JohnPatrickShanley Tagged Articles at Cinematical

"I went to a church school in the Bronx in the early '60s, and I had the Sisters of Charity (as teachers) who wore these very particular, very peculiar Victorian black bonnets; I had an interesting and good experience there. It was a time of great certitude; it was a quieter time, and yet it was on the cusp of great change. There was a big sound coming from over the hill, and that sound was the '60s; it came crashing in shortly after that. ... At the time I wrote the play, again, it was a time of great certitude -- it was the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, and I didn't feel certain, I felt doubtful. ... I (thought) I wanted to write something... that shows what is lost and what is gained when the world changes."

Playwright and director John Patrick Shanley can tell you where his film Doubt, starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, came from; as it's being released into a busy Oscar season with high expectations, he can't quite tell you where it's headed. The Oscar-winning screenwriter of Moonstruck and the writer-director of the cult fave Joe Versus the Volcano also talked about the challenges of opening up his play for the big screen, how tough times can mean great opportunities for writers and the pleasure of working with noted cinematographer Roger Deakins. Shanley spoke with Cinematical in Los Angeles; you can listen to the podcast here at Cinematical by clicking below:


You can also download the interview in full right here -- and those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

Having just seen the film version of Doubt, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, I was encouraged to dig up this Defamer post in which Philip Seymour Hoffman goes off on a junket journalist who couldn't help but ask whether or not his priest character had indeed done the dirty with a young boy at his Catholic school.

Don't worry, there aren't any spoilers to be heard there or read here, but believe me when I say that whether or not Hoffman knows the truth is more important than whether or not we, the audience, know. To a greater point, such an admission would dilute only the whole purpose of the film and play, the relentless ambiguity of the story at hand, and Hoffman -- surely having feared this inquiry, and perhaps already having tackled it elsewhere -- clearly suffers no fools.

For my money, though, that still has nothing on this bout of humiliation.

I am pretty sure I saw at least two, and possibly three, future Oscar nominees in the new trailer for John Patrick Shanley's Doubt, now available over here. If nothing else, you'd be a fool to bet against 1) Meryl Streep, 2) playing a righteous nun, 3) in an adaptation of a Pulitzer-Prize winning play. There are few sure things in Hollywood, but come on. I'd almost say the same for Philip Seymour Hoffman as a (possible) child molester, and I think the oddly unrecognizable Amy Adams has a sporting chance as well.

Streep's role here -- a stern nun who accuses a priest of sexually abusing a young boy -- looks like a variation on Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada, if The Devil Wears Prada had been serious business instead of silliness. "I was not inviting a guessing game, Sister Raymond." Her response to Hoffman's hateful "I can fight you" is basically the greatest line delivery of all time. "The dragon is hungry," indeed.

I can't wait to see this; I really wanted to see the play on Broadway, but never got around to it. Watching Streep and Hoffman face off, with strong material backing them up, is a dream come true. Doubt is set for a December 12th release.

Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for the film Doubt (click image above to enlarge), starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Doubt was written, adapted for the screen and directed by John Patrick Shanley (whose last directorial effort came in the form of the very awesome Joe Versus the Volcano). Set at a Catholic School in the Bronx in 1964, Doubt tells of a stern principal and nun (Streep) who accuses a priest (Hoffman) of "acting inappropriately" with a young black student, and the younger, inexperienced nun (Adams) who comes between the two.

While on Broadway, Doubt was the talk of the town, and we expect this big-screen version to give us more than one buzz-worthy performance, especially with a cast like this. I can't be the only one looking forward to a little Doubt this December. Have you seen the play? Whaddya think?

I tried to see Doubt on Broadway several times when I lived in New York City, but never managed to snag a ticket. By the time the buzz had settled down, the production had switched to a new cast, and the general consensus was that no one would be able to equal the incredible performances of Cherry Jones and Brian F. O'Byrne in the lead roles. Well, those skeptics might be changing their minds. Because the film version of Doubt has just snagged two of the finest actors working today: Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. John Patrick Shanley is adapting his play for the big screen, and will direct the film as well. This is exciting news, Shanley is a terrific director who hasn't made a film since the absolutely wonderful Joe Vs. the Volcano over 15 years ago.

Doubt is set at a Catholic school in the Bronx in 1964. Streep will play the stern principal of the school, a nun, who brings charges of pedophilia against a popular priest, played by Hoffman. I can't wait to see those two play off each other. One juicy role remains to be cast, a young nun trapped between the pair. I'd imagine every young actress in Hollywood is going to be breaking doors down to get that role! Doubt won four Tony awards, including Best Play. It also won the frigging Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and unless they totally botch this thing, this is the sort of project that absolutely screams "Oscar!" Shanley won a much deserved Academy Award in 1988 for his brilliant Moonstruck script, Streep and Hoffman have both taken home little gold men, and the combination leaves little Doubt that this is going to be something special.