Agnes of God (film)
| Agnes of God | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Norman Jewison |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | John Pielmeier |
| Based on |
Agnes of God by John Pielmeier |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Georges Delerue |
| Cinematography | Sven Nykvist |
| Edited by | Antony Gibbs |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $25.6 million |
Agnes of God is a 1985 American mystery drama film directed by Norman Jewison, written by John Pielmeier based on his play 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 was the result of a virgin conception. A psychiatrist (Fonda) and the mother superior (Bancroft) of the convent clash during the resulting investigation.
Despite generally mixed reviews from critics, the film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Bancroft), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Tilly), and Best Music, Original Score. Tilly also won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
In a Roman Catholic convent near Montreal, Quebec, Canada, during evening prayers, the nuns hear screams coming from the room of Sister Agnes, a young novice. Agnes is found in her room bleeding profusely, and in a wastepaper basket there is a dead baby with its umbilical cord wrapped around its neck.
Sister Agnes is suspected of killing the baby, so psychiatrist Martha Livingston is assigned by a court to determine if she is competent to stand trial. In an interview, Agnes claims she doesn't remember being pregnant or giving birth, and shows a lack of understanding of how babies are conceived. Mother Miriam tells Livingston that Agnes is an "innocent" who was kept at home by her mother and knows nothing about the world. She is desperate to keep Agnes naive, and declares that she couldn't have known what pregnancy was or remember the father.
Mother Miriam tells Livingston about the time Agnes stopped eating in the belief she was getting fat, and then exhibited stigmata in her hand that healed itself within a day. Agnes takes Livingston to her favorite place, a bell tower at the convent. They argue about Agnes' mother and birth, and how much Agnes knows about sex and pregnancy.
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