OK, I admit it. As much as I worship the ground that Meryl Streep walks on (and I have watched 95% of her cinematic oeuvre, even the abysmal She-Devilwith, eeek, Roseanne), I was perturbed that she took the role of Sister Aloysius in the film version of one of the most brilliant contemporary American plays, John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Doubt. Because having seen Cherry Jones, who originated the role and won a Tony for it, twice, on Broadway, and with the touring version here in Chicago, the second time as electrifying and devastating as the first, I cannot imagine anyone, even the world’s great living actress, making this maddeningly complex role their own. So, let’s get it out of the way then – Meryl Streep, in my opinion, although excellent in the film version, certainly does not. And she doesn’t erase for one bit from this audience member’s memory the legendary, breathtaking, indisputably definitive portrayal that Ms. Jones created onstage. What La Streep does though, other than create a totally riveting, multi-faceted, meticulously constructed characterization, is act as a strong cornerstone for a dynamic, potent, game-on acting ensemble. In the stage production, because Cherry Jones’s performance was so dominant, you’d hardly notice it if either a battleship or even a streaker came on stage. In the film version, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and especially Viola Davis, go toe-to-toe, nostril-to-nostril, emotional volcano-to-emotional volcano with Streep. And seeing this quartet of exceptional performances makes the movie version of Doubt ultimately very satisfying.
Dec 17
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