0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
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.
Washington, Dec 10 (ANI): The Doubt director John Patrick Shanley has said that the movie has been partly inspired by Michael Jackson.The film, which Shanley directed from his 2004 Broadway play, was premiered to an all-star crowd at the Paris Theater on Dec 7.He said that when Father Flynn is revealed in the award winning play to have given a 12-year-old boy liquor the incident was inspired by Michael Jackson having given “Jesus Juice” to children at Neverland. The filmmaker revealed the connection on December 9 at the Four Seasons, where Miramax toasted him, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Viola Davis with a lunch celebrating the films opening.And what looks like, Doubt is clicking perfect timing with Jackson the play opened on Broadway in November 2004 and the following March, during Jacksons child molestation trial, the whole “Jesus Juice” business was discussed in testimony. However, Jackson was acquitted in June 2005, reports Fox News.And the buzz is that the film is a strong contender for Oscar nominations in Best Actress, Supporting Actor and Actress, Screenplay, and Director. While the film is set in 1964, but considering the Jackson connection and scandals concerning priests and the Catholic Church, Shanley said, “It couldnt be more timely.” (ANI)
Shanley, now 71, didn't just have sex with children; he publicly endorsed the concept. He didn't just use his collar to get access to minors; he ran a special ministry for the most vulnerable among them. And he didn't fly below the radar of the church hierarchy; the 818-page archive released by the Boston Archdiocese under court order shows that two Cardinals and a phalanx of deputies knew about allegations of his abuse going back more than 30 years. But instead of handing Shanley over to police or at least defrocking him, they ignored, protected or promoted him. More than 40 alleged victims have now claimed abuse.If any scandal can bring down the most powerful Cardinal in the country, it could be this one. The steady drumbeat for the resignation of Bernard Cardinal Law grew louder last week, with the Boston Globe and some of Law's staunchest former defenders saying he must go. Several major donors to the diocese's Catholic Charities are withholding funds. Law issued a statement on Friday saying he intends to stay--but this drama is not over.
Shanley, then Father Shanley, emerged as a central figure in the Catholic sexual abuse scandal from the day The Globe launched a series of Pulitzer Prize-winning articles about the church in January 2002. No other priest has received as much high-profile national press attention. Few others have faced trial. When Shanley was released on $300,000 bail the following December, after seven months in jail, his lawyer used a body double to divert the media frenzy. When people in Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod learned Shanley had taken up residence there, signs began appearing on lampposts, warning neighbors that a pedophile was in their midst.
