Doubt (film)
Encyclopedia
Doubt is a 2008 film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley
's Pulitzer Prize
winning fictional stage play Doubt: A Parable. Written and directed by Shanley and produced by Scott Rudin, the film stars Meryl Streep
, Philip Seymour Hoffman
, Amy Adams
, and Viola Davis
. It premiered on October 30, 2008 at the AFI Fest
before being distributed by Miramax Films
in limited release on December 12, 2008 and in a wide release on Christmas
Day.
The film's four main actors were heavily praised for their acting, and all of them were nominated for Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards
. Viola Davis
received her first nomination and Amy Adams
received her second nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
. Philip Seymour Hoffman
received his second nomination of Best Supporting Actor
, and third overall, while Meryl Streep
received her outstanding twelfth nomination for Best Actress
and her fifteenth overall.
church in the Bronx, New York
, the film opens with Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman
) giving a sermon
on the nature of doubt, noting that, like faith, it can be a unifying force. The next evening, Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep
), the strict and conservative principal of the attached school, discusses the sermon with her fellow nuns, the Sisters of Charity of New York
. She asks if anyone has observed unusual behavior that would inspire Father Flynn to preach about doubt, and instructs them to keep their eyes open should any such behavior occur in future.
Sister James (Amy Adams
), a young and naïve teacher, observes the closeness between Father Flynn and Donald Miller, the school's only black student and an altar boy. One day during class, Sister James receives a call asking for Donald Miller to meet Father Flynn in the rectory
. When he returns, Donald is distraught and Sister James notices the smell of alcohol on his breath. Later, while her students are learning a dance in the gymnasium, she sees Father Flynn placing a white shirt in Donald's locker. Sister James reports her observations to Sister Aloysius.
Under the pretext of discussing the school's upcoming Christmas pageant, Sisters Aloysius and (to a lesser extent) James voice their suspicions that Father Flynn's relationship with Donald may be inappropriate. Several times Father Flynn asks them to leave the matter alone as a private issue between the boy and himself, but Sister Aloysius persists. Finally, he is pressured into admitting that Donald had been caught drinking altar wine, and he had promised Donald not to tell anyone about the incident. Having now been forced to break that promise and reveal the truth, he will need to dismiss Donald as an altar boy, which he had been trying to avoid. Before leaving, Father Flynn tells Sister Aloysius he is displeased with her handling of the situation. His next sermon regards gossip and how it is easily spread, as a sort of retaliatory gesture.
Initially, Sister James is relieved and convinced of Father Flynn's innocence, but Sister Aloysius's belief that he has behaved inappropriately with Donald is unshakable. Sister James later asks Father Flynn about the shirt she saw him leaving in Donald's locker, having not revealed this detail to Sister Aloysius. They discuss his relationship with the boy. Father Flynn offers a reasonable explanation for the situation and Sister James's doubts are assuaged.
Sister Aloysius meets with Donald Miller's mother regarding her suspicions. Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis
) shocks Sister Aloysius with her disinterest in the alleged misconduct on Father Flynn's part. As far as she is concerned Donald need only last to the end of the school year, as graduation from a prestigious church school would increase his chances of going to a decent high school
. It is hinted that Donald is homosexual and revealed that his father is physically abusive, with the implication that one causes the other. Mrs. Miller begs that Sister Aloysius drop the matter, feeling that Father Flynn is a source of inspiration to Donald and a shield from the abuse he receives at home. She becomes angry when Sister Aloysius refuses to compromise and threatens to throw Donald out of the school. Mrs. Miller believes that Donald would be punished for something he was not even the cause of.
Despite having no evidence and no support from anyone, Sister Aloysius again confronts Father Flynn and demands that he tell her the truth; otherwise, she will go to the Bishop. Father Flynn is adamant that there is no illicit relationship, but Sister Aloysius has learned that he has a history of problems, having moved between three different parishes in the last five years. She tells him that she has contacted a nun from one of his prior churches (she refuses to say whom), who corroborated her suspicions. Father Flynn is furious that she has contacted a nun rather than the church's pastor, which is proper church protocol. Sister Aloysius tells him he doesn't deserve to wear the collar, and asks for his resignation. Unable to stand up to her determination to ruin his reputation, he succumbs to her demands.
