Three actresses shine in this hit stage play turned into a movie. "Agnes of God" focuses on the story of isolated nuns in a convent in Canada. A young naive nun named Agnes (Meg Tilly) somehow conceives a child, giving birth, and the baby ends up dead. Finding out what happened here is the job of a somewhat jaded and burned out psychiatrist (Jane Fonda). The psychiatrist seems to have a bit of an ax to grind against the Catholic Church and in particular the way the Mother Superior (Anne Bancroft) has shielded the young nun. The film is absorbing in the way it weaves this story - showing that everyone, including the church, has secrets. The Mother Superior tries to convince the psychiatrist that Agnes is "touched by God" and that he permitted the conception. Just how she did conceive is never explained -leaving it up to the viewer to decide. Meg Tilly is excellent in a very early film role, and Jane Fonda and Anne Bancroft are at their best locking horns over what to do about Agnes. The film shows both the beauty of the Catholic Church and its reputation for secrecy.
Review of Agnes of God
