Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Feb 1, 2018 10:53:22 GMT
In the film Doubt (2008), written and directed by John Patrick Shanley and based on his play, a Roman Catholic priest is accused by a Catholic school principal of engaging in an illicit relationship with an altar boy.
For those who haven't seen it, it's an excellent film, that I highly recommend. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Father Flynn, Meryl Streep plays Sister Aloysius Beauvier. Amy Adams is a young nun who first reports what she thinks may be suspicious behavior by Father Flynn to Sister Aloysius. Viola Davis plays the boy's mother.
For those who have seen it, do you think Father Flynn was guilty as Sister Aloysius suspected, or do you think he was innocent? If you think he was partly guilty/partly not guilty, please explain how so.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2018 10:56:48 GMT
It strange
the first time i saw the movie i thought guilty. The second time i saw it i thought not guilty.
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Post by Isapop on Feb 1, 2018 18:56:12 GMT
In the film Doubt (2008), written and directed by John Patrick Shanley and based on his play, a Roman Catholic priest is accused by a Catholic school principal of engaging in an illicit relationship with an altar boy. For those who haven't seen it, it's an excellent film, that I highly recommend. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Father Flynn, Meryl Streep plays Sister Aloysius Beauvier. Amy Adams is a young nun who first reports what she thinks may be suspicious behavior by Father Flynn to Sister Aloysius. Viola Davis plays the boy's mother. For those who have seen it, do you think Father Flynn was guilty as Sister Aloysius suspected, or do you think he was innocent? If you think he was partly guilty/partly not guilty, please explain how so. No question that Father Flynn was guilty. The tip off for me is when Father Flynn blows his stack when Sister Aloysius tells him she asked the nuns at his last parish about him. For the entire movie Flynn maintained his equanimity and advocated the need for flexibility rather than strictness when it comes to rules and procedures. So, are we to really believe that the one time he loses his temper is merely because, as he claims, Sister Aloysius went outside the proper protocol for inquiries, that she didn't follow proscribed procedures? Of course not. He's furious because she spoke to the people who had no commitment to protecting him. No doubt of his guilt. The doubt is what Sister Aloysius feels toward the institution that ultimately protects Flynn.
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Post by THawk on Feb 1, 2018 19:03:17 GMT
Not sure a poll works for a question like this, I mean the whole point and objective of the film was to leave it uncertain. Which it did quite masterfully. People can have their opinions, but the "doubt" is the whole core of the story.
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on Feb 1, 2018 20:40:33 GMT
the story is better with him being innocent since that exacts the most weight on the nun's shoulders.
Clearly the priest had some unorthodox ways.
My opinion is he was gay but not a kiddy diddler.
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on Feb 1, 2018 21:26:04 GMT
To me the film has a lot more to do with the lengths Beauvier goes to to prove or justify her actions.
She would rather lie and let the priest go to a better church rather than simply expose him to wrongdoing in the first place.
So she is responsible for the the church losing a popular and respected priest, the punishment of the kid, additional turmoil in his household, and the personal anguish she has experienced by trying to push her point.
Of course, on the other end of it, one could argue these are the things that are necessary to root out evil.
In any event, her doubt comes from the reality that she is trying to control things bigger than her within the confines of her own ability which leads to her corrupting the system [too].
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Post by mslo79 on Feb 2, 2018 6:34:35 GMT
I have only seen the movie once in it's entirety (roughly back around the time it was new) and on a re-watch (on Jan 22nd 2017) could not finish it due to boredom.
but with that said... from what I recall it seems like it was sorta one of those left up for interpretation kind of things as it don't seem like anything was clear cut in terms of innocent or guilty. but at the same time, if i recall correctly, there was a good chance he was innocent and Meryl Streep's character was a bit overzealous in thinking he was guilty.
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Post by them1ghtyhumph on Feb 2, 2018 6:49:54 GMT
Definitely Guilty
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Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Feb 2, 2018 14:47:43 GMT
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Post by anthonyrocks on Feb 2, 2018 15:46:05 GMT
Guilty
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angel
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Post by angel on Feb 14, 2018 13:56:27 GMT
Ultimately irrelevant. The film's title is a big clue.
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