Agnes of God (1985)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

John Pielmeier (screenplay)
John Pielmeier (stage play)

Release Date:

13 September 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

What unspeakable crime took place behind the third floor window? Only Agnes knows. And Dr. Martha Livingston is the one person who can unravel the mystery.

Plot:

When a naive novice nun is discovered with a dead newborn in her convent quarters, a court appointed psychiatrist investigates her case.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Convent | Novice | Church | Mother Superior

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jane Fonda	...	Dr. Martha Livingston
Anne Bancroft	...	Mother Miriam Ruth
Meg Tilly	...	Sister Agnes
Anne Pitoniak	...	Dr. Livingston's Mother
Winston Rekert	...	Detective Langevin
Gratien Gélinas	...	Father Martineau
Guy Hoffmann	...	Justice Joseph Leveau (as Guy Hoffman)
Gabriel Arcand	...	Monsignor
Françoise Faucher	...	Eve LeClaire
Jacques Tourangeau	...	Eugène Lyon
Janine Fluet	...	Sister Marguerite
Deborah Grover	...	Sister Anne
Michele George	...	Sister Susanna
Samantha Langevin	...	Sister Jeannine
Jacqueline Blais	...	Sister David Marie
Françoise Berd	...	Sister Thérèse
Mimi D'Estée	...	Sister Elizabette
Rita Tuckett	...	Sister Geraldine (as Rita Tucket)
Lillian Graham	...	Sister Madeline Marie
Norma Dell'Agnese	...	Sister Geneviève
Muguette Moreau	...	Sister Luke
Janice Bryan	...	Sister Mary Joseph
Agnes Middleton	...	Sister Paul
France Arbour	...	Housekeeper
Laurel Lyle	...	Helen the Receptionist
Victor Désy	...	Librarian (as Victor Desy)
Charlotte Laurier	...	Young Prostitute
Peter Langley	...	Sister Geneviève's Family
Nicole Marie Abbat	...	Sister Geneviève's Family
Matthew Armstrong	...	Sister Geneviève's Family
Chava Mandlsohn	...	Sister Geneviève's Family
Charles S. Pottie	...	Sister Geneviève's Family (as Charles S. Pottie S.J.)
Gerry Huckstep	...	Paramedic
Marc Denis	...	Newscaster
Herbert Luft	...	Television Reporter
André Lacoste	...	Male Patient
Jennifer Jewison	...	Female Patient
Carole Chatel	...	Lab Technician
Daniel Tremblay	...	Police Detective

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
John Pielmeier		(screenplay)
John Pielmeier		(stage play)

Produced by
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Charles Milhaupt	....	associate producer
Bonnie Palef	....	associate producer (as Bonnie Palef-Woolf)
Patrick J. Palmer	....	producer (as Patrick Palmer)

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Sven Nykvist		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Antony Gibbs

Casting by
Gretchen Rennell

Production Design by
Ken Adam

Art Direction by
Carol Spier

Set Decoration by
Jaro Dick

Costume Design by
Renée April

Makeup Department
Ann Brodie	....	makeup artist
Paul LeBlanc	....	hair stylist
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist: Ms. Fonda

Production Management
Justis Greene	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Bailey	....	third assistant director
John Board	....	first assistant director
Madeleine Henrié	....	second assistant director (as Madeleine Henrie)

Art Department
Daniel R. Bradette	....	assistant property master
J. Tracy Budd	....	property master (as Tracy Budd)
Dan Conley	....	set dresser
Martin Freedman	....	set dresser
Rolf Harvey	....	assistant art director
Barbra Matis	....	assistant art director
Richard Reseigne	....	construction design coordinator
John Dondertman	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alison Clark	....	sound editor
Tony Currie	....	sound editor
Austin Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Herb Heritage	....	boom operator
Sharon Lackie	....	sound editor
Richard Lightstone	....	production sound mixer
Andy Malcolm	....	sound editor
Michael O'Farrell	....	sound editor
Peter Thillaye	....	supervising sound editor
Don White	....	sound re-recording mixer
Anke Bakker	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Lise Wedlock	....	foley assistant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Richard Huggins	....	special blood effects: Theatre Magic
Carrie Robbins	....	special blood effects: Theatre Magic
Ron Thiessen	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
David Rigby	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Crone	....	Steadicam operator (as David C. Crone)
Attila Dory	....	still photographer (as Atilla Dory)
Ralph Gerling	....	camera operator
Kevin Jewison	....	first assistant camera
Brian Montague	....	gaffer
Bill Pryde	....	second assistant camera
Shin Sugino	....	still photographer
Randy Tambling	....	key grip
Frank Teunissen	....	second grip
Rae Thurston	....	best boy

Casting Department
Bonnie Finnegan	....	casting assistant
Karen Hazzard	....	local casting: Ontario
Helene Robitaille	....	local casting: Quebec (as Hélène Robitaille)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fabienne April	....	costumer
Ursula Brooke	....	assistant costumer
Arthur Rowsell	....	assistant costumer
Mario Davignon	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mary Canty	....	first assistant film editor
Bruce Lange	....	associate film editor

Music Department
Hayward Parrott	....	music scoring mixer
Richard Stone	....	supervising music editor: Segue Music
Ron Searles	....	assistant scoring engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Stuart Hughes	....	transportation coordinator
Charlotte Rose	....	driver: Ken Adam (uncredited)

