Doubt

Take the title at face value: "Doubt," directed and adapted for the screen by playwright John Patrick Shanley, does not offer answers. Rather, it challenges us to understand our own instincts to believe in the absence of proof. Philip Seymour Hoffman is the warm, well-liked priest of a 1964 Bronx parish whose sermons bring religion to Earth. Meryl Streep is the severe, imperious nun and Catholic school principal resistant to modernizing the church. And Amy Adams is the sincere young nun whose observation of suspicious behavior leads the elder Sister to suspect the priest of pedophilia. She has no proof, only her certainty. We aren't so privileged. Shanley keeps the "truth" off-screen and offers personality and ambiguity in its place. The dynamic battle of wills with Streep and Hoffman offers a master class in dueling performances, and Adams and Viola Davis provide intense support. All four were nominated for Oscars, as was Shanley's provocative screenplay.

Shanley delivers a reflective commentary track that begins as a memoir of growing up in the Bronx (and its influence on the story and setting) and eases into a reflection on the play and the film that came from the convergence of history and invention. The serious and smartly produced featurettes are among the best I've seen for new films. Shanley narrates and hosts the 19-minute "Doubt: From Stage to Screen," and personally interviews Streep and shares his research on the lives of nuns in "The Sisters of Charity." Entertainment Weekly writer Dave Karger interviews the four adult stars in the "The Cast of Doubt," and composer Howard Shore discusses "Scoring Doubt."