AGNES OF GOD (1985)

 After hearing about the role of Sister Miriam not being CAST yet, Anne Bancroft decided to throw her hat into the ring.  She called Norman Jewison telling that she was very interest in playing Sister Miriam. Jewison was NOT convinced that Bancroft was right for the role. He told Bancroft that she was too SEXY  and too   PRETTY  to play the Mother Superior. Bancroft decided to meet Jewison in his office without her hair being fixed and no make -up. Needlessly to say, after seeing Bancroft in her NATURAL state, Jewison was open to the idea. Before long Bancroft landed the role of Mother Miriam.

Jane Fonda was Director Norman Jewison's first choice for the role of Dr. Martha Livingston in AGNES OF GOD (1985).  One of the challenging aspects of the role for Fonda was that her character was a CHAIN SMOKER. Fonda had given up SMOKING ten years prior to making the film. To become the CHARACTER, Fonda SMOKED non-toxic TOBACCO- FREE cigarettes known as reed cigarettes. These alternative cigarettes were made from CATTAILS and sold in health food stores help people kick the nicotine habit.

SYNOPSIS (Spoilers Alert !!!)

A silence was BROKEN by a PIERCING SCREAM in the MIDDLE of the night. All the NUNS at the CONVENT scrambled down the corridors to see what was the matter. The SCREAM came from Sister Agnes's room. The NUNS could see Sister Agnes's body covered in BLOOD  slumped on the floor BLOCKING the door.

After the paramedics strapped Sister Agnes in a stretcher and rolled her down the corridor. Mother Miriam  (Anne Bancroft) decides to do some investigating in Sister Agnes's room.  Under Sister Agnes's bed, Mother Miriam  DISCOVERS  some BLOOD SOAKED  RAGS in a wastebasket. Then her eyes WIDENED and TEARS ran down the side of her face when she UNCOVERS the body of a newborn. Mother Miriam begins to WEEP in AGONIZING DESPAIR for the SCANDAL that is about DESTROY to her convent's reputation.

 Dr. Martha Livingston ( Jane Fonda ) gets the first glance at Sister  Agnes (Meg Tilly)  her future patient coming down the stairs of the Court Building. Sister Agnes (Meg Tilly)  was being ACCOSTED by reporters wanting the SCOOP on how her baby died. When Dr. Livingston was appointed to on Sister Agnes's case for a PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION, she has her reservations because of the facts point to Sister Agnes strangled her baby.

Before Dr. Livingston could CONDUCT her PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION with Sister Agnes, she had questions for  Mother Miriam  ( Anne Bancroft), who was more than willing to ANSWER. Dr. Livingston fired away with her inquiries about the nun in question like, Who else knew about the pregnancy?  WHO is the FATHER ?  and What MEN  had accessed to HER? Unfortunately, Mother Miriam couldn't answer most of them. 

What becomes ASTONISHING to Dr. Livingston that Mother Miriam even didn't question Sister Agnes about her PREGNANCY. Her reasoning was that Sister Agnes can't remember the BIRTH or not going CONCEPTION that happened ten months ago. Mother Miriam speaks her mind, telling Dr. Livingston that she does not want Sister Agnes's mind CUT OPEN.

Mercifully it is NOT up to Mother Miriam to tell  Dr. Livingston how to do her job. Dr. Livingston is bent on getting ANSWERS about why the baby was strangled with its own UMBILICAL CORD.

The session begins with Dr. Livingston making inquiries about the night the BABY came. Sister Agnes has NO recollection about the BABY, only that she was SICK. She believes the other nuns made up the story about the baby. Sister Agnes became agitated, no longer wanting to be QUESTIONED.

To keep the session going, Dr. Livingston suggested that Sister Agnes ASK her questions. Dr. Livington got a feeling that Sister Agnes was not like the other NUNS. Sister Agnes appeared to be NAIVE, INNOCENT and CHILDLIKE.  Was this all in ACT for she couldn't be CONVICTED of MURDER. Then Sister Agnes asks  Dr. Livingston the MOTHERLODE of all QUESTIONS: "Where do you think BABIES come from?"

Sister Agnes BELIEVES that an ANGEL whispers in the mother's ear and then the GOOD baby starts to GROW. And BAD babies come from the FALLEN angel who squeezes in DOWN BELOW and the bad baby starts to GROW and GROW until it comes out from down there. Sister Agnes adds that she doesn't know where GOOD babies come out from.

