Agnes of God (1985)

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

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

John Pielmeier (screenplay), John Pielmeier (play)

Stars:

Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft, Meg Tilly

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane Fonda	...	Doctor 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

Storyline

When a dead newborn is found, wrapped in bloody sheets, in the bedroom wastebasket of a young novitiate, psychiatrist Martha Livingston is called in to determine if the seemingly innocent novice, who knows nothing of sex or birth, is competent enough to stand trial for the murder of the baby. While searching for the answer that her supervisors want, Dr. Livingston finds herself inevitably drawn into searching for the truth about the baby's conception and death. Despite the lack of cooperation that she receives from her own organization and the church itself, she eventually discovers more than she may have bargained for.

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Plot Keywords:

watching tv | psychiatrist | novice | convent | trial | 

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Taglines:

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.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Latin

Release Date:

27 September 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agnes de Dios

Filming Locations:

Rockwood Academy - 477 Main Street South, Rockwood, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$220,642, 15 September 1985, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$25,627,836, 31 December 1985

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Delphi IV Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screenwriter John Pielmeier has said of this film's script: "When we began working on the screenplay [director] Norman [Jewison] had the idea of setting most of our story in a convent in Québec [in Canada]. It allowed us to create an environment that would be unfamiliar and, I hope, interesting to the audience. It also allowed us to use two languages in the film. Some of the dialogue is in French [with most in English]."

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Goofs

During the most profound scene where Agnes receives the stigmata, the audio boom is visible for at least five seconds.

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Quotes

Doctor Martha Livingston: Sister Mary Cletus, she used to call me Polka-Dot Livingston!
Mother Miriam Ruth: So, you left the church because you had freckles?
Doctor Martha Livingston: No... I... uh... YES! I left the church because I had freckles!

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Connections

Referenced in The 13th Annual Young Comedians Special (1989)

User Reviews

An Excellent Movie

I saw this movie for the first time with a group of friends in a special show at midnight. We had just seen an awful movie called "A Hot Party" and were so mad. I picked up a torn newspaper from the floor and saw the ad for this special show. We decided on the spot that nothing could be worse than what we just saw and went over. Great Choice!. Fonda's character is so full of conflicts, but her struggle to keep objectivity is showed masterfully, Ann Bancroft is great as the Mother Superior, supportive of her flock, and protective; but trying to help the good doctor as a way to extricate Agnes (Meg Tilly) from her "delusions". And Meg Tilly, what a find she was for us. The photography, with dominating earthy colors, delivers the ambient of the movie in such a beautiful way.

I can say that this is clearly, one of the best movies I've ever seen. Highly recommended.