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PAGE 8 — The Southern Cross, September 19, 1985
Movie: "Agnes Of God" Annoying And Exploiting
BY MICHAEL GALLAGHER
NEW YORK (NC) — Trying to concoct a profound drama
in the “Equus” mode, as “Agnes of God” (Columbia) does,
is a bit like trying to prepare a six-course banquet on a hot
plate.
The plot concerns the three-cornered struggle that ensues
among a court-appointed psychiatrist, Martha Livingston
(Jane Fonda); Sister Agnes (Meg Tilly), a novice
cloistered nun accused of strangling her newborn baby, and
the nun’s superior, Mother Miriam Ruth (Anne Bancroft).
Martha, charged with evaluating the mental stability of
Sister Agnes, provokes the determined opposition of Mother
Miriam.
Even without such aggravation, poor Martha would have
had difficulty enough with Sister Agnes. The young nun
resists her every effort to probe deeper into what actually
happened the night of the baby’s birth and death and into
the circumstances of its conception.
In the course of the events that follow, both psychiatrist
and mother superior are forced to look deeper into their
own hearts and face up to their fears and aspirations. And
so are we—or at least so we are meant to do.
Such is the lofty intention of director Norman Jewison
and writer John Pielmeier, here adapting his own play
which, despite less than ecstatic reviews, ran for two years
on Broadway.
It’s obvious, far too obvious, that the joyous little chirper
of divine love, Sister Agnes, through she seems crazy as a
loon to you and me, is meant to represent the pure religious
spirit.
Martha, a fallen-away Catholic (the classic term now out
of fashion), represents the rationalist who wants to keep the
spiritual at bay.
And Mother Miriam embodies the religious spirit hard-
pressed by fear and doubt.
Thus while Martha tries to find out who the father of the
dead baby is, Mother Miriam wants to preserve the hope
that Sister Agnes conceived her baby by a miracle.
And what really happened? Since you’re dying to know,
I’ll tell you. Pielmeier and Jewison and this whole feature-
length shaggy-god story come down squarely on the fence.
This ambiguity born of intellectual impoverishment
blunts whatever dramatic impact the initial detective story
appeal might have had going for it.
Much harder to take, however, is the film’s outrageous
NUN‘S STORY — A court-appointed
psychiatrist, played by Jane Fonda, left, comes
in conflict with the mother superior, played by
Anne Bancroft, right at a hearing to determine
whether Sister Agnes, played by Meg Tilly, is
mentally fit to stand trial in “Agnes of God,’’ a
Columbia Pictures release. (NC Photo)
demand that we take it in good part that the pure religious
spirit, the aforementioned chirper of divine love, strangles
her baby. She’s so pure, you see, that she must have had the
purest of intentions.
Under the circumstances, Miss Fonda does very well as
Martha. Miss Tilly and Miss Bancroft don’t, but the former
shouldn’t be judged too harshly given the flimsiness of her
role. Other than Miss Fonda’s performance and that of
Anne Pitoniak in the brief role of Martha’s mother, the only
thing worth noting is Sven Nykvist’s cinematography.
The “Equus” origins of “Agnes of God” are glaringly ap
parent.
In place of the disturbed boy, Pielmeier gives us a
disturbed adolescent nun. Then he splits the psychiatrist in
two to give us Martha and Mother Miriam, Martha getting
the larger dose of rationality, Mother Miriam getting the
larger dose of pseudo-mystical yearning.
For the obsession, Pielmeier gives us God in place of a
godlike horse. For the atrocity, in place of the blinding of
the horses, he serves up the strangling of the baby.
Nor is “Agnes of God” any more Catholic—or religious,
for that matter—than the similarly contrived and shallow
“Equus.” No effort is spared to make the church look good,
without going quite so far as to convey anything of
significance.
Thus the priests and Religious who are most prominent
are witty, worldwise and colorful. I guess it must be
because of such incidental flattery that real priests and
nuns fall over one another to extend their cooperation and
let their rectories and convents be used in movies like this,
even appearing on screen themselves. (Gee, imagine, Jane
Fonda right there in the refectory! Wow, Sven Nykvist set
ting up his camera in the quadrangle!)
As for the potential for sacrilege in the deliberate am
biguity about the origin of Agnes’ pregnancy, I’m inclined
to recall here that classic insult of a bygone adolescence:
You know, if you had a brain, you’d be dangerous.
So it is with “Agnes of God.” If it had a brain, it might be
sacrilegious. As is, it’s a film that’s below the level of
serious discussion except insofar as one wishes to use it as
an example of how insensitive Hollywood continues to be to
the dramatic potential of genuine, as opposed to
meretricious, religious themes.
