Doubt.

we are told how it holds us all together in terms of crisis of faith.

we let's talk about the 3 characters.

before that, the irony and tragedy of this entire movie is that the most insignificant character in the entire movie is Donald Miller. He is the MacGuffin.

Donald being possibly molested is not important to Sister Aloysius, Father Flynn, or Sister James.

Sister James has a crisis of faith. She is wholesome to fault to the naked eye. Christ is perfect and free from flaws. and thats how she views here faith and herself. the perfect world. thats what she likes. not the real one. And anything that gets in the way of that, she needs to get rid of. Thats why she was so quick to believe Father Flynn in their initial 3-way meeting, and then again Flynn convinced here when hey talked one-on-one. Who cares if Donald is was molested or not. God is great, all is honky dory.

Sister Aloysius has a crisis of faith alright. She is consumed with the power she has at that school because she is powerless within the confines of the church infrastructure where she has to answer to the men above her. It sticks in her craw. Especially when she has to answer to guy who she has his number in Father Flynn. She has an axe to grind. And if Flynn is molesting that kid, then that wets her appetitie and the hunt is on to take him down. Her zeal is not in the name of the Lord or to provide justice for Donald. Its to quench her thirst and empower herself in her mind to take down the very thing that keeps her down within the church.

What he belives and having justification for what he does is the only similarity that Flynn has with Aloysius and James. In contrast to the two women, Father Flynn is sure of himself. there is doubt with him. no ambivalence on whether he is doing the right thing. Father Flynn doesn't have the same crises that James and Aloysius has. In fact, its why Aloysius is threatened by him. He has HER number. He even broke her down crying in their classic scene like she normally breaks down the students in that school. He is simply wrong in his behavior. He is at a point of no return. There is no struggle with him. Donald isn't being molested...its love, compassion. i.e., who cares about Donald.


another bigger issue is that, the 60's have nothing to do with this. Its the fact that this stuff is going on in the Church amongst Nuns and Priests. people of God, who are above this kind of infighting, power-trips, etc.? right? lol

just a great movie, man.