Following his final sermon, Father Flynn steps down from the pulpit and shakes hands with the members of the congregation. Some time later, Sisters Aloysius and James are sitting together in the church garden. Sister Aloysius tells Sister James that although Father Flynn resigned, the bishop has appointed him to pastor at a larger church and its parochial school, in essence promoting him to a more prestigious position. She then admits she lied about speaking to a nun at Father Flynn's former church, and thus drove him out with nothing more than her suspicions; her justification is that if Father Flynn truly were innocent, he would not have given in. Repeating a line from earlier in the film, Sister Aloysius says that "in the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God."
Sister Aloysius concludes that one also pays a price in pursuing wrongdoing. She breaks down in tears and says to Sister James: "I have doubts...I have such doubts."
, including Parkchester, St. Anthony's Catholic School, and the College of Mount Saint Vincent
, as well as Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
.
The "garden" exterior scenes were shot at the historic Episcopal Church St. Luke in the Fields on Hudson Street in New York's Greenwich Village
. The associated St. Luke's School
was also heavily featured.
, the film has a 78% approval rating. The site reported in a consensus that "Doubt succeeds on the strength of its top-notch cast, who successfully guide the film through the occasional narrative lull." Another review aggregator, Metacritic
, gave the film a 68/100 approval rating based on 36 reviews. Critic Manohla Dargis of The New York Times
concluded that "the air is thick with paranoia in 'Doubt,' but nowhere as thick, juicy, sustained or sustaining as Meryl Streep's performance."
Viola Davis' performance drew her critical raves. Salon magazine declared that Davis' character Mrs. Miller was acted with "a near-miraculous level of believability ... Davis, in her small, one-scene role, is incredibly moving - I can barely remember a Davis performance where I haven't been moved ... [she] plays her character, an anxious, hardworking woman who's just trying to hold her life and family together, by holding everything close. She's not a fountain of emotion, dispensing broad expression or movement; instead, she keeps it all inside and lets us in."
NPR called Davis's acting in the movie "the film's most wrenching performance ... the other [actors] argue strenuously and occasionally even eloquently, to ever-diminishing effect; Davis speaks plainly and quietly, and leaves [no] doubt that the moral high ground is a treacherous place to occupy in the real world."
Roger Ebert
, who thought Davis's performance worthy of an Academy Award, gave the film four stars, his highest rating, and praised its "exact and merciless writing, powerful performances and timeless relevance. It causes us to start thinking with the first shot," he continued, "and we never stop."
nominations on January 22, 2009, for its four lead actors and for Shanley's script.
John Patrick Shanley
John Patrick Shanley is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He also contributed articles on the performing arts to The New York Times among other publications.-Life and career:...
's Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
winning fictional stage play Doubt: A Parable. Written and directed by Shanley and produced by Scott Rudin, the film stars Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
, Amy Adams
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
, and Viola Davis
Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an American actress.Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II . She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the...
. It premiered on October 30, 2008 at the AFI Fest
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
before being distributed by Miramax Films
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
in limited release on December 12, 2008 and in a wide release on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Day.
The film's four main actors were heavily praised for their acting, and all of them were nominated for Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards
81st Academy Awards
The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
. Viola Davis
Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an American actress.Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II . She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the...
received her first nomination and Amy Adams
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
received her second nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
. Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
received his second nomination of Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
, and third overall, while Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
received her outstanding twelfth nomination for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
and her fifteenth overall.
Plot
Set in 1964 at a CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church in the Bronx, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the film opens with Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
) giving a sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
on the nature of doubt, noting that, like faith, it can be a unifying force. The next evening, Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
), the strict and conservative principal of the attached school, discusses the sermon with her fellow nuns, the Sisters of Charity of New York
Sisters of Charity of New York
The Sisters of Charity of New York is a religious congregation of women in the Catholic Church whose primary missions are education and nursing and who are dedicated in particular to the service of the poor.-History:...
. She asks if anyone has observed unusual behavior that would inspire Father Flynn to preach about doubt, and instructs them to keep their eyes open should any such behavior occur in future.
