Agnes of God (1985)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

John Pielmeier (play)
John Pielmeier (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 September 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

What unspeakable crime took place behind the third floor window? Only Agnes knows. And Dr. Martha Livingston is the one person who can unravel the mystery.

Plot:

When a naive novice nun is discovered with a dead newborn in her convent quarters, a court appointed psychiatrist investigates her case.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Novice | Convent | Nun | Mother Superior

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jane Fonda	...	Dr. Martha Livingston
Anne Bancroft	...	Mother Miriam Ruth
Meg Tilly	...	Sister Agnes
Anne Pitoniak	...	Dr. Livingston's Mother
Winston Rekert	...	Det. Langevin
Gratien Gélinas	...	Father Martineau
Guy Hoffman	...	Justice Joseph Leveau
Gabriel Arcand	...	Monsignor
Françoise Faucher	...	Eve LeClaire
Jacques Tourangeau	...	Eugene Lyon
Janine Fluet	...	Sister Marguerite
Deborah Grover	...	Sister Anne
Michele George	...	Sister Susanna
Samantha Langevin	...	Sister Jeannine
Jacqueline Blais	...	Sister David Marie
Françoise Berd	...	Sister Thérèse
Mimi D'Estée	...	Sister Elizabette
Rita Tuckett	...	Sister Geraldine (as Rita Tucket)
Lillian Graham	...	Sister Madeline Marie
Norma Dell'Agnese	...	Sister Geneviève
Muguette Moreau	...	Sister Luke
Janice Bryan	...	Sister Mary Joseph
Agnes Middleton	...	Sister Paul
France Arbour	...	Housekeeper
Laurel Lyle	...	Helen the Receptionist
Victor Désy	...	Librarian (as Victor Desy)
Charlotte Laurier	...	Young Prostitute
Peter Langley	...	Sister Geneviève's Family
Nicole Marie Abbat	...	Sister Geneviève's Family
Matthew Armstrong	...	Sister Geneviève's Family
Chava Mandlsohn	...	Sister Geneviève's Family
Charles S. Pottie S.J.	...	Sister Geneviève's Family
Gerry Huckstep	...	Paramedic
Marc Denis	...	Newscaster
Herbert Luft	...	TV Reporter
André Lacoste	...	Male Patient
Jennifer Jewison	...	Female Patient
Carole Chatel	...	Lab Technician
Daniel Tremblay	...	Police Detective

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
John Pielmeier		(play)
John Pielmeier		(screenplay)

Produced by
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Charles Milhaupt	....	associate producer
Bonnie Palef	....	associate producer (as Bonnie Palef-Woolf)
Patrick J. Palmer	....	producer (as Patrick Palmer)

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Sven Nykvist

Film Editing by
Antony Gibbs

Casting by
Gretchen Rennell

Production Design by
Ken Adam

Art Direction by
Carol Spier

Set Decoration by
Jaro Dick

Costume Design by
Renée April

Makeup Department
Ann Brodie	....	makeup artist
Paul LeBlanc	....	hair stylist
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist: Ms. Fonda

Production Management
Justis Greene	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Bailey	....	third assistant director
John Board	....	first assistant director
Madeleine Henrié	....	second assistant director (as Madeleine Henrie)
David Kelley	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Daniel R. Bradette	....	assistant property master
J. Tracy Budd	....	property master (as Tracy Budd)
Dan Conley	....	set dresser
Martin Freedman	....	set dresser
Rolf Harvey	....	assistant art director
Barbra Matis	....	assistant art director
Richard Reseigne	....	construction design coordinator
John Dondertman	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alison Clark	....	sound editor
Tony Currie	....	sound editor
Austin Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Herb Heritage	....	boom operator
Sharon Lackie	....	sound editor
Richard Lightstone	....	production sound mixer
Andy Malcolm	....	sound editor
Michael O'Farrell	....	sound editor
Peter Thillaye	....	supervising sound editor
Don White	....	sound re-recording mixer
Anke Bakker	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Richard Huggins	....	special blood effects: Theatre Magic
Carrie Robbins	....	special blood effects: Theatre Magic
Ron Thiessen	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
David Rigby	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Crone	....	Steadicam operator (as David C. Crone)
Attila Dory	....	still photographer (as Atilla Dory)
Ralph Gerling	....	camera operator
Kevin Jewison	....	first assistant camera
Brian Montague	....	gaffer
Bill Pryde	....	second assistant camera
Shin Sugino	....	still photographer
Randy Tambling	....	key grip
Frank Teunissen	....	second grip
Rae Thurston	....	best boy

Casting Department
Bonnie Finnegan	....	casting assistant
Karen Hazzard	....	local casting: Ontario
Helene Robitaille	....	local casting: Quebec (as Hélène Robitaille)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fabienne April	....	costumer
Ursula Brooke	....	assistant costumer
Arthur Rowsell	....	assistant costumer
Mario Davignon	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mary Canty	....	first assistant film editor
Bruce Lange	....	associate film editor

