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The Nun's Story (1959)

 -  Drama  -  18 July 1959 (USA)
7.5
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Ratings: 7.5/10 from 4,875 users  
Reviews: 72 user | 23 critic

In 1930, in Belgium, Gabrielle van der Mal is the stubborn daughter of the prominent surgeon Dr. Pascin Van Der Mal that decides to leave her the upper-class family to enter to a convent, ... See full summary »

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Title: The Nun's Story (1959)

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Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Rev. Mother Emmanuel (Belgium) (as Dame Edith Evans)
...
Mother Mathilde (Africa) (as Dame Peggy Ashcroft)
...
Dr. Van Der Mal
...
Sister Margharita (Mistress of Postulants)
...
Mother Christophe (Sanatorium)
Patricia Collinge ...
Sister William (convent teacher)
Rosalie Crutchley ...
Sister Eleanor
...
Mother Marcella (School of Medicine)
...
Mother Didyma (War-time Hospital)
Margaret Phillips ...
Sister Pauline (medical student)
...
Simone (postulant who changed her mind)
...
Stephen Murray ...
Chaplain (Father Andre)
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Storyline

In 1930, in Belgium, Gabrielle van der Mal is the stubborn daughter of the prominent surgeon Dr. Pascin Van Der Mal that decides to leave her the upper-class family to enter to a convent, expecting to work as nun in Congo with tropical diseases. She says good-bye to her sisters Louise and Marie; to her brother Pierre; and to her beloved father, and subjects herself to the stringent rules of the retrograde institution, including interior silent and excessive humbleness and humiliation. After a long period working in a mental institution, Gaby is finally assigned to go to Congo, where she works with the Atheist and cynical, but brilliant, Dr. Fortunati. Sister Luke proves to be very efficient nurse and assistant, and Dr. Fortunati miraculous heals her tuberculosis. Years later, she is ordered to return to Belgium and when her motherland is invaded by the Germans, she learns that her beloved father was murdered by the enemy while he was helping wounded members of the resistance. Sister ... Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

nun | belgium | convent | missionary | nurse | See more »

Taglines:

The most gripping and dramatic personal story of this decade is on the screen! See more »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

18 July 1959 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Historia de una monja  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Fred Zinnemann was strongly opposed to the studio's demand that there should be music over the final scene. Zinnemann felt that music would detract from the depth and grace of Audrey Hepburn's performance in this pivotal scene. Jack L. Warner felt otherwise but eventually relented. The scene remains one of the most memorable and famous from this acclaimed film, precisely for its restraint. See more »

Goofs

When the patient in the Congo hospital is being attended by several people, the voice of the actor playing the patient is obviously dubbed over by actor Dean Jagger, who plays Sister Luke's father in the film. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: "He that shall lose his life for me shall find it. If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast and give to the poor, and come follow me." Each sister shall understand that on entering the convent, she has made the sacrifice of her life to God.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Making of 'My Fair Lady' (1995) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Don't let the title serve only as a turn-off...
12 August 2000 | by See all my reviews

Honestly, if my family hadn't already owned this movie I probably would have past over it again and again without much hesitation. However, given the limited amount of movies I had to chose from, I decided to give this movie a fair shot. Wow. To think that I only viewed this movie out of desperation is embarrassing! The inner-struggle that Sr. Luke (Audrey Hepburn)undergoes from postulant to nun is incredibly human, not strictly religious. I thought, given the movie's topic, that I would be bored and lost, yet found myself completely in touch with the reality of her life. Its almost impossible not to become in touch with her character, especially once she reaches the Congo and faces the underplayed romantic tension between herself and Peter Finch. While I have absolutely no intention of suddenly becoming a nun or running off to the Congo, I will always be up for another viewing of this movie. So ignore the title and give this movie a chance!


21 of 29 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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Didn't she intentionally fail her exam? Tim-O-T
scene where postulants look like brides lewis-51
Ever wanted to be a nun? NumberOnePhantomFan
Question about the baths...? gay_geisha
Was the sanitarium stabbing ever in the film? sandfleas2008
Where was she going to? imdbmovie
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