‘Doubt: A Parable’ Review: Liev Schreiber’s Performance Cuts Through a Somber and Confining Single Act
08.03.2024 - 04:23
/ variety.com
Aramide Tinubu Unfortunately, no one makes it to adulthood without forming a series of preconceived notions. These points of view often determine how we judge certain people and observe various circumstances. John Patrick Shanley’s 2005 play “Doubt: A Parable,” set in 1964, opens with a sermon on doubt from the affable and modern-minded Father Flynn (Liev Schreiber).
He speaks to his parishioners (the audience) about skepticism and how that can quickly transform into a crisis of faith, as one isolates oneself in a singular perspective. Charismatic and warm, the priest brings a different energy to St. Nicholas’ church and school, which has been a very formal center of learning run by the stern and unyielding principal, Sister Aloysius (Amy Ryan).
Father Flynn’s presence isn’t the only massive change the parish is experiencing. Twelve-year-old Donald has enrolled in the school, making him the sole Black student among the Italian and Irish pupils. (Interestingly, no children are actually showcased in the play.) Guided by a particular and antiquated view of education and the church hierarchy, Sister Aloysius is immediately unsettled by Father Flynn’s interest in Donald.
After pulling some more information from a naive teacher, Sister James (Zoe Kazan), the principal begins crafting an unsubstantiated narrative centering on an inappropriate relationship between the priest and the young Black student. Across the copious amounts of dialogue squeezed into a 90-minute run time, the audience races to examine everyone’s unique understanding of the matter. There is Sister James, who is too unsure of herself to form an opinion.
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