Novitiate is a very solid debut film for Margaret Betts. It covers many themes from religion, faith, doubt, love, and internal turmoil of young girls who decide to devote their lives to God. The writing is good and the story moves fluently throughout the entire film with the exeption of maybe the last few minutes where things slow down a bit. Another positive thing about the writing is that it does not try to attack the church or ever turns into an anti-religion type of film. Everything is explored realistically. Especially the feelings of young girls who sometimes question their choices and ask themselves if it is really worth it. It is essentially a story about love, giving love, sometimes losing it and receiving it back. A vast topic but handled really well in my opinion. Another thing worth mentioning are the performances. All the actresses give great performances with Melissa Leo and Julianne Nicholson being the standouts. Recommended for that, good writing and solid direction.
52 Reviews
Not the Flying Nun
gbkmmaurstad26 June 2018
Several story lines, but the main story is that of Cathleen Harris (Margaret Qualley) growing up in rural Tennessee during the 1950's who decides at the age of 17 she wants to become a nun. She grows up in a single parent home, her parents divorced due her father's drinking and abusive behavior. Cathleen's mother Nora (Julianne Nicholson) works in a factory and makes no excuses for the men she shares her bed with.
On a whim Nora takes Cathleen to the local Catholic church, her mother is not religious in the least, but thinks Cathleen should at least have some exposure to church. Cathleen is immediately in awe of the church and it's teachings. When the opportunity to attend a Catholic school comes up, her mother is hesitant, but agrees to let her attend when she is told there are full scholarships available. Cathleen is a quiet, shy girl and makes few friends in the years that she attends. She immerses herself in her studies and her faith. When Cathleen announces to her mother she is entering the convent to become a nun her mother is aghast and begins to think Cathleen has lost her mind. Cathleen listens to her mother's rants, does not say a word in response, and then simply walks away.
Cathleen and nineteen others enter into the convent for a variety of reasons, but none as single minded as Cathleen. Just as she's entering the Sisters of the Beloved Rose convent, Vatican II (1962-1965) is underway which will forever change the Catholic church. Mother Superior (Melissa Lea) has spent forty years at the convent and believes there is no reason for the church to consider its relationship with society or other religions and continues to ignore the Vatican's new direction. She has spent her entire life within the walls of the convent and acknowledges she does not, nor does she want an identity outside of that.
Cathleen undergoes emotional, mental, physical, psychological, sexual, and spiritual self examination as do all who have entered the convent. In the end, only five of the twenty will become "brides of Christ" and become nuns. Her mother can only observe from the outside her daughter's journey and hopes to reunite with her one day soon.
Great movie for people who don't know much about the Catholic church and the changes they've made in attempt to be "more modern." One of the lesser know facts is over 90,000 nuns left their vocations during Vatican II due to those changes, one of which was nuns were no longer required to wear their habits. Word of caution: Not for younger viewers due to sex scenes.
On a whim Nora takes Cathleen to the local Catholic church, her mother is not religious in the least, but thinks Cathleen should at least have some exposure to church. Cathleen is immediately in awe of the church and it's teachings. When the opportunity to attend a Catholic school comes up, her mother is hesitant, but agrees to let her attend when she is told there are full scholarships available. Cathleen is a quiet, shy girl and makes few friends in the years that she attends. She immerses herself in her studies and her faith. When Cathleen announces to her mother she is entering the convent to become a nun her mother is aghast and begins to think Cathleen has lost her mind. Cathleen listens to her mother's rants, does not say a word in response, and then simply walks away.
Cathleen and nineteen others enter into the convent for a variety of reasons, but none as single minded as Cathleen. Just as she's entering the Sisters of the Beloved Rose convent, Vatican II (1962-1965) is underway which will forever change the Catholic church. Mother Superior (Melissa Lea) has spent forty years at the convent and believes there is no reason for the church to consider its relationship with society or other religions and continues to ignore the Vatican's new direction. She has spent her entire life within the walls of the convent and acknowledges she does not, nor does she want an identity outside of that.