Other crew
Jeff J.J. Authors	....	production assistant (as Jeff Authors)
Steven Brill	....	production assistant
Jan A. Campbell	....	assistant production accountant
Eve Cantor	....	production assistant
Dougal B. Caron	....	accounting clerk (as Dougal Caron)
Joanne Wetzel Caverly	....	assistant: Ms. Bancroft (as Joanne Wetzel)
Rachelle Charron	....	assistant production accountant
Robin Chaykin	....	assistant to producers
Christopher Cook	....	production assistant
Holly Dale	....	observer: Director's Guild of Canada
Susanna David	....	script supervisor
Theo Dimson	....	title designer: main title
Michael Jewison	....	location manager: Ontario
Debi Karolewski	....	assistant: Ms. Fonda
Grant Kelly	....	craft service
Candace Koethe	....	assistant: Mr. Jewison
Lou Kramer	....	stage producer: New York
Oleksandra Mikitenko	....	assistant: Mr. Jewison (as Sandra Mikitenko)
Ginette Paré	....	location manager: Quebec
Valley Via Reseigne	....	production office coordinator (as Valley Reseigne)
Line Tremblay	....	production assistant
Guy Trinque	....	location manager: Quebec
Tom Udell	....	production accountant
Kenneth Waissman	....	stage producer: New York
Sandy Webb	....	production office coordinator
Nancy Willen	....	unit publicist
Bruce McDonald	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Holly Paré	....	location manager: Quebec (uncredited)

Thanks
Letitzia Adam	....	with very special thanks to
Gloria Demers	....	with very special thanks to
Mary Dominic	....	with very special thanks to (as Mother Mary Dominic)
Andreas Drenters	....	with very special thanks to
Heather Drenters	....	with very special thanks to
Jeannine Edmunds	....	with very special thanks to
David Eley	....	with very special thanks to (as Father David Eley S.T.)
Marc Gervais	....	with very special thanks to (as Father Marc Gervais S.J.)
Larry Palef	....	with very special thanks to
Rachel Pfeffer	....	with very special thanks to (as Rachael Pfeffer-Lapidese)
Sister Pierette	....	with very special thanks to
Charles S. Pottie	....	with very special thanks to (as Father Charles S. Pottie S.J.)
Sister Rolande	....	with very special thanks to
Roger Sherman	....	with very special thanks to (as Roger Sherman Esq.)
Daniel Tremblay	....	with very special thanks to
Margaret Wescott	....	with very special thanks to

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (as Columbia Pictures) (presents)
• Delphi IV Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1985) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1986) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1986) (Finland) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1986) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2002) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (included in '4 Movie Collection')
• Esselte Video (19??) (Finland) (VHS)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• SFX Design Inc.

Other Companies

• Benson & Hodges (Canada) Inc.  producers thanks
• CFCF-TV  the producers wish to thank (as CFCF Television)
• Film Commission of Montreal  the producers wish to thank
• Film Opticals  opticals
• Manta Sound Company  recorded at
• Natural Furs of Canada  the producers wish to thank
• New Wave Travel  the producers wish to thank
• Ontario Film & Video Office  the producers wish to thank
• Ontario Heritage Foundation  the producers wish to thank
• Pacific Studios Inc.  chromatrans background
• Paramount Theater Productions  stage producer: New York
• Pathé Sound and Post Production Center  re-recorded at (as Pathé Sound and Post Production Centre)
• Rockwood Acadamie  producers thanks
• The Elmer Iseler Singers  the producers wish to thank
• Toronto Film and Television Office, The  the producers wish to thank (as Toronto Film Office)
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack published by
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Latin

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Despite the fact that her character is a chain-smoker, in real life, Jane Fonda had quit smoking ten years before she made this movie. For the role, she smoked reed cigarettes - non-toxic, tobacco-free cigarettes made from cattail reeds, which are sold in health stores to people who are trying to quit smoking.

Quotes:

Doctor Martha Livingston:As much as God loves you

Movie Connections:

References The Blues Brothers (1980)

Career Performance For Tilly

The incredible performance by Meg Tilly is what makes this movie repeatedly watchable. She seems almost possessed by this role and entirely believable. She makes the innocent, spiritual and fantasy like world that this strange young nun lives in, appealing. One can find yourself almost being envious of the purity of the world that Agnes experiences. The performances of Jane Fonda and Anne Bancroft are also very good. The debate and tension that flows between them is interesting as each forces the other to take a deeper look at themselves, their pasts and to confront the reasons for their chosen paths in life. Also these women represent the two sides of one of the main dilemmas in the film and the one that we the viewers are left to wrestle with. Is Agnes better off in her cloistered, innocent world where Mother Miriam wants to keep her or would it be better for her to become more aware of the realities of the outside world with all it's diversity and possibilities that Doctor Martha Livingston thinks she should know. The tension between these two characters is not without it's humorous moments as well. It's never easy for a psychological drama to have to sort out the inner darkness of a troubled individual in the course of a two hour film but this one does better than most. Those that need answers spelled out plain, simple and clear cut are of course frustrated by the ending but enough is presented here to allow one to draw conclusions and yet leave room for thought and speculation, which makes for a far more compelling way to part from a story.