"Look at that. You blew out my light"

It's a comic line from Sister Aloysius that Streep sells gamely in film and trailer (Doubt opens this weekend in several major markets) ... but offscreen there's no blowing Meryl Streep's light out. The woman has charisma to spare. She could probably function as a generator in a blackout on her starpower alone.

I neglected to mention that I saw Doubt a second time last week at a BAFTA screening. There was a Q & A afterwards with all four stars. Meryl, who was obviously suffering from a cold and struggling her way through the conversation, kept the crowd in stitches between her coughing and throat clearing. She's such an entertainer. She got laughs at writer/director John Patrick Shanley's expense arguing with him about rehearsal situations and when someone asked her how she learned the accent. "Listen to him" she deadpanned. "That's who I was listening to all day." Later in the Q & A, my favorite moment occurred, Meryl was asked about working with the very old fashioned nun's habits. She was asked about the authenticity of the threads.

They were exact and we had all our little hall monitors, you know, real nuns up there...just lurking, correcting us

And when asked if the costumes helped with her acting choices...

Me, I love a uniform. I mean --no decision!
[pause]
I'm sure it's horrible for people who love fashion...

and right there, voice trailing off, she lightly stroked Amy Adams arm to her side. Result: Another eruption of laughter from the audience.


This movie star can work a room.
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