#3---Doubt

3. Doubt (Miramax, December 5)


Award-winning play...check. Stellar cast...check. The Most Nominated Actor in Oscar History...CHECK! These are three of the many reasons Doubt will be worth checking out this December. Of course, The Most Nominated Actor in Oscar History is none other than 14-time Academy Award nominee and 2-time winner Meryl Streep. Co-starring in this film are Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and Oscar nominee Amy Adams (Junebug).
The cast alone is enough to obsess over: Meryl, as we all know, is a living legend and one of my favorite people ever; Amy is divine in Enchanted (which I need to see!) and her small, but memorable performance in Catch Me If You Can (I have not seen Junebug, but I probably should...); and Philip is regarded as one of the most versatile actors working today.
Doubt is adapted from the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, written by John Patrick Shanley, who also directs the film. It takes place at a Catholic school in the Bronx circa 1964 and centers around the school's principal, Sister Aloysius, played by Meryl. The plot spins into motion when she suspects one of the teachers, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), might be abusing a young male student. (Questionable content, I know.) In the meantime, a novice nun, Sister James (Amy Adams), gets caught up in the intrigues of the scandal. She is not convinced there is enough evidence to prove that Father Flynn did in fact commit these crimes. Sister Aloysius, determined to find out the truth, decides she has to confront the student's mother (Viola Davis). I don't know about you, but this plot sounds uber-enigmatic = awesome; definitely a many-layered plot with lots of depth.
Embedded in the plot are various themes of religion, morals/values, and authority. Sister Aloysius is faced with a daunting challenge and needs to find the elusive truth in a crime that may or may not have actually happened. The play supposedly has many scenes of heated, quick-fire dialogue that I hope will be retained in the film. Great dialogue is always a plus.
Without a "doubt" (no pun intended...), Doubt basically screams awards. For starters, the plot is definitely the Academy's cup of tea, with its complex plot and nuanced characters. The play itself won both the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, and the film is directed by the playwright. The aforementioned cast will probably pick up a ton of nominations as well, and perhaps wins. Meryl will be gunning for her third Oscar, and in the words of many people, she is overdue for this honor. (Well, she hasn't won in 25 years!) One thing that might be to her advantage: Cherry Jones, who played Sister Aloysius in the play, won the Best Actress Tony for this role. Also, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams look like major contenders, and don't count out newcomer Viola Davis, who has a crucial role as the student's mother.
Once again, I must reiterate that it's way too early to speculate these awards, and plus I'm not really a fanatic, so I'm not very astute at keeping tabs on awards until they actually come. Bottom line: 2008 looks to be an uber-strong year for movies, so expect a lot of competition during awards season. Because of this, I'm greatly awaiting this year's awards contenders. Certainly keep an eye out for Doubt among them.