Music Department
Hayward Parrott	....	music scoring mixer
Richard Stone	....	supervising music editor: Segue Music
Ron Searles	....	assistant scoring engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Stuart Hughes	....	transportation coordinator
Charlotte Rose	....	driver: Ken Adam (uncredited)

Other crew
Jeff J.J. Authors	....	production assistant (as Jeff Authors)
Steven Brill	....	production assistant
Jan A. Campbell	....	assistant production accountant
Eve Cantor	....	production assistant
Dougal B. Caron	....	accounting clerk (as Dougal Caron)
Joanne Wetzel Caverly	....	assistant: Ms. Bancroft (as Joanne Wetzel)
Rachelle Charron	....	assistant production accountant
Robin Chaykin	....	assistant to producer
Christopher Cook	....	production assistant
Holly Dale	....	observer: Director's Guild of Canada
Susanna David	....	script supervisor
Theo Dimson	....	title designer: main title
Michael Jewison	....	location manager: Ontario
Debi Karolewski	....	assistant: Ms. Fonda
Grant Kelly	....	craft service
Candace Koethe	....	assistant: Mr. Jewison
Lou Kramer	....	stage producer: New York
Oleksandra Mikitenko	....	assistant: Mr. Jewison (as Andra Mikitenko)
Ginette Paré	....	location manager: Quebec
Valley Via Reseigne	....	production office coordinator (as Valley Reseigne)
Line Tremblay	....	production assistant
Guy Trinque	....	location manager: Quebec
Tom Udell	....	production accountant
Kenneth Waissman	....	stage producer: New York
Sandy Webb	....	production office coordinator
Nancy Willen	....	unit publicist
Bruce McDonald	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Holly Paré	....	location manager: Quebec (uncredited)

Thanks
Letitzia Adam	....	thanks
Gloria Demers	....	thanks
Andreas Drenters	....	thanks
Heather Drenters	....	thanks
Jeannine Edmunds	....	thanks
Father David Eley	....	thanks
Father Marc Gervals	....	thanks
Mother Mary Dominic	....	thanks
Larry Palef	....	thanks
Richard Pfeffer-Lapidese	....	thanks (as Rachael Pfeffer-Lapidese)
Sister Pierette	....	thanks
Father Charles S. Pottie	....	thanks
Sister Rolande	....	thanks
Roger Sherman	....	thanks
Daniel Tremblay	....	thanks
Margaret Westcott	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Delphi IV Productions

Distributors

• Warner-Columbia Film (1986) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1986) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures
• Columbia TriStar (USA) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (video)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1986) (Belgium) (video)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1997) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• SFX Design Inc.

Other Companies

• Benson & Hodges (Canada) Inc.  producers thanks
• CFCF-TV  producers thanks
• Film Commission of Montreal  producers thanks
• Film Opticals  opticals
• Manta Sound Company  music recording
• Natural Furs of Canada  producers thanks
• New Wave Travel  producers thanks
• Ontario Film & Video Office  producers thanks
• Ontario Heritage Foundation  producers thanks
• Paramount Theater Productions  producer: New York Stage
• Pathé Sound and Post Production Center  sound re-recording
• Rockwood Acadamie  producers thanks
• The Elmer Iseler Singers  producers thanks
• Toronto Film and Television Office, The  producers thanks
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack published by

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Despite the fact that her character is a chain-smoker, in real life, Jane Fonda is a dedicated non-smoker. For this role, she smoked reed cigarettes - non-toxic, tobacco-free cigarettes made from cattail reeds, which are sold in health stores to people who are trying to quit smoking.

Quotes:

Doctor Martha Livingston: As much as God loves you

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ken Adam: Designing Bond (2000) (V)

Unforgettable Tilly Performance

A young nun is found in a convent to have given birth and then strangled the baby. An investigation ensues, but only seems to unearth more and more perplexing twists.

There is very little theology here and approaches it's subject matter in a very matter of fact way. It has the mindset that the majority of the viewers are non- religious or disgruntled ex-catholics. It portrays the church as a stubborn, age old institution that is slowly losing touch with our more modern sensibilities.

Yet, refreshingly, it also doesn't try to tear down the church with every chance it gets. There is a certain level of respect and objectivity here. The mother superior (Bancroft) is shown to be very human and multi-faceted. Her and Fonda make interesting adversaries. Their love-hate relationship is both interesting and enlightening. There is even a rare scene showing an excited young women being inducted into the sisterhood as her proud family looks on.

Fonda, with her liberated, modern women persona, seems a very obvious choice to play the no nonsense psychiatrist. She approaches the role with conviction, but her constant chain smoking seems affected and her emotionlism overwrought. I still say she is much better suited for comedy. (CAT BALLOU, NINE TO FIVE).

Bancroft is solid as usual. Yet it's Tilly that is really impressive. She portrays the innocence of her character with a incredible clarity. It is almost astounding.

The mystery unravels well and keeps you intrigued. Yet the ambiguous conclusion is a bit disappointing. The drama side fares better. It poses a few good insights and ends with a interesting perspective. The film is well done on all levels even though there is really nothing that memorable or distinctive to it (outside of Tilly's compelling performance.)