Cathleen undergoes emotional, mental, physical, psychological, sexual, and spiritual self examination as do all who have entered the convent. In the end, only five of the twenty will become "brides of Christ" and become nuns. Her mother can only observe from the outside her daughter's journey and hopes to reunite with her one day soon.
Great movie for people who don't know much about the Catholic church and the changes they've made in attempt to be "more modern." One of the lesser know facts is over 90,000 nuns left their vocations during Vatican II due to those changes, one of which was nuns were no longer required to wear their habits. Word of caution: Not for younger viewers due to sex scenes.
Novitiate (2017)
rockman18229 October 2017
Think Nun Story, but without Audrey Hepburn. Not related, but I really liked that film. Anyways, Novitiate intrigued me because I have a knack for checking out independent releases and this seemed like something that could offer a deeply dark film about a religious crisis and the implications presented, in an environment where it is sacrilegious to have those types of feelings. That sentence probably made no sense, but I will say that Novitiate pleasantly meets its expectations and brings forth strong performances all around.
The film is about a group of young girls who pledge themselves to become nuns. The film takes place somewhere in the early 70's, so there were many taboo elements including discovering sexuality that were just frowned upon at the time, especially at a Catholic school. The mother superior in the film is stern and cold but times are changing and the students discover the tolls that their pledged lifestyle takes on them and find out who they really are.
Margaret Qualley and Melissa Leo are just stellar in this film. Leo is always consistently good and she is just born to play the roles such as the Reverend mother in this film. The set and costume design is sleek and seems authentic for the time period and religious backdrop. Its a film that questions religion and how much of ourselves we can give to God. I find it interesting that the filmmaker had such a creative effort and if there were any personal influences in making the picture.
There is a crisis of faith and exploring human sexuality, which directly interferes with the practices of the sisterhood in the film. Its a good watch, although I think the film could have been shorter. It doesn't always work and probably will fizzle out as the year goes on but for real film lovers like myself its something to check out and form an opinion for.
7/10
The film is about a group of young girls who pledge themselves to become nuns. The film takes place somewhere in the early 70's, so there were many taboo elements including discovering sexuality that were just frowned upon at the time, especially at a Catholic school. The mother superior in the film is stern and cold but times are changing and the students discover the tolls that their pledged lifestyle takes on them and find out who they really are.
Margaret Qualley and Melissa Leo are just stellar in this film. Leo is always consistently good and she is just born to play the roles such as the Reverend mother in this film. The set and costume design is sleek and seems authentic for the time period and religious backdrop. Its a film that questions religion and how much of ourselves we can give to God. I find it interesting that the filmmaker had such a creative effort and if there were any personal influences in making the picture.
There is a crisis of faith and exploring human sexuality, which directly interferes with the practices of the sisterhood in the film. Its a good watch, although I think the film could have been shorter. It doesn't always work and probably will fizzle out as the year goes on but for real film lovers like myself its something to check out and form an opinion for.
7/10
Early 1960s Tennessee, teenage girls seek life as a Nun.
TxMike1 November 2018
I watched this at home on BluRay from my public library, my wife chose to skip it.
This is one of the better, maybe the best, of the movies I have seen this year. Maybe part of that is being a lifelong Catholic and remembering Vatican II and the changes this spawned in the Church. I was a boy about the same age the girls are depicted here in the early 1960s.
The movie deals with two distinct but interrelated stories. The most significant is the impact Vatican II changes had on cloistered Nuns. Melissa Leo, in a best-actress quality performance, is the Reverend Mother. She has not been outside the grounds for 40 years and she oversees the whole operation, only answering to the Archbishop. She is exact and she is stern, if she thinks a young girl does not have the right stuff she will send them home without review. When she gets instructions from the Archdiocese for changes she is stricken and saddened.
The other story is about a teenage girl from a dysfunctional and mostly Atheistic family. For reasons only she knows she was drawn to this "marriage with Jesus." She is played extremely authentically by Margaret Qualley (daughter of Andie MacDowell) as Cathleen, eventually Sister Cathleen.
