IMDb > The Nun's Story (1959)
The Nun's Story
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The Nun's Story (1959) More at IMDbPro »

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The Nun's Story (1959) -- Audrey Hepburn stars as an ex-nun in this trailer for the drama

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Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   3,003 votes
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Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Robert Anderson (screenplay)
Kathryn Hulme (book)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Nun's Story on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 July 1959 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Her Faith Remained Strong and True in the Face of Africa's Terrors! more
Plot:
This is the story of Sister Luke, from the time she enters the convent until she chooses to leave the Sisterhood... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 12 nominations more
NewsDesk:
Playwright Anderson Dies
 (From WENN. 10 February 2009, 4:00 AM, PST)

User Reviews:
Don't let the title serve only as a turn-off... more (60 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Audrey Hepburn ... Sister Luke (Gabrielle van der Mal)

Peter Finch ... Dr. Fortunati
Edith Evans ... Rev. Mother Emmanuel (Belgium) (as Dame Edith Evans)
Peggy Ashcroft ... Mother Mathilde (Africa) (as Dame Peggy Ashcroft)
Dean Jagger ... Dr. Van Der Mal
Mildred Dunnock ... Sister Margharita (Mistress of Postulants)
Beatrice Straight ... Mother Christophe (Sanatorium)
Patricia Collinge ... Sister William (convent teacher)
Rosalie Crutchley ... Sister Eleanor
Ruth White ... Mother Marcella (School of Medicine)
Barbara O'Neil ... Mother Didyma (War-time Hospital)
Margaret Phillips ... Sister Pauline (medical student)
Patricia Bosworth ... Simone (postulant who changed her mind)
Colleen Dewhurst ... Archangel Gabriel (Sanatorium)
Stephen Murray ... Chaplain (Father Andre)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
149 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification:
Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:PG (tv rating) | UK:U | West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:Approved (certificate #18979) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The scenes where this is palpable sexual tension between Dr Fortunati and Sister Luke are not present in the novel. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When Sister Luke removes her wedding ring at the end of the movie, her nails are long and she is wearing clear nail polish, neither of which would have been allowed for a nun. more
Quotes:
Rev. Mother Emmanuel: Have you struggled long enough to say surely that you've come to the end?
Sister Luke: I think I've been struggling all these years, Reverend Mother. In the beginning each struggle seemed different from the one before it. But then they began to repeat, and I saw they all had the same core: obedience. Without question, without inner murmuring. Perfect obedience as Christ practiced it. As I no longer can.
Rev. Mother Emmanuel: Yes?
Sister Luke: There are times when my conscience asks which has priority. It or the Holy Rule? When the bell calls me to chapel, I often have to sacrifice what might be the decisive moment in a spiritual talk with a patient. I'm late every day for chapel or refectory or both...
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FAQ

Where did Sister Luke go after she left the convent?
Is "The Nun's Story" based on a book?
What is a "dowry"?
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14 out of 21 people found the following review useful.
Don't let the title serve only as a turn-off..., 12 August 2000
9/10
Author: caramh

Honestly, if my family hadn't already owned this movie I probably would have past over it again and again without much hesitation. However, given the limited amount of movies I had to chose from, I decided to give this movie a fair shot. Wow. To think that I only viewed this movie out of desperation is embarrassing! The inner-struggle that Sr. Luke (Audrey Hepburn)undergoes from postulant to nun is incredibly human, not strictly religious. I thought, given the movie's topic, that I would be bored and lost, yet found myself completely in touch with the reality of her life. Its almost impossible not to become in touch with her character, especially once she reaches the Congo and faces the underplayed romantic tension between herself and Peter Finch. While I have absolutely no intention of suddenly becoming a nun or running off to the Congo, I will always be up for another viewing of this movie. So ignore the title and give this movie a chance!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Nun's Story (1959)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Becoming a nun today... trish722
Ever wanted to be a nun? NumberOnePhantomFan
Which religious order? AestheticBliss
Illunga (African convert) Welch57
Was the sanitarium stabbing ever in the film? sandfleas2008
How long? saphire_lightning
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