After the session, Dr. Livingston was not totally convinced that Sister Agnes was INNOCENT until Mother Miriam fill her in on Agnes's BACK STORY. Apparently, our novice nun NEVER attended school because her mother kept home. She NEVER has seen a movie, NEVER watched a TV, or even read a book. Sister Agnes was kept ISOLATED all her life until she was placed in the CONVENT.

 During the next session, Sister Agnes takes Dr. Livingston a SECRET PLACE that she and Sister Rose shared. The SECRET PLACE turns out to be the BELL TOWER. It is there when Dr. Livingston begins to learn that Sister Agnes had a COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP  with her mother as she SUSPECTED. Sister Agnes becomes EMOTIONALLY unhinged with the discussion of babies and her mother. Sister Agnes said that her mother looks upon her as a MISTAKE.

 Dr. Livingston PROBES deeper asking DEMANDING questions telling Sister Agnes that she doesn't believe her that she doesn't know anything about SEX. Dr. Livingston continues to add that she doesn't believe her not remembering CARRYING A CHILD. All of a sudden Sister Agnes begins to sob and says 'NUNS DON'T HAVE CHILDREN."  It becomes TRANSPARENT that Sister Agnes is NOT FAKING. In fact, Sister Agnes is quite BROKEN and Dr. Livingston believes that Sister Agnes's mother is CULPRIT.

Dr. Livingston INFORMS Mother Miriam that she plans to seek an ACQUITTAL on the grounds of LEGAL INNOCENCE for Sister Agnes's case. Then more ANSWERS are REVEALED when Sister Agnes CONFIDES  with Dr. Livingston telling what her mother use to do to her. 

During Dr.Livingston's INVESTIGATION  in Sister Agne's file, she UNCOVERS that Mother Miriam is RELATED to her. It turns out that Sister Agnes's Mother was Mother Miriam's sister. When the DIRTY FAMILY SECRETS are revealed to Mother Miriam, she CLAIMS she knew nothing of the abuse her sister afflicted on her niece.

With the court's permission, Dr. Livingston puts Sister Agnes under HYPNOSIS.  While under, Sister Agnes ADMITS to  HAVING THE BABY and that someone knew about. But Sister Agnes REUSES to reveal her ACCOMPLICE with Mother Miriam in the room.

After looking at floor plans of the convent, Dr. Livingston DISCOVERS  a SECRET ENTRANCE which could account how the MAN  got in or how Sister Agnes got out. Dr. Livington followed the floor plan which leads her to an UNDERGROUND  TUNNEL from inside the Covent to the inside of the BARN.

The next day, Mother Miriam pays Dr. Livingston a visit  DISCHARGING from Sister Agne's case. Apparently, Mother Miriam feels that getting to close to REVEAL  more SECRETS.  Mother Miriam PROCLAIMS that maybe Sister Agnes's pregnancy was indeed a GIFT from God and No Man was involved like her niece suggests. Dr.Livingston immediately goes on the ATTACK, stating Mother Miriam REFUSES to face the REALITY  that her niece was either seduced, raped, or did the seducing.

Bent on SAVING Sister Agnes from being CONVICTED of MURDER, Dr. Livingston goes to the CONVENT  with a court order to put Sister Agnes under HYPNOSIS one more time. Another SECRET is revealed when Mother Miriam 's frustrations get the better over Dr. Livingston's meddling. It turns out, that Sister Agnes's ACCOMPLICE was MOTHER MIRIAM. Apparently, Mother Miriam knew all along that her niece was PREGNANT and even supplied the wastebasket for she could the bloody linen in. 

Mother Miriam claims that she was going to take the baby to a hospital, but it was a difficult birth and there was so much BLOOD and she PANICKED. Mother Miriam is either one of hell of a STORYTELLER or is telling the TRUTH.  Mother Miriam continues to say that she left the baby with Sister Agnes as she went for HELP.

Sister Agnes is once again put under HYPNOSIS to retrieve ANSWERS that will help her case. Sister Agnes REVEALS that she was instructed to see HIM by a dying nun. This same nun that showed Sister Agnes the BELL TOWER  and the SECRET PASSAGE. It is there in the BELL TOWER, where Sister Agnes begins to speak to what she believes the DIVINE being. Amongst the fluttering of white doves, we see Sister laying down in the hay.