The BD has a very informative "extra" showing the writer/director and 5 of the key cast being asked questions and their providing answers to the research and the making of the movie.
Superb movie, a bit underrated in my opinion.
This is one of the better, maybe the best, of the movies I have seen this year. Maybe part of that is being a lifelong Catholic and remembering Vatican II and the changes this spawned in the Church. I was a boy about the same age the girls are depicted here in the early 1960s.
The movie deals with two distinct but interrelated stories. The most significant is the impact Vatican II changes had on cloistered Nuns. Melissa Leo, in a best-actress quality performance, is the Reverend Mother. She has not been outside the grounds for 40 years and she oversees the whole operation, only answering to the Archbishop. She is exact and she is stern, if she thinks a young girl does not have the right stuff she will send them home without review. When she gets instructions from the Archdiocese for changes she is stricken and saddened.
The other story is about a teenage girl from a dysfunctional and mostly Atheistic family. For reasons only she knows she was drawn to this "marriage with Jesus." She is played extremely authentically by Margaret Qualley (daughter of Andie MacDowell) as Cathleen, eventually Sister Cathleen.
The BD has a very informative "extra" showing the writer/director and 5 of the key cast being asked questions and their providing answers to the research and the making of the movie.
Superb movie, a bit underrated in my opinion.
Eternal Battle
saj-4322123 February 2018
Where the hell do i start with this? No pun intended. Yes it is about nuns and Catholicism but it's also a human story. Yes the vehicle used to tell the story is religion but don't miss the point, like some others have reviewing it. I, being a Muslim, so some similarities with what my faith is currently going through reflected in the movie. Remember love evolves with regards to its current climate, carrying humanity with it. Lovely film.
Nuns' lives in the wake of Vatican II reforms
ilovesaturdays18 June 2020
Although similar in tone to Audrey Hepburn's 'The Nun's Story', this film is nowhere as good as that. Sure, there are many good things too in the film. The acting, direction & cinematography are all first rate. The movie however, drags a bit after half time.
This is the story of a young girl raised by a non-religious divorced mother. In the absence of any male or female role model, she finds it hard to find peace and love. At her catholic school, she learns that God's love is unconditional & therefore, she decides that she wants to be the Bride of Christ. At the Convent, she faces a lot of challenges, personal as well as spiritual.
The story takes place around 1964, which was when Vatican II reforms were brought about. The movie very successfully highlights how the nuns were never involved in any of the decision making process and how their standing in the church was suddenly reduced due to the reforms. Thus, a lot of nuns felt dejected, abandoned by their God and faced spiritual crises. So great was their despair that many of them even left their vocation. To me, this aspect of the film was quite interesting and informative.
A great debut by the director, Maggie Betts!
This is the story of a young girl raised by a non-religious divorced mother. In the absence of any male or female role model, she finds it hard to find peace and love. At her catholic school, she learns that God's love is unconditional & therefore, she decides that she wants to be the Bride of Christ. At the Convent, she faces a lot of challenges, personal as well as spiritual.
The story takes place around 1964, which was when Vatican II reforms were brought about. The movie very successfully highlights how the nuns were never involved in any of the decision making process and how their standing in the church was suddenly reduced due to the reforms. Thus, a lot of nuns felt dejected, abandoned by their God and faced spiritual crises. So great was their despair that many of them even left their vocation. To me, this aspect of the film was quite interesting and informative.
A great debut by the director, Maggie Betts!
The nature of true piety and worship
aethomson20 January 2020
How to make a movie that features a specific environment: Collect up all the weird bits and pieces (from different times and places) and put as many of them together as you can, to create a composite. Now I know nothing about the inner workings of the Catholic Church, so naturally that's what I shall pontificate upon. The reformist impulses in Vatican II were nothing new. It doesn't matter whether you're Saint Francis or Pope Francis, you want to have a church that does God's work. Work, not just theological navel-gazing or introverted anguish. As I write this, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI is in the process of publishing "From the Depths of Our Hearts," so the film "Novitiate" is of ongoing relevance. An example from Vatican II: A Church that works for and with the people will do its work in the languages of the people, and not conceal itself behind a thicket of liturgy and doctrinal pronouncements in medieval Latin.
