Agnes of God (1985)

53% of critics liked it
(17 reviews)
54% of users liked it
(6,615 ratings)

Agnes of God is an "opened up" adaptation of the minimalist stage play by John Pielmeier. Meg Tilly plays a young nun who secretly gives birth to a baby; the child's body is later found strangled to death. Court-appointed psychiatrist Jane Fonda is sent to the convent to investigate, a task made… More Agnes of God is an "opened up" adaptation of the minimalist stage play by John Pielmeier. Meg Tilly plays a young nun who secretly gives birth to a baby; the child's body is later found strangled to death. Court-appointed psychiatrist Jane Fonda is sent to the convent to investigate, a task made difficult by the weathervane behavior of mother superior Anne Bancroft. To draw out Tilly, who remembers nothing of the birth, Fonda suggests that hypnosis is called for. Playwright Pielmeier poses many questions--is Tilly a pure-and-simple murderess, or was there something "divine" in her act?--but offers frustratingly few answers. The evocative photography is by longtime Ingmar Bergman associate Sven Nykvist. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Norman Jewison
Written By: John Pielmeier
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2002 Wide
On DVD: May 21, 2002
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Hysterical, pseudo-religious melodrama that's too verbose and stagey for the big scren, though the acting, especially Bancroft and Tily, is good.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Controversial religion themed story worth seeing; based on stage success.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
Deadly - despite good work from Meg Tilly, the film is grotesquely directed and the spiritual debate is sensationalized beyond all reason.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Well-acted and soul-stirring drama about miracles and the clash between reason and faith.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
a provocative piece featuring virtuoso acting from Fonda, Bancroft and Tilly
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
A handful of darn solid performances are mired in a tiresome and muddled narrative.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Leigh R

Very well done movie.
Mark A

A powerhouse cast and a compelling story presented here by director Norman Jewison and beautifully filmed by cinematographer Sven Nyquist combined to make this a marvelous film. Meg Tilly radiates beauty, faith, and simplicity as Sister Agnes, a novice in an unnamed monastic order of… More
A powerhouse cast and a compelling story presented here by director Norman Jewison and beautifully filmed by cinematographer Sven Nyquist combined to make this a marvelous film. Meg Tilly radiates beauty, faith, and simplicity as Sister Agnes, a novice in an unnamed monastic order of nuns who is accused of murdering her newborn child. Jane Fonda plays a court appointed psychiatrist whose duty is to render a diagnosis that will allow the church and the courts to sweep this case under the rug, but who fights to find out what really happened. More detective than doctor, she follows the trail to wherever it leads, to the consternation of all. And Anne Bancroft, as the Mother Superior with her own secrets, wants this ordeal to be over before her own failures are revealed. Some of the early scenes, as the story was being set up, left this viewer a little confused and the relationship between the good doctor and a sympathetic police detective was largely unexplained. But, except for those shortcomings, this was a powerful film dealing with innocence and guilt and faith versus skepticism in a wholly believable manner. Questions remain, but the verdict rendered by the court seems just and fair, and the clash between faith and reason is not settled, but has reached a truce. One feels that an unlikely friendship has been established and that the good Dr Livingstone and Mother Superior Miriam Ruth share a mutual respect for one another as a result of these events.
Mike T

This film absolutely oozes with melodrama and the dialogue scarcely rings true. However, the strength of Jewison's direction and bravery of the performances make it mildly interesting.

Cast

            Jane Fonda as Dr. Martha Livingston

            Anne Bancroft as Sister Miriam Ruth

            Meg Tilly as Sister Agnes

            Anne Pitoniak as Dr. Livingston's Mother

            Winston Rekert as Detective Langevin

            Gratien Gelinas as Father Martineau

            Guy Hoffman as Justice Joseph Leveau

            Gabriel Arcand as Monsignor

            Françoise Faucher as Eve LeClaire

            Jacques Tourangeau as Eugene Lyon

            Françoise Berd as Sister Therese

            Jacqueline Blais as Sister David Marie

            Norma Dell'Agnese as Sister Genevieve

            Victor Désy as Librarian

            Janine Fluet as Sister Marguerite

            Michele George as Sister Susanna

            Deborah Grover as Sister Anne

            Jennifer Jewison as Female Patient

            Samantha Langevin as Sister Jeannine

            Charlotte Laurier as Young Prostitute

            Laurel Lyle as Helen the Receptionist

            André Lacoste as Male Patient

            France Arbour as Housekeeper

            Nicole Marie Abbat as Sister Genevieve's Family Member

            Matthew Armstrong as Sister Genevieve's Family Member

            Janice Bryan as Sister Mary Joseph

            Carole Chatel as Lab Technician

            Mimi D'Estee as Sister Elizabette

            Mark Denis as Newscaster

            Lillian Graham as Sister Madeline Marie

            Gerry Huckstep as Paramedic

            Peter Langley as Sister Genevieve's Family Member

            Herbert Luft as TV Reporter

            Chava Mandlsohn as Sister Genevieve's Family Member

            Agnes Middleton as Sister Paul

            Muguette Moreau as Sister Luke

            Charles S. Pottie as Sister Genevieve's Family Member

            Daniel Tremblay as Police Detective

            Rita Tuckett as Sister Geraldine

            Gratien Galinas
            
            Winston Reckert
            
See full cast