Next, Sister Agnes is no longer HYPNOTIZED, but BLEEDING from the PALMS of her HANDS. Dr. Livingston and Mother Miriam run to her aid. Sister Agnes becomes FRIGHTENED. She starts  SMEARING her BLOOD on the wall. Dr. Livingston tries to assure Sister Agnes was it not her FAULT what the MAN did to her in the BELL TOWER. Sister Agnes becomes HYSTERICAL, claiming that GOD did this to her. The FINAL secret is REVEALED  that Sister Agnes had TERMINATED her baby. Believing the baby was a MISTAKE like her mother had PROGRAMMED her to think. Sister Agnes believed she giving the baby back to GOD.

The FINALE has our NOVICE NUN found NOT GUILTY  by REASON of INSANITY. Sister Agnes gets to return to COVENT instead of going to ASYLUM.  She will be under the care of a Psychiatrist (maybe Dr. Livingston) who will make weekly visits at the convent. Before being dismissed from the courtroom, Sister Agnes makes her final attempt claiming she was RAVISH by GOD. However, the judge was NOT willing to listen to her outrageous babbling about being the next VIRGIN MARY and had her quickly REMOVED  from his courtroom.

   FILM FACTS:

Geraldine Page played Mother Miriam Ruth in AGNES OF GOD on Broadway but was overlooked when the play was adapted to the big screen. Ironically Page won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in A TRIP TO THE BOUNTIFUL (1985) over Anne Bancroft as Mother Miriam Ruth in AGNES OF GOD (1985).

Anne Bancroft was nominated for Best Actress for her performance in AGNES OF GOD (1985).  Meg Tilly was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in AGNES OF GOD (1985).

 AGNES OF GOD (1985) was Director Norman Jewison 's first theatrical release he directed in his native Canada.


  IMMORTAL DIALOGUE:

" She could have hidden a MACHINE GUN under here if she wanted too."

" Don't ASK  me those QUESTIONS, dear. I'm NOT the patient."

" Well, I'm the DOCTOR. I'm the one that gonna decide WHAT IS or  NOT important here."

      " I can't talk about the baby, because I never saw the baby."

            " Where do you think BABIES come from?"

"  What would you like me to do? No matter what you decide, whether prison or the nut house, and the difference between are pretty thin."

" All right! What do you suppose today's SAINTS are SMOKING?" 

THE CAST:  
   Jane Fonda (Dr. Martha Livingston ), Anne Bancroft ( Mother Miriam Ruth), Meg Tilly (Sister Agnes), Ann Piontiak (Martha's Mother), Winston Rekert (Detective Langevin), Gratien Gelinas (Father Martineau), Guy Hoffman (Justice Joseph Leveau), Gabriel Arcand (Monsignor), Francoise Faucher (Eve LeClaire), Janine Fluet (Sister Marguerite).
Directed by Norman Jewison.
                 

  MY BOTTOM LINE ...

AGNES OF GOD  (1985) doesn't SHATTER the ceiling on the possibility of MIRACLES  or expand our faith in believing in something that isn't tangible. However, Sister Agnes 's pregnancy raises the question of FAITH vs. LOGIC. The idea of the  immaculate conception in the modern world opens up the belief system of the secular and the religious. However, the EXPLANATION  about Sister Agnes's CONCEPTION leaves the viewers with a NOT much of a satisfying  RESOLUTION.

 All in all, AGNES OF GOD (1985) is more about the stellar cast than the plotline. Meg Tilly gives an outstanding performance of her career as the novice nun Agnes. Tilly brings a naive innocence to her representation that captures the viewer's humanity. Tilly certainly deserved her Oscar Nomination. Another exceptional performance in the film goes Anne Bancroft who frankly chews up the scenery in every scene she in. Bancroft certainly deserved her Oscar nomination as Mother Miriam. Bancroft is exceptional as an overprotective Aunt of Sister Agnes who battles to safeguard her niece from a prison sentence and shield the convent. And there's Jane Fonda who is quite convincing as the court-appointed Psychiatrist handling Sister Agnes's case. Unfortunately, Fonda may have been overlooked by the Academy Awards but gives stellar performance none the less.