wouldn't want to get in an argument with Meryl in real life," Seymour Hoffman laughs. But the "did he or didn't he" aspect of the movie is not something he wants to engage in. "That goes against everything the film is about. The film is about doubt. The film is about the grey. And whether I think this guy is guilty or not is antithetical to the whole movie. It doesn't matter whether he is or not. And I would never tell a living soul what I really
think, anyway. It's of no interest to the viewer," Seymour Hoffman says.
"And, of course, the accusation [of sexual abuse] is a hot topic accusation because it's the only way you can actually have the argument. If it wasn't a hot topic accusation, you wouldn't assume someone's guilty without having any evidence."
Streep, in one of her best roles in years, is also enjoying one of her busiest years, with the huge success of Mamma Mia! (another Golden Globe nomination), and the forthcoming Julie and Julia, based on the life of Julia Childs, in which Streep will team up again with Amy Adams.
"When I read Doubt, I thought it was such a brilliant role that I would be insane not to have jumped at the chance. And, of course, the chance to work with Philip."
Streep may be one of Hollywood's most revered actresses and yet always comes across as very down-to-earth - probably the result of living on the East Coast, far away from the glitz of Hollywood.
She continues, "It was also the subject matter that interested me. I grew up in a town in New Jersey where many of my best friends were Catholic. I was not raised in a religious household so, of course, I was interested in religion. I went to Mass with them and I remember when the Mass changed from Latin to English we were appalled and disapproving. A lot of the mystery went out when you could understand everything everybody was saying. It took
away something compelling."
Although she had romantic notions about the Catholic Church, it didn't go any further. "I never thought even for a millisecond about becoming a nun. But I had friends who felt they had a vocation and I thought it was thrilling, to have a voice come to you in the night. That's pretty incredible," she says.
With such unparalleled talents as an actress, some would also view her work as a calling. She pauses. "Well, in a way. Acting is something I'm compelled to do. I'm unhappy when I'm not engaged in something. I don't know why."
Doubt is expected to resurrect Shanley's career, however, he remains cautiously realistic. "I haven't directed a movie in nearly two decades. Is this the start of a new beginning? I have no idea. I just did a musical in New York and everybody hated it [Romantic Poetry] and this week everyone loves this movie.
"But, if you're going to have an adventurous life as an artist, you're going to engage in more failure than success. But one thing I can say is that my motivation has never been to chase a buck."
Shanley never gives you his opinion on what actually happened in the case of Father Flynn.
He says: "I'm not trying to create a puzzle box. I'm inviting you to experience how I view life. You live your life and you think you know what's happening in other people's lives, but most of the time there's no definitive proof in a lot of things. That's life. This movie is not about - did someone do something wrong and who is guilty and who's not? It's about the assumptions we all make."
And how does Shanley look back on his religious roots? "Growing up in the Catholic Church is incredibly comforting - until you hit puberty. You know all the rules and the different sins. Actually, I was the star of theological questions as a kid. I knew the answer to everything until the sophistication that adult life required began to be demanded of me. Then my answers didn't work any more."
LOWDOWN
What: Doubt, the film of the play by John Patrick Shanley starring Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis
When and where: Opens at cinemas on Monday
Also: Doubt is up for five Golden Globes - four for its actors and one for Shanley's screenplay - which will be awarded on Monday, New Zealand time.
