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Agnes of God

Play trailer Poster for Agnes of God PG-13 Released Sep 13, 1985 1h 39m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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44% Tomatometer 32 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Dr. Martha Livingston (Jane Fonda) is a court-appointed psychiatrist sent to evaluate Sister Agnes (Meg Tilly), a young nun whose infant has been found strangled. With Agnes claiming a virgin conception and having no memory of giving birth, Livingston must distinguish between the lies and the nun's perception-altering faith. Complicating her investigation, Livingston continually clashes with the overbearing Mother Miriam Ruth (Anne Bancroft), who insists that Livingston leave Agnes alone.
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Agnes of God

Critics Reviews

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Bob Thomas Associated Press Rich characters all. But their interplay is not always convincing. And when the mystery is finally solved, it is no great revelation. Jul 25, 2019 Full Review Paul Attanasio Washington Post What "Agnes of God" needed was a director like David "Scanners" Cronenberg, the Bergman of blood, who would compose a fantasia upon it, drag it down to its B-movie roots. Jan 4, 2018 Full Review Richard Corliss TIME Magazine All three stars do smart, honorable work. May 8, 2013 Full Review Justine Smith Vague Visages The beauty of the film is that she transcends the victim narrative... Jun 6, 2024 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...an excessively deliberate endeavor... Rated: 2/4 May 2, 2021 Full Review TV Guide Though the plot has some annoying holes, the dialogue and the performances are excellent. Rated: 3/4 May 8, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Julian S. The acting is immaculate—Tilly near-transcendent—but the film ties itself in knots when it should cut deeper. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/10/25 Full Review Ed . White trash /or/ A Convent of Nuns and No Baby "Dear God, It's me, Agnes. Why couldn't you place me in the convent of those Sister Act nuns instead of this French Canadian hellhole? I'd much rather have Maggie Smith as my Mother Superior instead of a divorcee with kids who won't speak to her. I don't know much about birthing no babies but I do have a fine singing voice. I also wouldn't have Hanoi Jane Fonda breathing down my back." This film gets rolling after the first half hour as the characters are more developed and less caricature. Who really is Agnes? Slow simpleton, tortured soul, more aware than she lets on or all of the above? Anne Bancroft tamps down on her usual maudlin overdrive. To its credit, Agnes of God shows a combative but respectful relationship between Mother Superior and the motherless doctor, and allows Jane Fonda's psychiatrist to show her antipathy to Catholicism without talking down to all Catholics. The film waffles a bit but is engrossing and overall quite good though I do NOT support the decisions of the Mother Superior. If you require a neat and tidy ending you won't find one. Instead, allow nunsense to rule and enjoy the stellar performances in demanding roles. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/29/25 Full Review Lisa B Really great acting. Great characters and especially loved Anne Bancroft and Jane Fonda for their honest characters, but.......you get lost at the end when you've no idea if she got pregnant from a ghost, God or priest. You're expecting a WOW moment. But it never comes and you're left really disappointed. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/31/25 Full Review Regina P I enjoyed this film... for the most part. I was disappointed in the ending. I thought we would find out if there was a man who fathered the child. The movie seemed to indicate that there was a supernatural conception here, but that doesn't square with the fact that the nun had a psychotic episode and ended the child's life. It doesn't make sense ultimately. But the journey towards the end was engaging, even if the ending itself was pure horse manure. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/28/23 Full Review Audience Member The worst 01 hour: and 39 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review dave s The premise of Agnes of God is fascinating – a psychiatrist (Jane Fonda) is assigned to perform a pre-trial mental assessment on a young nun (Meg Tilly) who was found in her convent room in a bloodied state with a strangled baby in the wastebasket. However, the movie loses focus, veering wildly from murder mystery to countless debates concerning matters of faith to the question of who the actual father of the baby might be. By the end of the film, which doesn't really answer much of anything, as the young nun stands before the court, you realize that you've managed to forget all about the psychiatric assessment. In one of her weaker performances, Fonda seems to be reading her lines off of a teleprompter. Fortunately, Meg Tilly gives a touching performance as Agnes, a woman whose only defense against a tragic past is the perceived safety of the church. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Agnes of God

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Movie Info

Synopsis Dr. Martha Livingston (Jane Fonda) is a court-appointed psychiatrist sent to evaluate Sister Agnes (Meg Tilly), a young nun whose infant has been found strangled. With Agnes claiming a virgin conception and having no memory of giving birth, Livingston must distinguish between the lies and the nun's perception-altering faith. Complicating her investigation, Livingston continually clashes with the overbearing Mother Miriam Ruth (Anne Bancroft), who insists that Livingston leave Agnes alone.
Director
Norman Jewison
Producer
Patrick J. Palmer, Norman Jewison
Screenwriter
John Pielmeier
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Columbia Pictures Corporation, Delphi IV Productions
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 13, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$25.6M
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
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