"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" is a line from Anglican hymn-writer John Samuel Bewley Monsell (1811-75). So the highest form of service to God is found in a withdrawal from the world into a reclusive monastic piety and purity? Meanwhile the laity slog on as best they can, each family with a goal: to "sacrifice" a son or daughter to the "religious life" (one of the characters in the film speaks about "sacrificing one daughter"). No doubt that's the way some catholics understood their "duty" to the Church, but even before Vatican II this must have been a rather small minority. Most nuns were always going to be engaged in practical service: nursing, teaching, organising charities and missions, and caring for orphans, the poor, the elderly and the disabled. And also in scholarship. In the movie we hardly ever see the novices studying, sitting at desks doing what would look pretty much like high school. But in real life the Church is quite clear about this: you must know the reason for your faith - so get reading.
But instead of brainy stuff, "Novitiate" gives us emotional stuff. After all, it's what movies are good at: providing a platform for the presentation of relationships and feelings and angst. There is an overemphasis on a nun being a "bride of Christ," which doesn't quite ring true; and the novices are also supposed to become "perfect" - which doesn't even sound like Christianity. They're supposed to be "perfect wives of Christ"? In contrast I suppose to all the imperfect wives found everywhere outside the convent? I wouldn't dare ask the feminists what they thought of that angle. No, anyone as smart as that Reverend Mother would never allow a whiff of faux sexuality to enter the relationship between a nun and her God. And are we to understand that any attachment to other human beings would vitiate the total monogamous commitment to the Divine? - the film makes far too much of this notion. And (correct me if I'm wrong) the Christ-husband has a rival betwixt the bedsheets, a bodily organ designed to generate ecstatic experiences when (inappropriately!) stimulated? Whew!
Let's face it, any sort of human life will have its tensions and contradictions. This film is about the nature of motherhood: the over-perfect spiritual Reverend Mother contrasted with the imperfect, irreverent natural mother. There's only one daughter, and they both want her! Well, we always knew that politics begins in the family. Making the family sacred rather than profane doesn't change things. Motherhood, love and sacrifice: what is to be the nature of this love, what is to be the nature and extent of the sacrifice - these are not trivial themes.
All right, the film has its imperfections. It strays some distance from what we might call "the facts." But for all that, our experience as viewers is that the world and the people presented here on our screens are real, what they do is significant, and what they feel is authentic. That is the art of good storytelling, to draw us into an unfamiliar environment, and make it feel familiar, and personal.
"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" is a line from Anglican hymn-writer John Samuel Bewley Monsell (1811-75). So the highest form of service to God is found in a withdrawal from the world into a reclusive monastic piety and purity? Meanwhile the laity slog on as best they can, each family with a goal: to "sacrifice" a son or daughter to the "religious life" (one of the characters in the film speaks about "sacrificing one daughter"). No doubt that's the way some catholics understood their "duty" to the Church, but even before Vatican II this must have been a rather small minority. Most nuns were always going to be engaged in practical service: nursing, teaching, organising charities and missions, and caring for orphans, the poor, the elderly and the disabled. And also in scholarship. In the movie we hardly ever see the novices studying, sitting at desks doing what would look pretty much like high school. But in real life the Church is quite clear about this: you must know the reason for your faith - so get reading.
