The Story:
The 60s. Kennedy is dead. And Catholic Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) apparently has a penchant for boys. Or at least one boy in particular. At the school, Sister James (Amy Adams) brings up the peculiar situation to the principal, Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep). She immediately begins to dig to crucify (zing!) Father Flynn, but Sister James has doubts...
Well, if you're going to have a drama, you can do much worse than casting Hoffman or Streep in your film. You know you're going to get a class act from both.
The problem is, as great as they are, if the material is wanting, then the film falls apart. Even a great actor can't save a turkey.
Thankfully, this movie is engaging enough to keep you interested, if not riveted, to what is happening.
The scary part, Sister Aloysius seemingly knows from the start that Father Flynn is up to something. She throws a casual remark out there that Sister James picks up and runs with. Naturally, when things start happening that seemingly prove the rumors to be true... what do you do?
The staredowns between Streep and Hoffman are the best parts of the movie, as a man accused of...nothing...yet something...this was downright scandalous...in the 60s. Plus you have a nun taking on a priest in the church...I don't even think that happens today.
Today, when isn't the Catholic Church in the news for something?
The ending is a bit... odd. And I don't mean how they resolve the dispute, that was actually quite clever in how it was handled.
No, Streep's meltdown at the end was strange, and out of place.
While never admitting any wrong-doing, perhaps all the Father really was doing was comforting a confused boy. Nothing more nefarious than that.
That could explain her scene, but otherwise, the film ran about a minute too long.
;)
Final Grade: B-
Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Once was enough, as with most dramas.
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