Michael Jackson’s juice inspires Doubt
The movie Doubt, which recently held its premiere at a Paris Theater, has been partly inspired by the follies of Michael Jackson. This was admitted by director John Patrick Shanley who directed the movie based on his play which was staged in Broadway in 2004, which almost coincides with the child molestation trial of Jackson.
The award winning play thrives on the conflict created by the allegations against Father Flynn one of which was that he has given liquor to a 12-year old boy. This scene, Shanley admits, was inspired by the “Jesus Juice” given by Michael Jackson to children who visited Neverland. This incident was discussed during the pop singer’s trial for which he was ultimately acquitted.
This early, Doubt which stars the award-winning Meryl Streep, is already creating a buzz in the awards circuit and is a strong contender for Oscar nominations in the Best Director, Screenplay, Best Actress as well as Supporting Actor and Actress categories. Doubt may have been set in 1964 but there is no doubt that it is indeed very timely considering the scandals being faced by the Catholic Church and its priests today.
Streep has always been known for her distinctive acting and this can be seen once again as she tackles the role of Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the strict Catholic School principal who hounds a kind priest played here by Philip Seymour Hoffman. She may be wearing a habit here but it looks like her temperament as the boss in The Devil Wears Prada just switched clothing and identity which led to the coining of the term The Devil Wears a Habit.