Sister James (Amy Adams
Amy Adams (actress)
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
), a young and naïve teacher, observes the closeness between Father Flynn and Donald Miller, the school's only black student and an altar boy. One day during class, Sister James receives a call asking for Donald Miller to meet Father Flynn in the rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
. When he returns, Donald is distraught and Sister James notices the smell of alcohol on his breath. Later, while her students are learning a dance in the gymnasium, she sees Father Flynn placing a white shirt in Donald's locker. Sister James reports her observations to Sister Aloysius.
Under the pretext of discussing the school's upcoming Christmas pageant, Sisters Aloysius and (to a lesser extent) James voice their suspicions that Father Flynn's relationship with Donald may be inappropriate. Several times Father Flynn asks them to leave the matter alone as a private issue between the boy and himself, but Sister Aloysius persists. Finally, he is pressured into admitting that Donald had been caught drinking altar wine, and he had promised Donald not to tell anyone about the incident. Having now been forced to break that promise and reveal the truth, he will need to dismiss Donald as an altar boy, which he had been trying to avoid. Before leaving, Father Flynn tells Sister Aloysius he is displeased with her handling of the situation. His next sermon regards gossip and how it is easily spread, as a sort of retaliatory gesture.
Initially, Sister James is relieved and convinced of Father Flynn's innocence, but Sister Aloysius's belief that he has behaved inappropriately with Donald is unshakable. Sister James later asks Father Flynn about the shirt she saw him leaving in Donald's locker, having not revealed this detail to Sister Aloysius. They discuss his relationship with the boy. Father Flynn offers a reasonable explanation for the situation and Sister James's doubts are assuaged.
Sister Aloysius meets with Donald Miller's mother regarding her suspicions. Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis
Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an American actress.Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II . She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the...
) shocks Sister Aloysius with her disinterest in the alleged misconduct on Father Flynn's part. As far as she is concerned Donald need only last to the end of the school year, as graduation from a prestigious church school would increase his chances of going to a decent high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. It is hinted that Donald is homosexual and revealed that his father is physically abusive, with the implication that one causes the other. Mrs. Miller begs that Sister Aloysius drop the matter, feeling that Father Flynn is a source of inspiration to Donald and a shield from the abuse he receives at home. She becomes angry when Sister Aloysius refuses to compromise and threatens to throw Donald out of the school. Mrs. Miller believes that Donald would be punished for something he was not even the cause of.
Despite having no evidence and no support from anyone, Sister Aloysius again confronts Father Flynn and demands that he tell her the truth; otherwise, she will go to the Bishop. Father Flynn is adamant that there is no illicit relationship, but Sister Aloysius has learned that he has a history of problems, having moved between three different parishes in the last five years. She tells him that she has contacted a nun from one of his prior churches (she refuses to say whom), who corroborated her suspicions. Father Flynn is furious that she has contacted a nun rather than the church's pastor, which is proper church protocol. Sister Aloysius tells him he doesn't deserve to wear the collar, and asks for his resignation. Unable to stand up to her determination to ruin his reputation, he succumbs to her demands.
Following his final sermon, Father Flynn steps down from the pulpit and shakes hands with the members of the congregation. Some time later, Sisters Aloysius and James are sitting together in the church garden. Sister Aloysius tells Sister James that although Father Flynn resigned, the bishop has appointed him to pastor at a larger church and its parochial school, in essence promoting him to a more prestigious position. She then admits she lied about speaking to a nun at Father Flynn's former church, and thus drove him out with nothing more than her suspicions; her justification is that if Father Flynn truly were innocent, he would not have given in. Repeating a line from earlier in the film, Sister Aloysius says that "in the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God."
Sister Aloysius concludes that one also pays a price in pursuing wrongdoing. She breaks down in tears and says to Sister James: "I have doubts...I have such doubts."
