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| “ | You have no right to act on your own! You have taken vows, obedience being one! You answer to us! | „ |
| ~ Father Flynn to Aloysius Beauvier. |
Father Brendan Flynn is the secondary protagonist of the 2008 drama film Doubt, based on the 2004 stage play Doubt: A Parable.
He is the Catholic head of a parish in The Bronx during 1964, who is strongly implied to have had an inappropriate, sexual relationship with a schoolchild in the area.
Portrayals[]
- In the original Broadway production, he was portrayed by Bryan F. O'Byrne, who also portrayed Liam Connors in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Bone Collector in Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector and Bobby Lorsada in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.
- In the 2006 Broadway cast, he was portrayed by Ron Eldard, who also portrayed Colton Rhodes in Justified and Glen Waddell in Bastard Out of Carolina.
- In the National Tour, he was portrayed by Chris McGarry.
- In the 2006 Singaporean production, he was portrayed by Lim Yu-Beng.
- In the 2006 Auckland production, he was portrayed by Latham Gaines, who also portrayed Mesogog in Power Rangers: Dino Thunder.
- In the 2007 Venezuelan productions, he was portrayed by Luigi Sciamanna.
- In the 2007 UK premier, he was portrayed by Padraic Delaney.
- In the 2008 film adaptation, he is portrayed by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who also portrayed Andy Hanson in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Brandt in The Big Lebowski, Owen Davian in Mission Impossible III, Allen in Happiness, Dean Trumbell in Punch-Drunk Love and Steven Hanauer in Law & Order.
- In the 2010 West Coast debut, he was portrayed by Joseph Fuqua.
- In the 2017 Sydney, Australia production, he was portrayed by Damian de Montemas
- In the 2024 Broadway revival, he was portrayed by Liev Schreiber, who also portrayed Ray Donovan in Ray Donovan, Stu Wargle in Phantoms, Sabretooth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ted Winter in Salt, the Storm King in My Little Pony: The Movie, Fear Hole Guy in Rick and Morty, Kingpin in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Lipa Drucker in Caught Stealing.
Personality[]
Father Flynn is depicted as a progressive Catholic who forms a rivalry with the more puritanical Aloysius Beauvier. He is shown to have an explosive temper. He also enjoys alcohol and smoking despite his status. It is also heavily implied that he is a paedophile, though this is never truly confirmed in the play.
Physical appearance[]
Father Flynn is an older man who is seen mostly wearing priestly vestments. When delivering sermons, he wears more opulent dress, contrasting with the puritanical attire of the nuns.
Biography[]
Background[]
Little is known about Flynn's background, and some of it is dubious. However, what is suggested is that Flynn worked at three previous parishes, and is thought to have engaged in sexually abusive relationships with other male schoolchildren.
Doubt[]
Brendan Flynn is welcomed as the priest of the parish Aloysius Beauvier works in as a headmistress. Flynn, a seemingly progressive Catholic, demonstrates presumed empathy and support to students. In particular, he develops a close relationship with Donald Muller, a young black child who has recently been accepted into the school.
Sister James, a schoolteacher, notices Muller act perturbed during class, and smells alcohol on his breath. Concerned for his welfare, she reports this to Aloysius, telling her that his disturbed state took place after Muller was known to have been alone in a rectory with Father Flynn.
Aloysius believes this to be evidence of Flynn having sexually abused Muller. Acting on this presumption, she and Sister James delicately confront him about the purpose for his and Muller's private relationship. Father Flynn realises the subtle accusations being made by the nuns, and explains that Duncan had been caught drinking altar wine, rather than the accusation he had provided it to him as part of Father Flynn grooming Donald.
This convinces Sister James that Father Flynn is innocent, but Aloysius remains certain that Father Flynn is lying. She then takes matters further in to her own hands, and calls his mother in to school to discuss. Aloysius tells Duncan's mother her suspicions of Father Flynn, but is told by Mrs. Muller that she should not be making aspersions about somebody if she does not have the proof for it.
Aloysius rebuts this, but Mrs. Muller explains that she values Father Flynn's relationship with Duncan (even if it is sexual), as he lacks a loving adult male figure in his life. In a ferocious argument, Father Flynn commands Aloysius to stop her hunt against him. Aloysius claims her proof lies in the reaction she saw another child have, whereby a student recoiled when Father Flynn reached out his arm to him. Father Flynn explains to Aloysius that this was insufficient proof to condemn him.
Father Flynn is seen embracing Donald Muller with a close hug after his bag is upturned by a fellow student who is bullying him. This is witnessed by Sister James, adding to her suspicions after she notices Father Flynn return a shirt to Muller.
To make a point, Aloysius claims that she has spoken with a nun in another parish of Father Flynn's, who told Aloysius that Father Flynn has a history of sexual violence against children, and that he has worked in numerous parishes before. This causes Father Flynn to leave the parish for good. However, Aloysius reveals to Sister James that no conversation ever took place with a nun; that it was a lie made to test Father Flynn's reaction. On the basis he chose to leave the parish, she believes in her mind that he did truly abuse the children. The film ends with Aloysius tearfully telling Sister James that she has "doubts", possibly about he actions, Father Flynn, or that she has acted on behalf of herself, and not God as she claims.
Trivia[]
- As Father Flynn's history is never officially confirmed, it is unknown if he served as a true antagonist or not. However, both the book and the film offer strong support to the fact Flynn had a history of sexual abuse - but its ambiguity forming part of the play's central theme.