Agnes of God is a 1985 American mystery drama directed by Norman Jewison, written by John Pielmeier, and based on the game of the same name, and starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly, about a novice nun who gives birth and insists that the dead child is the result of the virgin concept. A psychiatrist (Fonda) and superior mother (Bancroft) from the monastery clash during the investigation produced.
Despite the generally varied reviews from critics, the film is nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress in the Main Role (Bancroft), Best Actress in Supporting Role (Tilly), and Best Original Score. Tilly also won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
Video Agnes of God (film)
Plot
At a Roman Catholic monastery near Montreal, Quebec, Canada, during the evening prayers, the nuns heard the cry coming from the room of Sister Agnes, a young novice. Agnes was found in her room, took a lot of bleeding, and in the wastebasket there was a dead baby with a umbilical cord wrapped around her neck.
Sister Agnes is suspected of killing the baby, so psychiatrist Martha Livingston is assigned by the court to determine whether she is competent to stand trial. In an interview, Agnes claims she does not remember being pregnant or giving birth, and shows a lack of understanding of how babies are conceived. Miriam's mother told Livingston that Agnes was "not guilty" who was kept at home by her mother and knew nothing of the world. She is desperate to keep Agnes naive, and declares that she can not know what the pregnancy is or remember the father.
Miriam's mother told Livingston about the time Agnes stopped eating in the belief that she was fat, and then showed off a stigmata in her hand that healed herself in one day. Agnes told Livingston about her friendship with Sister Marie-Paul, the eldest nun, who showed him the "secret place" - the bell tower, which he then showed to Livingston. They argue about Agnes's mother and birth, and how much Agnes knows about sex and pregnancy.
Miriam's mother told Livingston that Agnes must become pregnant on January 23, because that was the night Agnes burned her bedding, confessing that they were "stained". While looking around the convent neighborhood, Livingston found a barn. He and a young monsignor argue over whether his lack of faith will make him unable to treat Agnes with dignity. Livingston learns that Agnes's mother is verbally and sexually abusive, telling her that she is a "mistake"; and that Agnes is Miriam's nephew.
Livingston received permission from the court to hypnotize Agnes, but Miriam's mother strongly opposed her, believing that it would strip him of her innocence. While hypnotized, Agnes admits that she gave birth and another woman in the monastery knew she was pregnant, but would not reveal who. Livingston found that a workroom in the monastery had a staircase hidden into an underground tunnel leading into a barn. (A historian explains that many old monasteries have "secret" tunnels, to let the nuns move between buildings during the winter.) Miriam's mother tries to keep Livingston out of the case, but she pleads to the court authorities and is defended.
Livingston gets a second court order to put Agnes under hypnosis again. Miriam's mother admits that she knows Agnes is pregnant and puts a wastebasket in her room, but denied she killed her baby. Under hypnosis, Agnes reveals that on the night Sister Marie-Paul died, she told Agnes that she saw "Him" from the bell tower and directed Agnes to meet "Him" in the barn. Under interrogation, he seems to describe the encounter with a real presence - human or divine. Suddenly, Agnes showcased the stigmata in her hand, and began to release a lot of blood. Agnes states that God raped her, and that she hates God for it. She admits that Miriam's mother was present when the baby was born, but then went away briefly; then Agnes kills the boy in the belief that, like himself, the baby is "a mistake".
Agnes is found not guilty by reason of insanity and returns to the monastery where doctors can visit periodically. He told the judge that he heard "He" singing under his bedroom window for six nights in a row, and then on the seventh night he lay on it.
Maps Agnes of God (film)
Cast
- Jane Fonda as Dr. Martha Livingston
- Anne Bancroft as Miriam Ruth's mother (confirmation name)... Anna Maria Burchetti (birth name)
- Meg Tilly as Sister Agnes Devereaux
- Anne Pitoniak as Mrs. Livingston, mother of Martha
- Winston Rekert as Det. Langevin
- Gratien GÃÆ' Â © linas as Father Martineau
- Guy Hoffman as Judge Joseph Leveau
- Gabriel Arcand as Monsignor
- FranÃÆ'§oise Faucher as Eve LeClaire
- Jacques Tourangeau as Eugene Lyon
- Janine Fluet as Sister Marguerite
- Deborah Grover as Sister Anne
- Michele George as Sister Susanna
- Samantha Langevin as Sister Jeannine
- Jacqueline Blais as Sister David Marie
- FranÃÆ'§oise Berd as Sister ThÃÆ' Â © rÃÆ'¨se
- Mimi D'EstÃÆ' Â © e as Nurse Elizabette
- Rita Tuckett as Sister Geraldine
- Lillian Graham as Sister Madeline Marie
- Norm of Dell'Agnese as Sister GeneviÃÆ'¨ve
- Muguette Moreau as Sister Luke
- Janice Bryan as Sister Mary Joseph
- Agnes Middleton as Sister Paul
Filming
Agnes of God was filmed at the former Rockwood Academy in Rockwood, Ontario, Canada and especially in Montreal, as well as in Boucherville on the southern coast of Montreal (Ste-Famille Church).
Reception
Agnes of God was greeted with mixed reviews on the release in 1985 and 46% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers praised Tilly and Bancroft's show, but felt that there were holes in the plot and movement. Gene Siskel said that he played "with some challenging ideas and some sensational events, but ultimately failed to get his right to play with such subjects." Roger Ebert also took sides, gave one star and said that although "dealing with the basic ingredients of criminal investigations (cynical police, forensic details, courtroom testimony), it has a very closed agenda."
The film was a simple financial success, as it grossed $ 25,627,836 domestically.
References
External links
- Agnes of God on IMDb
- Agnes of God in the TCM Film Database
- Agnes of God at AllMovie
- Agnes of God at Rotten Tomatoes
- Agnes of God at Box Office Mojo
- Film transcripts
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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