But instead of brainy stuff, "Novitiate" gives us emotional stuff. After all, it's what movies are good at: providing a platform for the presentation of relationships and feelings and angst. There is an overemphasis on a nun being a "bride of Christ," which doesn't quite ring true; and the novices are also supposed to become "perfect" - which doesn't even sound like Christianity. They're supposed to be "perfect wives of Christ"? In contrast I suppose to all the imperfect wives found everywhere outside the convent? I wouldn't dare ask the feminists what they thought of that angle. No, anyone as smart as that Reverend Mother would never allow a whiff of faux sexuality to enter the relationship between a nun and her God. And are we to understand that any attachment to other human beings would vitiate the total monogamous commitment to the Divine? - the film makes far too much of this notion. And (correct me if I'm wrong) the Christ-husband has a rival betwixt the bedsheets, a bodily organ designed to generate ecstatic experiences when (inappropriately!) stimulated? Whew!
Let's face it, any sort of human life will have its tensions and contradictions. This film is about the nature of motherhood: the over-perfect spiritual Reverend Mother contrasted with the imperfect, irreverent natural mother. There's only one daughter, and they both want her! Well, we always knew that politics begins in the family. Making the family sacred rather than profane doesn't change things. Motherhood, love and sacrifice: what is to be the nature of this love, what is to be the nature and extent of the sacrifice - these are not trivial themes.
All right, the film has its imperfections. It strays some distance from what we might call "the facts." But for all that, our experience as viewers is that the world and the people presented here on our screens are real, what they do is significant, and what they feel is authentic. That is the art of good storytelling, to draw us into an unfamiliar environment, and make it feel familiar, and personal.
Not very accurate portrayal of convent life but some interesting angles
percyporcelain28 June 2018
This movie is good at analysing the psychodrama of convent life but is likely a bit overdrawn and overwrought. As usual, there is an evil Mother Superior bent on humbling and humiliating the sisters and novices, this strays close to cliche but is well-played and genuinely scary. There are echoes of Nazi authoritarianism, e.g. inviting other sisters to condemn each other in a conspiratorial way. It's not all doom and gloom, there are moments of light relief but they are slightly cheesy. In the end, it's hard to decide whether the director is pro- or anti-Vatican II (and the Catholic church generally). We're told at the end that 90,000 nuns in the US renounced their vows after this liberalisation was introduced.
Stunning debut is among this year's best films
paul-allaer10 December 2017
"Novitiate" (2017 release; 123 min.) brings the story of Kathleen. As the movie opens, we are told it is "1964" and we get to know Kathleen as she is in a nuns' convent. "I was 17 when I entered the convent, 18 when I started the novitiate. We are all women in love." Wow. We then go to "Ten Years Earlier", as we get to know young Kathleen and her mother, and how Kathleen becomes interested in Catholic school, then the Catholic faith, and eventually the Catholic church. At this point we are 10 min, into to movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut of writer-director Maggie Betts, And what a debut it is! Betts takes a close look at what the road is like towards becoming a nun, with a 6 months postulate and then the 18 months novitiate. These are all young women with an idealistic view of the Catholic church. In a parallel story, Betts also examines the consequences of the Vatican II reforms. The Reverend Mother who runs the convent is entirely opposed to any ref0rms. "Isn't the church just perfect as it is?", she retorts when a younger nun questions her. As one might expect, the pace of the movie is quite slow and deliberate, so this isn't for anyone in a hurry. At times it almost feels like a documentary. I was bowled over by it all, to be honest, and felt deeply invested into these characters. There are a number of scenes in the movie that will break your heart (the disbelief of Kathleen's mother upon learning what Kathleen intends to do with her life; the "chapel of faults"--I shan't say more...). As it plays out, one can't help but be reminded of "The Nun's Story" starring Audrey Hepburn (when asked why she decided to become a nun, one of the young ladies refers to that movie). The movie is helped enormously by several towering performances: Melissa Leo as the Reverend Mother is outstanding, but even better is Margaret Qualley as Kathleen (in one of her first movie roles--she is best known for her recurring role in HBO's The Leftovers). Qualley reminded me physically immediately of a younger Kirsten Stewart. The range of emotions that Qualley is able to convey on the big screen makes it very clear to me that this is a major up-and-coming talent, the last of which we surely haven't seen. Same can be said of writer-director Maggie Betts. If it sounds like I am gushing about this movie, you bet I am. This movie is for me one of the best I have seen this year.
