Fascinating, lordofspeech, because we reacted to the play and film so differently. I saw the play at City Center and felt that Sister Aloysius had indeed ended up in a crisis of faith that superseded the question of whether or not Father Flynn had been guilty, and the multiple application of doubt was what made the play so powerful. I also felt that doubt about Father Flynn was never resolved, that it was plain he might not be the world's most likable man but that he might indeed have been innocent.
The film, to me, was more concerned with the guilt or innocence of Father Flynn, who seemed haunted by guilt almost from the get-go. Perhaps Shanley should not have directed his own material; the play made a disappointing transition to the screen. Most people I know who saw the film without having seen it on stage wondered what all the fuss had been about.
I do, however, agree with you about the difference between Adriane Lenox and Viola Davis's approach. I would chalk much of that up to Shanley as well. He was on record as having felt that the film needed to be different than what had been accomplished on stage, which is why none of the four original actors were cast in the film. The results were far more ordinary; I missed the gripping, almost frightening coda I had experienced on stage. You apparently found on screen what you had not found on stage.
Cherry Jones's stage performance was far too theatrical to have been replicated on film without significant adjustment, though I am certain it was an adjustment she was perfectly capable of making. |
