Doubt

An unconventional exploration of thematic structure and positioning of the Audience.

Our original analysis of this drama missed the boat:

A wonderfully acted film that falls two notches shy of telling a complete story. While “Doubt” is clearly the topic of discussion, it is only within the final scene that we truly discover what the film is really about.

When you're wrong with Dramatica, you're wrong in a big way. We find out what the film is really about from the first scene: Father Flynn's (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) appeal to his congregation to consider themselves brothers in not knowing the truth is to impact through manipulation, coerce by gently positing new ways of thinking, and motivate by means of proactively attacking any negative reactions to his behavior:

• Obstacle Character Domain of Psychology
• Obstacle Character Concern of Conceiving
• Obstacle Character Direction of Proaction
• Obstacle Character Focus of Reaction

From her perspective Sister Alloysius (Meryl Streep) finds Flynn’s activities suspicious and her crusade to find out what is going on behind closed doors ends up opening a door of her own she never expected:

• Main Character Domain of Physics
• Main Character Concern of Learning

By acclimating herself to the modern world through such conveniences like a transistor radio, Alloysius grows from a widow of strict faith to one stricken with doubt:

• Main Character Growth of Start
• Main Character Problem of Certainty
• Main Character Resolve of Changed
• Main Character Solution of Potentiality

The tears in the garden at the end suggest an absence of peace and the understanding that her actions may very well have opened up the potential for Flynn to abuse more children at a different parish:

• Story Judgment of Bad
• Sory Driver of Action

Flynn escapes scott free–not a single soul at the parish considering him guilty. Even Sidekick Sister James (Amy Adams), Alloysius' primary ally, no longer feel driven to investigate the matter further:

• Story Consequence of Present
• Story Outcome of Failure
• Story Goal of Conscious
• Story Issue of Investigation

Alloysius' encounter with mother Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis) foretells of the inevitable. The unspoken understanding driving her to balance the reaction of her son's father cements the uncertainty over the inappropriateness of Father Flynn's behavior:

• Story Forewarnings of Understanding
• Objective Story Focus of Reaction
• Objective Story Problem of Certainty
• Objective Story Domain of Mind

The struggle in the relationship between Alloysius and Flynn stems from the hierarchy of power between Priest and Nun (Relationship Story Domain of Universe). Who sits where in whose office and the agreed upon role of each within the community stokes a conflict that seems to have persisted theoughout the Church's history:

• Relationship Story Concern of Present
• Relationship Story Issue of Work
• Relationship Story Benchmark of Past

Inferring one's role within the system to be out of line warrants quick reprimands that only deepen the distrust between them:

• Relationship Story Focus of Induction
• Relationship Story Direction of Deduction

With only doubt and certainty bandied about, the story feels light and the argument one-sided.

Upon further investigation, the certainty with which we first delivered our initial analysis appears to have clouded our judgment. Doubt provides a compelling and effective argument against standing for one's convictions. Damned if you do, damned if you don't–when dealing with matters of Faith the potential for an emotional downfall seems inevitable.