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Movies / On DVD / Doubt
Doubt

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Doubt (2008)

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Reviews Counted:9

Fresh:8

Rotten:1

Average Rating:6.3/10

Consensus: Doubt succeeds on the strength of its top-notch cast, who successfully guide the film through the occasional narrative lull.

Rated: 15

Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:06-02-2009

Synopsis: John Patrick Shanley brings his Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play to the screen as a gripping story about the quest for truth, the forces of change, and the devastating consequences of... John Patrick Shanley brings his Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play to the screen as a gripping story about the quest for truth, the forces of change, and the devastating consequences of blind justice in an age defined by moral conviction.

It’s 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A vibrant, charismatic priest, Father Flynn (Academy Award® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman), is trying to upend the schools’ strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep), the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the community, and indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James (Academy Award® nominee Amy Adams), a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her guilt-inducing suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shard of proof besides her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which threatens to tear apart the community with irrevocable consequence.

Academy Award® winning screenwriter John Patrick Shanley (“Moonstruck”) adapted his own play for the screen and directs Doubt, starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis. The film is produced by Scott Rudin and Mark Roybal, with Celia Costas as executive producer.--© Miramax [More]

Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis

Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis, John Costelloe

Director: John Patrick Shanley

Director: John Patrick Shanley
Screenwriter: John Patrick Shanley
Producer: Scott Rudin, Mark Roybal
Composer: Howard Shore
Studio: Miramax Films

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Reviews for Doubt

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1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Doubt looks like some sort of upscale horror film, complete with crows and swirling leaves like The Omen. It's actually a terminally muddled piece of star-studded Oscar-bait.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment 3 Comments
02/06/09
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There are times when Doubt feels like a sermon. Shanley highlights key themes as if the audience was a particularly dim-witted congregation. His direction, too, when it's not dolloping on the symbolism, can be stilted.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
02/06/09
Sukhdev Sandhu
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph
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A mighty actor, a smart play, a clunky adaptation.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
02/05/09
Ian Nathan
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
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Empathy is one of the dramatist’s slyest weapons and Shanley uses it wisely.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/05/09
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
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Intelligent and incisive, Doubt is a credible attempt by Shanley and his cast to adapt his play for the screen. Powered by finely tuned dialogue and performances, the result, while never explosive, is a gripping and engaging.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
02/05/09
James Mottram
James Mottram
Channel 4 Film
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There is just one key element that grates, and that is Meryl Streep’s monstrously over-the-top central performance.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
02/05/09
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
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The air is thick with paranoia in Doubt, but nowhere as thick, juicy, sustained or sustaining as Meryl Streep's performance.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
12/12/08
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
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Inhabiting this world are two particularly well-matched antagonists.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
12/11/08
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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Doubt has exact and merciless writing, powerful performances and timeless relevance. It causes us to start thinking with the first shot, and we never stop. Think how rare that is in a film.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 1 Comment
12/11/08
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Doubt

May 25, 2009: If Shanley is condemning any rush to judgment, why is the deck so solidly stacked, not just against Streep's shrew, but all the women? Not to mention dismissing priest pedophilia as a conspiracy theory by mean nuns, considering the alarming public record. Opens in new window
More...

April 06, 2009: RT on DVD: Bedtime Stories, Yes Man, Doubt Hit Shelves
This week's new releases include a few Hollywood takes on science fiction (Fox's remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still; the 1984 sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact on... More...

January 14, 2009: Oprah Sought Viola Davis' Role in Doubt Opens in new window
Eager to share a screen with Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey approached "Doubt" director John Patrick Shanley about a role in the film -- but, as Winfrey recently told a surprised... More...

January 08, 2009: Broadcast Film Critics Name Critics' Choice Winners
The 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards were given on January 8, 2009, to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking. A list of nominees follows below, with winners in bold: More...

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