Cast
- Meryl StreepMeryl StreepMary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
as Sister Aloysius Beauvier - Philip Seymour HoffmanPhilip Seymour HoffmanPhilip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
as Father Brendan Flynn - Amy AdamsAmy AdamsAmy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
as Sister James - Viola DavisViola DavisViola Davis is an American actress.Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II . She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the...
as Mrs. Miller - Joseph Foster as Donald Miller
- Alice DrummondAlice DrummondAlice Drummond is an American actress of stage and television.Drummond was born as Alice E. Ruyter in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, daughter of Sarah Irene , a secretary, and Arthur Ruyter, an auto mechanic. She graduated from Pembroke College in 1950.She played Nurse Jackson on the TV series Dark...
as Sister Veronica - Paulie Litt as Tommy Conroy
Production
Production began on December 1, 2007. The film, which centers on a Bronx Catholic school, was filmed in various areas of the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, including Parkchester, St. Anthony's Catholic School, and the College of Mount Saint Vincent
College of Mount Saint Vincent
For the university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, see Mount Saint Vincent University The College of Mount Saint Vincent is a Catholic liberal arts college located in the northeast corner of the Riverdale section of The Bronx, New York, adjacent to the Yonkers border. It is the northernmost location in...
, as well as Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Bedford-Stuyvesant is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Formed in 1930, the neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 3, Brooklyn Community Board 8 and Brooklyn Community Board 16. The neighborhood is patrolled by the NYPD's 79th and 81st...
.
The "garden" exterior scenes were shot at the historic Episcopal Church St. Luke in the Fields on Hudson Street in New York's Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. The associated St. Luke's School
St. Luke's School (Manhattan)
St. Luke's School is a small independent, Episcopal primary school in Greenwich Village at 487 Hudson Street, Manhattan. Total enrollment is about 200 in kindergarten through eighth grade, with about twenty children in each grade, divided into a Lower School and an Upper School . It is located on...
was also heavily featured.
Reception
Based on 203 reviews collected by Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film has a 78% approval rating. The site reported in a consensus that "Doubt succeeds on the strength of its top-notch cast, who successfully guide the film through the occasional narrative lull." Another review aggregator, Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, gave the film a 68/100 approval rating based on 36 reviews. Critic Manohla Dargis of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
concluded that "the air is thick with paranoia in 'Doubt,' but nowhere as thick, juicy, sustained or sustaining as Meryl Streep's performance."
Viola Davis' performance drew her critical raves. Salon magazine declared that Davis' character Mrs. Miller was acted with "a near-miraculous level of believability ... Davis, in her small, one-scene role, is incredibly moving - I can barely remember a Davis performance where I haven't been moved ... [she] plays her character, an anxious, hardworking woman who's just trying to hold her life and family together, by holding everything close. She's not a fountain of emotion, dispensing broad expression or movement; instead, she keeps it all inside and lets us in."
NPR called Davis's acting in the movie "the film's most wrenching performance ... the other [actors] argue strenuously and occasionally even eloquently, to ever-diminishing effect; Davis speaks plainly and quietly, and leaves [no] doubt that the moral high ground is a treacherous place to occupy in the real world."
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, who thought Davis's performance worthy of an Academy Award, gave the film four stars, his highest rating, and praised its "exact and merciless writing, powerful performances and timeless relevance. It causes us to start thinking with the first shot," he continued, "and we never stop."
Top ten lists
The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008.- 2nd – James BerardinelliJames BerardinelliJames Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
, ReelViews - 2nd – Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
- 8th – Kyle SmithKyle SmithKyle Smith is an American critic, novelist and essayist. He is a staff film critic for the New York Post. His film reviewing style has been called "an exercise in hilarious hostility" by Entertainment Weekly....
, New York PostNew York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions... - 8th – Peter TraversPeter TraversPeter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
, Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J... - 9th – David EdelsteinDavid EdelsteinDavid Edelstein is the chief film critic for New York Magazine, as well as the film critic for NPR's Fresh Air and CBS Sunday Morning. He lives in Brooklyn, New York....
, New York magazineNew York (magazine)New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New... - 10th – Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
- 10th – Shawn LevyShawn Anthony LevyShawn Anthony Levy is an American film critic, author and blogger.Born in New York City, and educated at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Irvine, Levy has been the film critic of The Oregonian newspaper in Portland, Oregon since 1997. He is a former Senior Editor...
