December 22nd, 2008

Before “Doubt” came to the big screen, it was a Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play. And it shows. 

Set in a 1964 Catholic school, it’s a morality tale about Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a priest who’s accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy. It’s aptly titled “Doubt” because we never know if he really did what Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) is so sure he did. 

The title isn’t the only obvious element of the film. It’s filled with so many not so subtle metaphors that it almost gets in the way. For example, Sister Aloysius pulls the blinds so the sunlight hits Father Flynn right in the eyes like an FBI interrogation light. The wind blows ominously while she skulks around trying to prove that he’s guilty. A cat catches a mouse. And so on.

One metaphor that’s effectiveness I won’t argue with, however, is the tilt of the camera during intense moments of questionability. When Sister Aloysius confronts Father Flynn, the camera slants so we’re seeing the characters from a diagonal view. We’re not looking at them straight on because we don’t see the situation straight on.

We don’t know who’s telling the truth, which makes the film compelling. We’re supposed to have doubt about what is the truth, which teaches us about the validity of certainty and asks us “Do we ever know something for sure?” and “How do we know?” 

While it’s fun watching Streep and Hoffman go at in their intense verbal exchanges, you can’t help but be reminded of their previous roles. The actors are so perfect for their roles, they almost come off as caricatures of themselves.

Sister Aloysius is basically “The Devil Wears Prada’s” Miranda Priestly in a nun’s getup. She struts though Sister James’ (Amy Adams) classroom complaining about her students using ballpoint pens and pitching her cough drops, or as she says “candy,” into the trash.

It’s all too reminiscent of Miranda, the overbearing editor, strutting through the halls of “Runway” magazine deriding and rattling off demands to Anne Hathaways’ scurrying, scared assistant.

Adams’ innocent, upbeat Sister James who gets caught in between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn is also all too reminiscent of Adams herself and her previous roles in “Enchanted” and “Junebug.”

The movie revolves around the four principle characters of the two nuns, Father Flynn, and the mother of the boy in question. The mother played by Viola Davis is just in one scene, but she gives off a very real, emotional performance that’s so good it garnered her a Golden Globe nomination.

Since it originally was a play, it’s heavy on the dialogue. This story should not be action-packed by any means; yet, it’s a little disappointing that the verbal exchanges are so intense and the characters spout off such threatening and powerful words but action barely ensues. When the movie was over it left me wanting more.

It’s no surprise that John Patrick Shanley, the writer of the play, also directed the film. Besides extending the movie by 15 minutes and using actors to portray the students who were absent from the play, the movie was essentially a play just on the big screen. And it probably just should have stayed a play.

Even though the actress had to work and was away from her hubby Tom Cruise on her 30th birthday, festivities weren’t far from her.

After a performance of her Broadway show, All My Sons, Katie got an unexpected surprise from her husband and scheming costars.

 When the curtain fell on the performance crew members rolled out a round, five-tiered cake.  Her costar John Lithgow announced to the audience that Cruise was “heartsick” not to be there “but wanted to make his presence felt,” reports E! News.

Holmes was definitely taken by surprise when she came on stage with daughter Suri and fellow play mates to the audience singing “Happy Birthday.”

“I planned it so that when she comes out for the standing ovation, John get the whole audience to wish her a happy birthday,” Cruise told People magazine, confessing that the two already had a private celebration. “It’s going to be great. I’m waiting to talk to her now, to see her reaction.”

The Hollywood Foreign Press recently announced the nominees for this year’s Golden Globes airing on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. on NBC. This year’s Golden Globes has special significance because last year the winners were announced during a lackluster press conference due to the writer’s strike. 

Usually, the Golden Globe nominations and winners are a good indicator of who and what will be nominated for the Academy Awards. So if you haven’t seen these movies or TV shows yet, now is your time to start checking them out.

MOTION PICTURES

Drama

Best picture

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Frost/Nixon”

“The Reader”

“Revolutionary Road”

“Slumdog Millionaire”

Positively fact: Kate Winslet has two chances to be in a Best Picture winner. She stars in “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road” where she is reunited with “Titanic” costar, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Best actress

Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”

Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”

Meryl Streep, “Doubt”

Kristin Scott Thomas, “I’ve Loved You So Long”

Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”

Positively fact: While all the other actresses are previous nominees, this is Hathaway’s first Golden Globe nomination.

Best actor

Leonardo DiCaprio, “Revolutionary Road”

Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”

Sean Penn, “Milk”

Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Positively fact: This is Rourke’s first Golden Globe nomination, and Langella’s first nomination since 1970’s “Diary of a Mad Housewife.”

Comedy or musical

Best picture

“Burn After Reading”

“Happy-Go-Lucky”

“In Bruges”

“Mamma Mia!”

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Positively fact: You may not have heard of some of these comedies. “Happy-Go-Lucky” came out in April and is about a woman who’s optimism has a less than cheerful effect on others. “In Bruges” was released in February and stars Colin Farrell as a hitman in Belgium.

Best actress

Rebecca Hall, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Frances McDormand, “Burn After Reading”

Meryl Streep, “Mamma Mia!”

Emma Thompson, “Last Chance Harvey”

Positively fact (s): This is the first Golden Globe nomination for Hall and Hawkins. Also, McDormand is married to Joel Coen, one of the directors of “Burn After Reading.”

Best actor

Javier Bardem, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Colin Farrell, “In Bruges”

James Franco, “Pineapple Express”

Brendan Gleeson, “In Bruges”

Dustin Hoffman, “Last Chance Harvey”

Positively fact: Bardem won at last year’s Golden Globes for best actor in a drama for his performance in “No Country for Old Men.”

TELEVISION

Drama

Best television series

“Dexter” (Showtime)

“House” (Fox)

“In Treatment” (HBO)

“Mad Men” (AMC)

“True Blood” (HBO)

Positively fact: If “Mad Men” wins, it will the show’s second, consecutive win.

Best actress in a drama series

Sally Field, “Brothers and Sisters”

Mariska Hargitay, “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”

January Jones, “Mad Men”

Anna Paquin, “True Blood”

Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”

Positively fact: Jones didn’t earn a nomination last year, but the Hollywood Foreign Press must have warmed up to her portrayal of cold, isolated housewife, Betty Draper.

Best actor in a drama series

Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment”

Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”

Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”

Hugh Laurie, “House”

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, “The Tudors”

Positively fact: Hamm won in this same category at last year’s awards.

Comedy or musical

Best television series

“30 Rock” (NBC)

“Californication” (Showtime)

“Entourage” (HBO)

“The Office” (NBC)

“Weeds” (Showtime)

Positively fact: All of these shows have been nominated before, but none have ever won. Past winners include “Extras,” “Ugly Betty,” and “Desperate Housewives.”

Best actress

America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty”

Tina Fey, “30 Rock”

Debra Messing, “The Starter Wife”

Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds”

Positively fact: Fey won last year and could be on track to win two years in a row. Messing, who also was nominated last year for “The Starter Wife,” has never won in this category despite being nominated six times for “Will & Grace.”

Best actor

Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”

Steve Carell, “The Office”

Kevin Connolly, “Entourage”

David Duchovny, “Californication”

Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”

Positively fact: All of these actors have been nominated before, but Duchovny won last year.