Finally, even though it’s not meant to be anti-Catholic or
sacrilegious, there is much in “Agnes of God” to annoy and
disturb the thoughtful religious person of whatever faith. It
exploits for its own melodramatic purposes, not merely a
religious veneer and texture, but also a mystery as central
to Christianity as the Incarnation itself.
For this reason, the U.S. Catholic Conference has
classified it A-IV—adults, with reservations. The Motion
Picture Association of America rating is PG-13—parents
are strongly cautioned to give special guidance for atten
dance of children under 13.
Gallagher is on the staff of the U.S. Catholic Conference
Department of Communication.
Tommy Wells Is Glenmary Volunteer
Thomas Wells, Jr. of St. James parish in
Savannah was among more than 300 young
men of post-graduate and college age who
participated in the annual Glenmary
Home Missioners Summer Volunteer pro
gram this year.
Based at the Glenmary Farm in
Vanceburg, Kentucky, the program serves
PLAYER OF WEEK — Aquinas
High School Junior Paul Swain
was named the season’s first
C.S.R.A. Player of the Week.
Paul, defensive back for the
Fightin’ Irish, is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Joe Swain of Augusta.
Paul’s goal is to study engineering
at Georgia Tech and to play foot
ball for the Yellow Jackets.
the spiritual and material needs of the peo
ple in Lewis County. This summer
volunteers came from 33 states, Lebanon,
the Phillipines, Puerto Rico and Hong
Kong representing 18 archdioceses and 54
dioceses, and 81 colleges and universities.
In groups of 40-50, the summer
volunteers spent a week of service under
the guidance of Brother Jack Henn, Father
Jerry Dorn, Father Mike Caroline,
Brother Joe Steen, Father Cal DeLeuil and
Father Tom Charters.
Among the many services rendered by
the young men was building a house for a
family of four, putting the finishing
touches on a house built last summer,
visiting the health care center daily and
sharing with the local folks of the county.
St. Mary's - Americus
St. Marys CCW in Americus met for
their first meeting of the new year on
September 10. Carolyn Wenner read a
beautiful poem, Golden Chain of Friend
ship.
President Marge Gerbig, Vice-President
Carita Mathews, Secretary-Flo Roszelle
and Treasurer Aileen Hager met during
the summer and worked out a budget. It
was quickly adopted by the group.
The Fall DCCW meeting will be held in
Americus on October 12th in the parish
hall. CCW Sunday will be observed on Oc
tober 13th.
St. Marys’ ladies will gather their views
together on September 24th concerning the
Bishops pastoral letter. There seems to be
much interest in this program.
Ladies attending besides the officers and
Carolyn Wenner were; Sr. Ann, Sr. Ellen,
The Glenmary Home Missioners, head
quartered in Cincinnati, is a society of
priests and Brothers dedicated to serving
the Catholic minority, the unchurched and
the poor throughout Appalachia, the rural
South and the Southwest. The volunteer
program is partially funded by a grant
from the Catholic Church Extension Socie
ty and' includes two similar one-week
winter volunteer sessions.
The next Glenmary Volunteer Program
will be held December 28, 1985 thru
January 3, 1986 and January 6-12, 1986. If
you are a single, Catholic male of college
age and would like further information on
these special programs, please write to:
Glenmary Winter Volunteer Programs,
Box 465618 Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-5618.
Will Host Deanery
Sr. Justine, Lillian Lopez, Florence
Dymale, Traci Shell, Janie Dolan, Janice
Simpson, Marcia Anderson, Betty Taylor,
Ruth Dorsey, Mary Toms, Mary Frank
Johnson, Joyce Owsley, Judy Exley, Sheri
Papp, Catherine Fouche, Katie Frick,
Judy Brown, Jane Graham, Catherine
Moncheur, Betty Williams, Maureen
Smith, Rose Ratliff and a visitor from
Albany, Hallie Yarbrough.
Savannah’s Nativity of Our Lord CCD
Program opened with a prayer service on
Monday evening, Sept. 16 at the School.
Sessions will be held every Monday
evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Program offers a well structured
Catholic learning experience for children
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD —
Miss Christine Bryan is this
year’s recipient of the Catherine
Hartnett Scholarship Award from
St. Teresa’s Church, Albany. The
award is given annually in the
amount of $200.00 in memory of
Catherine Hartnett. Christine is
attending Auburn University and
is pictured with Fr. Fred Nijem,
pastor of St. Teresa’s.
ages 4-6 and elementary grades 1-8. CCD
classes will also be offered to interested
high school students if registration war
rants them.
Late registration is accepted by contac
ting Mrs. Deborah Tamburro, CCD Coor
dinator, at 897-6876.
Registration Still Accepted By Nativity CCD