, The OregonianThe OregonianThe Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
Awards
Doubt received five Academy Awards81st Academy Awards
The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
nominations on January 22, 2009, for its four lead actors and for Shanley's script.
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards 81st Academy Awards The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST... |
Best Actress | Meryl Streep | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Philip Seymour Hoffman | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Amy Adams | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Viola Davis | ||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | John Patrick Shanley | ||
| BAFTA Awards 62nd British Academy Film Awards The 62nd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 8 February 2009, and honoured the best films of 2008.-Best Actor:Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler*Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon... |
Best Leading Actress | Meryl Streep | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Philip Seymour Hoffman | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Amy Adams | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 21st Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, given by the CFCA on December 18, 2008, honored the best in film for 2008. Disney/Pixar's WALL-E became the most successful film on this years' ceremony, won four awards, including Best Film, out of five nominations... |
Best Actress | Meryl Streep | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Philip Seymour Hoffman | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Amy Adams | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Viola Davis | ||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | John Patrick Shanley | ||
| Critics' Choice Awards Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 14th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking.Nominees were announced on December 9, 2008.-Best Film:Slumdog Millionaire... |
Best Picture | ||
| Best Actress | Meryl Streep | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Philip Seymour Hoffman | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Viola Davis | ||
| Best Acting Ensemble | |||
| Best Writer | John Patrick Shanley | ||
| Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 15th Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, given by the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association on December 17, 2008, honored the best in film for 2008.-Top 10 films:# Slumdog Millionaire# Milk# The Dark Knight... |
Best Supporting Actress | Viola Davis | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actress | Meryl Streep | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Amy Adams | ||
| Golden Globe Awards 66th Golden Globe Awards The 66th Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was broadcast on January 11, 2009, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States on the NBC TV network... |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Meryl Streep | |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | Philip Seymour Hoffman | ||
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | Amy Adams | ||
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | Viola Davis | ||
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | John Patrick Shanley | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society Awards Houston Film Critics Society Awards 2008 The 2nd Houston Film Critics Society Awards were given out at a ceremony held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston on December 17, 2008. The awards are presented annually by the Houston Film Critics Society based in Houston, Texas.-Winners and nominees:... |
Best Supporting Actress | Viola Davis | |
| Best Cast | |||
| National Board of Review Awards National Board of Review Awards 2008 The 80th National Board of Review Awards, honoring the best in film for 2008, were given on 4 December 2008.-Top 10 films:*Burn After Reading*Changeling*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*The Dark Knight*Defiance*Frost/Nixon... |
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress | Viola Davis | |
| Best Cast | |||
| Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January... |
Spotlight Award | Amy Adams | |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Phoenix Film Critics Society The Phoenix Film Critics Society is an organization of film reviewers from Phoenix-based publications.In December of each year, the PFCS meets to vote on their Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards for films released in the same calendar year.Categories of awards include:* Best Actor The Phoenix... |
Best Actress | Meryl Streep | |
| Satellite Awards Satellite Awards 2008 The winners of the 13th Annual Satellite Awards, honoring the best in film and television in 2008, were announced on December 14, 2008.-Top 10 films:*Ballast*Changeling*Doubt*The Dark Knight*Frost/Nixon*Frozen River*Milk... |
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Meryl Streep | |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Philip Seymour Hoffman | ||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Viola Davis | ||
| Best Screenplay – Adapted | John Patrick Shanley | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards ----Best Cast - Motion Picture: Slumdog Millionaire----Best Cast - Drama Series: Mad Men Best Cast - Comedy Series: 30 Rock ... |
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role | Meryl Streep | |
| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Philip Seymour Hoffman | ||
| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Amy Adams | ||
| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Viola Davis | ||
| Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |||
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards 2008 -Best Actor:**Sean Penn - Milk as Harvey Milk*Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon*Richard Jenkins - The Visitor*Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road-Best Actress:... |
Best Supporting Actress | Amy Adams | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Viola Davis | ||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2008 were given in December 2008.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Best Actress:**Meryl Streep - Doubt*Best Animated Film:**WALL•E... |
Best Actress | Meryl Streep | |
| Best Cast |