Agnes Of God (1985)

When a novice nun (Meg Tilly) surreptitiously gives birth and the infant found strangled, the courts appoint a psychiatrist (Jane Fonda) to determine if the girl is fit to stand trial. But the Mother Superior (Anne Bancrfot) is against the psychiatrist's probing the novice's mind fearing it will destroy her innocence and connection to God. Based on the play by John Pielmeier (who did the screenplay) and directed by Norman Jewison (MOONSTRUCK). Pielmeier's play which only had the three principal characters suffers from the "opening up" to make it more cinematic. Like another good play that suffered in its transition to the screen, Peter Shaffer's EQUUS, it suffers from the literalness of the film adaptation whereas the stage play was more loose and suggestive. Pielmeier's dialog is strong as is the acting, most notably Fonda and especially Meg Tilly in an Oscar nominated performance. Tilly, in fact, is extraordinary in a role (played on the stage by Dianne Wiest, Amanda Plummer and Carrie Fisher) as written is almost impossible to carry off believably but Tilly is totally convincing in both her innocence and naivete. A strong film compromised by the unnecessary scenes outside the convent which serve to dilute the potent confrontations between the three protagonists. The lovely underscore is by Georges Delerue. With Annie Pitoniak (who played the Mother Superior in the play's pre-Broadway incarnation) as Fonda's mother.