"Novitiate" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to immediate critical acclaim. No idea why it's taken so long to reach my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, but better late than never. The Saturday evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely. You could hear a pin drop, as the theater was enraptured by this film. If you are in the mood for a probing psychological drama that poses some serious questions about religion and faith and features several stunning acting performances, you cannot go wrong with this, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Novitiate" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut of writer-director Maggie Betts, And what a debut it is! Betts takes a close look at what the road is like towards becoming a nun, with a 6 months postulate and then the 18 months novitiate. These are all young women with an idealistic view of the Catholic church. In a parallel story, Betts also examines the consequences of the Vatican II reforms. The Reverend Mother who runs the convent is entirely opposed to any ref0rms. "Isn't the church just perfect as it is?", she retorts when a younger nun questions her. As one might expect, the pace of the movie is quite slow and deliberate, so this isn't for anyone in a hurry. At times it almost feels like a documentary. I was bowled over by it all, to be honest, and felt deeply invested into these characters. There are a number of scenes in the movie that will break your heart (the disbelief of Kathleen's mother upon learning what Kathleen intends to do with her life; the "chapel of faults"--I shan't say more...). As it plays out, one can't help but be reminded of "The Nun's Story" starring Audrey Hepburn (when asked why she decided to become a nun, one of the young ladies refers to that movie). The movie is helped enormously by several towering performances: Melissa Leo as the Reverend Mother is outstanding, but even better is Margaret Qualley as Kathleen (in one of her first movie roles--she is best known for her recurring role in HBO's The Leftovers). Qualley reminded me physically immediately of a younger Kirsten Stewart. The range of emotions that Qualley is able to convey on the big screen makes it very clear to me that this is a major up-and-coming talent, the last of which we surely haven't seen. Same can be said of writer-director Maggie Betts. If it sounds like I am gushing about this movie, you bet I am. This movie is for me one of the best I have seen this year.
"Novitiate" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to immediate critical acclaim. No idea why it's taken so long to reach my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, but better late than never. The Saturday evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely. You could hear a pin drop, as the theater was enraptured by this film. If you are in the mood for a probing psychological drama that poses some serious questions about religion and faith and features several stunning acting performances, you cannot go wrong with this, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Novitiate" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Why would anyone want to go into a cloistered life?
lee_eisenberg2 September 2018
Popular culture's depictions of nuns have ranged from the lighthearted (The Flying Nun) to the serious (Doubt) to the grim (The Devils). Maggie Betts's "Novitiate" falls in the middle. Basically, it makes nunhood look like torture. And as is always the case in depictions of nuns, mother superior makes people feel as if they're walking on eggshells.
Like many of these movies, it deals with the protagonist's questioning of her own faith (and in this case Vatican II influences her decision). Seeing the regimens to which mother superior subjects the postulants, it's no wonder you see almost no women becoming nuns anymore.
It's an OK movie - better than any of Terrence Malick's recent work - but it could've been a clearer one.
Like many of these movies, it deals with the protagonist's questioning of her own faith (and in this case Vatican II influences her decision). Seeing the regimens to which mother superior subjects the postulants, it's no wonder you see almost no women becoming nuns anymore.
It's an OK movie - better than any of Terrence Malick's recent work - but it could've been a clearer one.
Totally inaccurate and absurd
sjulieop-6065013 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I am a Catholic Dominican Sister and I watched this film with a mixture of horror and humor, thinking that yet again, a film, even in 2018, has depicted Catholic religious women as totally crazy in oh so many ways. My Sisters watched it and kept interrupting it with questions - "so-they make vows to become novices???? After six months?? And then, perpetual vows at the end of a year and a half of the novitiate? So, Cathleen is 19 and making a life commitment? You have got to be kidding me!!" I was a postulant for one year, a novice (white veil, no vows) for one year- then temporary vows for at least five years, then vowed for life. I was 30. No wonder these kids aren't sure - they are still teenagers!!!
