Agnes of God (1985)

Jane Fonda plays a psychiatrist assigned to help Meg Tilly, a young nun who has recently given birth. With her baby dead and her memory lapsed, Jane tries to get to the bottom of the upsetting and newsworthy situation. Anne Bancroft is Mother Superior, and she resents Jane's presence. She and Jane clash at every turn, but the audience soon finds out no one is as innocent as they appear.Based off of John Pielmeier's play, Agnes of God is the most controversial religious film since The Nun's Story. It's a very interesting story, but it might not be the type of movie you'll want to watch over and over. Jane and Anne give great performances, and the story probes the minds of those inclined to question, but for audiences who aren't in the mood for a heavy, draining play, you might want to rent one of Jane Fonda's films from the 1960s.

Neither loving it, nor loathing it - 1985's "Agnes Of God" was one of those "not-quite-satisfying" films that (because of its in-your-face, religious subject matter) had me sitting on the fence when it came to offering up a rational and fair-minded opinion about it.And, of course, while watching Agnes Of God, the following question continually came to mind - Was Agnes, in actuality, a bona-fide flake, or was she, in fact, really, truly for real? And just like me riding the fence in my opinion of said-movie - I'd say that this film's screenwriters also chose to ride the fence, as well - Yes. All the way to the story's ending - Never, ever giving the viewer a "yes" or a "no" answer regarding the true state of Agnes's mental stability.For the most part, Agnes Of God's story did keep its head above water in the realm of intelligence - But, when it came down to its insinuation of an honest-to-goodness "immaculate conception" (regarding Agnes's murdered baby girl), the viewer really had no choice but to take the entire story's validity with a rather large grain of salt.All-in-all - In spite of its numerous flaws and gaping plot-holes - Agnes Of God's religiously disturbing story did, indeed, offer up strong performances from its 3 principal actresses - Anne Bancroft, Meg Tilly and Jane Fonda.Believe me, this was definitely one of those films that one has to see for themselves so that they, in turn, can form their own judgements on its somewhat controversial subject matter.

I was tempted to give this movie a ten, because what it does well it does very well, but unfortunately it has a couple of problems that it never really overcomes.And this isn't totally the fault of the film, either, because the problems that plague the film are the same ones that plagued John Pielmeier's play.On the Broadway stage, AGNES OF GOD was basically a showcase for three powerful actresses at the top of their game: Elizabeth Ashley, the late, great Geraldine Page, and Amanda Plummer in a remarkable breakthrough performance.In the film, we have three equally powerful actresses: Jane Fonda, the late, great Anne Bancroft, and Meg Tilly in an equally remarkable breakthrough performance.The story is a simple one. A young nun in a cloistered convent (Tilly) has given birth to a baby, and has apparently also killed it. The young woman, raised in strange and sheltered conditions since childhood, is unworldly to the point of simple-mindedness and claims to have no memory of the birth.Enter Fonda as the court-appointed psychiatrist who has been assigned to determine just exactly what this young woman's mental state really is. She is a bundle of nerves herself, an agnostic with a grudge against the Catholic Church who chain-smokes and immediately raises the suspicion of Mother Superior (Bancroft), a woman who was married and had a family before taking the veil, who seems to have one foot in the spiritual realm and one in the worldly: she may know more about what happened than she is willing to reveal, and she wants desperately to believe in miracles, even to the point of implying that Agnes's child may not have had an earthly father.Naturally, the psychiatrist will have none of this, at least not at first, but Reverend Mother is not so easily put off, and Agnes herself is not exactly forthcoming with information.Watching this film, I could see why it made such compelling theatre: the performances by all three actresses are dynamite, the dialogue is crisp and knowing, and the situation has more than sufficient intrigue to keep the viewer's attention right to the final revelation.Unfortunately it's the final revelation that is the film's (and the play's) wet firecracker: the question that is raised is never satisfactorily answered, leaving the viewer hanging, and speaking for myself at least, feeling a little bit manipulated.I really can't complain too much though. Fonda, Bancroft, and Tilly are so good here that the play's basic flaw does not ruin everything that came before. So if you are in the mood to see three really great actresses strut their stuff, I highly recommend AGNES OF GOD. Despite its faults, it is compelling filmmaking.

A Golden Globe performance for Meg Tilly and Oscar nominations for Tilly and Anne Bancroft. This is a story that brings into question stigmata, belief, along with the possibility of virgin birth.A nun (Tilly) has a baby, which is found dead, and she is brought up on manslaughter charges. She claims no knowledge of the baby or how to even have a baby.Jane Fonda, an obvious skeptic, is a psychiatrist appointed to examine the situation. What is a to be a psychiatric examination turns into an investigation of the convent. Secrets come out bit by bit as Nancy Drew, I mean the psychiatrist, discovers the one secret that can explain everything.But does it? Simple seduction or a miracle? It is left for the viewer to decide.What is not left to the viewer to decide is the excellent performances by the three stars above. They were miraculous.