This is a first for me. I mean, I first want to say that the vast majority of priests who have sexually abused young boys do not "seem obviously gay". But I have never heard anyone say that PSH seemed so obviously gay in the movie that it was undeniable that he was and that it means he molested the boy, and I do not think that was his nor Shanley's intention... even if it was their choice for him to come off as gay it still doesn't mean he was guilty of child molestation! (in fact it could just show Sister A's dangerous and biased assumptions, like the one you seem to have made)
And also I want to say that for me as a viewer the movie absolutely maintained the doubt and lack of decision on the filmmakers part through the end. Meryl falling apart when she says "I have such doubts" only cements that to me, because she has been SO certain and so stalwart and determined, and we as the audience have many times had reason to be on her side, and the fact that she falls apart even after saying his resignation was his confession (proving to herself at least that she was right), and she not only has doubts but is broken and overwhelmed by them and by the fact that she will never actually know the truth, know if she was right or wrong and either way what consequences her actions will have for the boy or other boys or Father Flynn etc... there's so much there... but decision is not one of them. |
