Doubt

Watching the movie, Doubt, strengthened my belief that Father Flynn is not as innocent as he tries to appear. The movie indicates by his facial expressions, actions, and phrases that he made advances towards Donald Muller. In the very beginning of the film, it is evident that Father Flynn singles Donald Muller out on a few occasions. For instance, when Donald tells him that he would like to be a priest one day, Father Flynn gives him a magnetic toy to keep as a gift. Similarly, when Donald is bullied in the hallways, Father Flynn cups his hands around his face and gives him a reassuring, but lengthy, hug. These actions indicate more than friendly behavior towards Donald. This belief is only strengthened during the scene between Sister Aloysius, Sister James, and Father Flynn, where they begin to discuss the school pageant. Father Flynn claims that he would like to be friendlier with the children. He proposes a camping trip to become more like a “part of the family”. He refuses to believe that St. Nicholas’s staff is different because of the vows they have taken. Whenever Sister Aloysius tries to ask him about Donald Muller, he pauses, and stares at her for a long time before answering, as if trying to come up with a reply. He gets nervous when first questioned, stops drinking his tea, and tries to avoid answering her questions. Not only do his actions indicate his guilt, but the actions of other students do as well. William London, for example, pulls away from Father Flynn on more than one occasion. During the beginning of the film, Father Flynn checks whether William London has washed his hands, and William roughly yanks his hand out of the way. This is very similar to when Father Flynn is telling the boys about his clean fingernails. While he walks around the room, showing each boy his hands, he pauses for a longer amount of time in front of William, who in turn pulls away. As well as this, the movie hints at Father Flynn’s sexuality by drawing attention to his...