1.
"DOUBT", according to the subtitles after the film, is dedicated to Sister Margaret McEntee. At first I thought that this must have a lot to do with the theme of the movie, but this is not the case. Sister Margaret is indeed John Patrick Shanley's teacher, but it is not directly related to the theme of the film. When Shanley was in elementary school at St. Anthony's Mission School in the 1960s, Sister Margaret was his first-grade teacher. Sister Margaret was only 21 years old at the time, and it was her first teaching assignment.
After the play "DOUBT" was performed on Broadway, Sister Margartet and Shanley reconnected. When the two met, Sister Margaret said: "You must think I've been dead for a long time?" Shanley smiled and said, "Yes."
Later, when Shanley planned to bring "DOUBT" from the stage to the screen, he invited Sister Margaret became his technical adviser. Because he himself didn't know much about the life of the nuns, or even the school life. Margaret provided advice on many scenes in the film, including the quiet atmosphere when the nuns dine, hanging the pope's frame on the blackboard, and so on. She also provided guidance to Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and others on the nun’s manners, movements, dress etiquette, etc. on the set.
Sister Margaret is also the prototype of the little nun Sister James played by Amy in the film.
Sister Margaret's biggest influence on the film is her suggestion for the end of the film.
When John Patrick Shanley adapted "DOUBT" into a movie, he envisioned another ending: Sister Aloysius opened the window of her office. At this time, she saw the focus of her argument with Father Flynn, that is, the black child, Donald. Miller.
Sister Margaret thinks this ending is not as strong as the ending of the original play. After discussing with the main actors such as Meryl Streep, Shanley kept the original ending, which is what we see in the movie now.
2.
A NY Times columnist said: "It's not comfortable to be
in'doubt '... but doubt is often the first step to a higher level." It is Doubt itself that inspired Shanley to write the drama "DOUBT". Recalling when I started to create, Shanley said: “I think our world is surrounded by many'certainties'. Our society wears a mask of'certainty', and I found that doubt is the breakthrough to break this mask. . " "
so I decided to write a play to tell people you will ever doubt difficult to determine anything. "
for Shanley, it is difficult to write such a drama not only the structure, he must find a suitable thing. This thing must be something that the audience is sure at first, but is full of doubts at the end.
"Later I saw a scandal about pastors molesting believers. I was not interested in church scandals, but I was looking for an extreme situation in which people would judge a person without hesitation. . I want to throw this back without hesitation to the audience to rethink.”
After setting the background of the story as a religious school, "DOUBT" began to have a lot of personal touch.
"I know the people in the movie." Shanley said, "Sister Aloysius is definitely someone I have personally contacted. She is also someone I still have contact with. It's a bit sad to share the time that has passed away with her, the silence, Ballpoint pens and students who read Plato no longer exist."
Shanley sets the background of the story in the turbulent 1964 of American society. Not long after President Kennedy was assassinated, the civil rights movement was in full swing. More importantly, the 1960s was also a period of major reforms in the Catholic Church.
In 1962, Pope John 23 issued a series of reform plans, hoping that the Catholic Church would be more open, flexible, and more accessible. By the mid-1960s, the face of Catholicism had been very different. The nuns are no longer required to wear black robes, and the red dresses between the priest and the parishioners are much less.
"Walking on the streets in 1964, you can still see many nuns wearing soft hats and black robes, but within a few years, these scenes will no longer be seen."
Father Flynn is a typical figure in the early 1960s. He believed in Catholicism, but at the same time questioned the situation of the church, hoping that the church would be flexible in a changing society.
3.
In the fall of 2004, the drama "DOUBT" premiered on Broadway and received great acclaim. In 2005, it was performed in Walter Cole's drama and continued to perform 525 times. However, drama has been neglected internationally. As a result, Shanley decided to adapt it into a movie. Shanley has more than 20 years of screenwriting experience and won an Oscar for his romantic comedy "Moonlight Sultry". He said that adapting "DOUBT" is one of the most difficult tasks. "Not only must the elements in the drama be reproduced completely, but also more like a movie."
"I believe that the conflict between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn deeply touched people's emotional resonance, because we have seen Who paid the price for this conflict. The movie allows me to elaborate on this aspect, which I have always wanted to do, and the drama itself cannot do it."
Father Flynn knows the influence of language. He preaches to his followers every week, using the preaching to promote change, the language is precise and concise, the scale is well grasped, and it is full of meaning. Through the scenes of the believers sitting and listening, Shanley expressed to the audience how language affects other characters in the play.
In the movie, Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn are both impactful and expressive people. They are never afraid to use language as a weapon of struggle. Many scenes in the film are conducted through dialogue, especially the confrontation between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn.
For Shanley, another breakthrough of the movie is that it does not give an answer like traditional movies.
"Film has always revolved around 'him yes or no?' Question, and I think the intention to write this script, I decided to leave the audience judge, rather than traditional film as a conclusive answer."
In In the movie, Shanley added Pastor Flynn's third sermon, which was the farewell time. In this scene, Shanley cleverly showed the audience the transition of the shot, and left the audience to think about what the characters in the play have experienced.
4.
The drama actors of "DOUBT" are well received, and two actors have won the Tony Award, the highest award in the theater industry, but Shanley did not consider letting them appear in the film in order to have a new look in the film.
Shanley envisioned Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius from the beginning. He knows that this role requires an actor with excellent acting skills. He hopes that through the imperious and cold surface image, the audience can still feel the inner passion of Sister Aloysius, so as to understand Sister Aloysius's suspicion of seeking justice and even her own beliefs in the end. .
In order to play the role of Sister Aloysius, Streep once lived at Mont Saint Vincent College, where she felt the discipline and purity of the church school. More importantly, she understood the power gap between priests there, and understood their authority to play with church affairs, while the status of nuns was humble in comparison.
Streep observed: "There I felt the hierarchy in the church, where nuns are always below the level of male priests. Understanding this is very valuable to the role
of Sister Aloysius." For Sister Aloysiu, Sister Magaret said: " I personally prefer Sister Aloysius, which may be precisely because my real life experience is more like Sister James. Sister Aloysius is very tough, but at the same time she also has very deep care. She regards the protection of students as her basic duty, and So very vigilant.”
When casting a cast for Pastor Flynn, Shanley found that he had fewer choices.
"I don't think many actors have enough courage to play against Streep, especially the one-on-one conflict. Hoffman is the only person I can think of."
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