The persistent issue of homosexual pedophiles in the priesthood has been a devastating blight on the Catholic Church. To be fair, there are plenty of pedophiles in the clergy across all faiths and denominations. The rest of the denominations tend to get a pass on these crimes (in term of the media attention). It is the lurid acts of gay priests that really gets the attention of the press and activists.

The film industry, despite all of its self-created marketing to claim otherwise, is generally not a hot bed of gentleness and deep thought. A subject like a scandal involving a priest raping a boy is hardly something one would expect to be treated calmly with any measure of fairness. John Patrick Shanley, who wrote and directed this film, offers a careful film centered on such a sex scandal.

Father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), runs a Catholic school. Father Flynn's collar is a bit loose and he tends to flaunt the tight rules of the institution in favor of a more personable approach to his mission. Countering him is Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep). She is wound tighter than an obsessive-compulsive's shoelaces. She is a law and order nun, down the line, who lords over her fiefdom with a scowl and iron fist. Beneath Beauvier is Sister James (Amy Adams) a mousy young nun who leans more towards Flynn's approach.

Beauvier comes to suspect that Flynn has been sexually abusing a student. She confronts him only to be rebuffed by his outraged denials. Lacking irrefutable proof, but knowing in her bones she is right to convict the man, Beauvier presses to have him removed. Flynn, not a completely innocent man outside of the accusations, tries to deny her moves.

Shanley wisely avoids digging too deeply into the sexual aspects of the charges and focuses on the subjects of pride, authoritarianism and justice. The rape accusation isn't pushed aside but it isn't the point. It is there to raise the stakes and give the conflict urgency.

Streep and Hoffman are a strong pairing and play off one another with impressive results. Streep's other partner, Amy Adams also work well. Adams is not of the same caliber, or at least doesn't appear to be, as her cast mates. She can play the doe-eyed innocent however and in contrast to Streep's sneering maternal figure, she fades into the background at times.
If you had been avoiding this film due to the assumption that it was little more than a strike against Catholics or Christianity in general, you can put those fears aside. The overall film has less to do with the clergy and more to do with the flawed people who hold the roles.


Related Reviews:
Meryl Streep movies
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Julie and Julia (2009)


Other Critic’s Reviews:
The Austin Chronicle
J&C's Movie Reviews




Click here to buy your copy of
You Are What You See and learn
to change the world from your couch

Labels: film, Meryl Streep, movie review, Philip Seymour Hoffman