Doubt as a word
Doubt (2008) is a movie about the catholic church during a time of change.
Doubt is a word that describes a reality that can exist for a time. That feeling of uncertainty and suspension. It can be the motivation to work towards understanding and truth.
The world is changing. The 60s. The culture is changing. People are experimenting with love more. Does the church change with it? This movie not only has a powerful story that is relatable to life but it also makes the audience question the actions of each character for themselves. This movie has everything. Story, cinematography, acting and is one of the few films that can be watched over and over again because each character represents something that is grounded in reality. As an audience member you are also included in the story to help figure out the truth. The main point of this movie seems to be about the effect of doubt to the surrounding environment and the people presently interacting with each other.
Doubts seem to be the essence of uncertainty. The space between a question and an answer. Doubts are vanished once certainty is made clear.
wichman_et_al._2010_jesp.pdf (stanford.edu)
Up until now, research focused on self-validation has demonstrated that boosting confidence in positive initial thoughts amplifies their influence, leading to more favorable evaluations compared to when doubt is instilled. In a similar manner, fostering certainty in negative initial thoughts intensifies their effect, resulting in more unfavorable assessments. (source)
These studies suggest that people's primary beliefs about themselves and others can be ironically influenced by a situation that induce certainty, aligning with the self-validation theory. This research concept expands upon the idea that meta cognitive confidence or doubt can apply to any kind of thinking, including doubts about one's own beliefs.
Who are the characters?
Every actor plays an important part in this story but here are a few of key players that create the drama in the movie. Father Brendan Flynn played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman is one of the central characters in the movie "Doubt." He is a Catholic priest at a church and school in the Bronx of New York during the 1960s. Father Flynn is a very extroverted character who is well connected to the church staff and congregation. He becomes suspected of inappropriate behavior with a student, which causes Sister Aloysius to doubt if Father Brendan is truly a holy man of the cloth.
Sister Aloyius, played by Merly Streep is the one who creates the doubt. She is a strict and traditional nun who values discipline as the work necessary in her life. She becomes deeply suspicious of Father Flynn, as is determined to expose him for suspicion of inappropriate behavior with a student, Meryl Streep's portrayal of Sister Aloysius expresses her strong conviction for morality and principle. She embodies the theme of doubt and the consequences of certainty in the face of uncertainty.
