“What do you do when you are not sure…No one knows I’ve done something wrong, imagine the isolation…Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone,” Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) proclaims to his congregation during what is a slightly unusual Sunday morning service on losing faith. Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) who is half listening and half disciplining the antsy children, gets an uneasy feeling from his sermon. Where is this subject matter coming from? Is it Father Flynn whom has lost faith and if so how come? After the service alter boy Donald Miller (Joseph Foster) whom is fairly new to the school and is their first and only black student, has a brief one on one time with Father Flynn who gives him a little toy to take home with him. The meeting appears innocent enough in nature at least on the surface. Sister James (Amy Adams) is too new to St. Nicholas Church School and is a bit green in dealing with the students. Sister James for good or for bad, sees the good in everyone whereas Sister Aloysius through her years has one eye of suspicion always open to the world. After Donald Miller is called out of Sister Jame’s class by Father Flynn, questions arise on his motivations especially when Donald comes back to class distressed with his breathe smelling of alcohol.

Did Father Flynn do something inappropriate with a student or is Sister Aloysius just misreading the situation? As time goes on and more questions than answers arise, Sister James begins to have doubts herself and her vision of the world becomes a bit darker. Doubt is a story that evolves around just that - doubt. It is something that can fester into a full blown epidemic. Now available on standard DVD and Blu-ray, the film comes with some nice bonus material.

First up we have a commentary track option by writer/director John Patrick Shanley that gives us a peak into his process of making the film. Some of the insights are Shanley explaining what wasn’t in the original play and why he added them for the film. “From Stage To Screen” is a great almost twenty minute featurette on the whole process of turning the play into the feature film. “The Cast Of Doubt” is a ten minute plus feature from Entertainment Weekly that includes interviews with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Viloa Davis. “Scoring Doubt” has composer Howard Shore discussing his process and inspiration in composing this wonderful score. “Sisters Of Charity” has writer/director John Patrick Shanley and actress Meryl Streep whom met with many nuns to help find the voice for the nuns. The featurette includes interviews with many of the nuns that helped to inspire the film.

Is there doubt or is there certainty by the end of the film? Where is the evidence on one side or the other that helps to bring you to this certainty, or is there no certainty at all? That’s for you each viewer in the end to decide. Doubt is a thinking mans film that will create discussions long after the film is over. Depending on the the individual and the baggage you bring in with you, all will be there to help guide you to the truth.

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