No one broke mirrors, no one made us crawl in shame, no one would laugh at a sister with dementia - where do they get this stuff???? Reverend Mother's House of Horrors - was there absolutely no one happy in that Convent - except for the Novice Director, who, of course, left. And no one to replace her to help these young women????
And all of those Sisters left because of Vatican II? It had to be no more than a month, at most. They all jumped ship rather quickly! And they left because of Reverend Mother's three minute brutal summary of Vatican II, which actually lasted five years and produced volumes of documents. We studied the Vatican II documents for two years as Novices and Postulants. Mother's talk was enough for many to just pack up and leave??
Can no one write a realistic film about a convent that isn't either as silly as Whoopie or as sadomasochistic as this one? Lord, help us!
No one broke mirrors, no one made us crawl in shame, no one would laugh at a sister with dementia - where do they get this stuff???? Reverend Mother's House of Horrors - was there absolutely no one happy in that Convent - except for the Novice Director, who, of course, left. And no one to replace her to help these young women????
And all of those Sisters left because of Vatican II? It had to be no more than a month, at most. They all jumped ship rather quickly! And they left because of Reverend Mother's three minute brutal summary of Vatican II, which actually lasted five years and produced volumes of documents. We studied the Vatican II documents for two years as Novices and Postulants. Mother's talk was enough for many to just pack up and leave??
Can no one write a realistic film about a convent that isn't either as silly as Whoopie or as sadomasochistic as this one? Lord, help us!
They only wanted to love Jesus
Red-12515 December 2017
Novitiate (2017) was written and directed by Margaret Betts. Margaret Qualley portrays Sister Cathleen, who decides to become a nun because of her love for Jesus. She was not raised as a Catholic. In fact, her mother (Julianne Nicholson) considers the decision as a horribly bad move.
As the movie progresses, I started to believe that her mother was right. Young women who want to love and serve Jesus are systematically brutalized and humiliated by the Reverend Mother (Melissa Leo). In fact, the Reverend Mother appears consumed by her desire not to allow the young women to think. She also makes it difficult for them to bond with each other. She demands total and absolute obedience from all the women--postulants, novitiates, and nuns.
Then, Vatican II ends, and the Catholic church wants to modernize and change. Whether this is good news or bad news for the nuns is an open question in the context of this movie.
You'll have to see the movie to learn what happens to Sister Cathleen and the other novitiates. We saw this film at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre, but it will work on the small screen. As I write this review, the movie has a anemic 6.7 IMDb rating. I think it's better than that.
As the movie progresses, I started to believe that her mother was right. Young women who want to love and serve Jesus are systematically brutalized and humiliated by the Reverend Mother (Melissa Leo). In fact, the Reverend Mother appears consumed by her desire not to allow the young women to think. She also makes it difficult for them to bond with each other. She demands total and absolute obedience from all the women--postulants, novitiates, and nuns.
Then, Vatican II ends, and the Catholic church wants to modernize and change. Whether this is good news or bad news for the nuns is an open question in the context of this movie.
You'll have to see the movie to learn what happens to Sister Cathleen and the other novitiates. We saw this film at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre, but it will work on the small screen. As I write this review, the movie has a anemic 6.7 IMDb rating. I think it's better than that.
quiet moments outshine the fury
ferguson-68 November 2017
Greetings again from the darkness. As recognized at Sundance, this is a commendable debut feature film from writer/director Margaret Betts. It touches on subjects as thought-provoking as traditions in religion, faith, youthful romanticism, and most poignantly, first love. The film is at its best when focusing on the frustration, anger and confusion of both a helpless parent and the teenage girls so full of innocence as they try to come to grips with a decision their maturity level has them incapable of making.
Margaret Qualley ("The Leftovers", and real life daughter of Andie MacDowell) stars as Cathleen, a 17 year old girl whose small town life included parents who divorced when she was younger. Her mother (an excellent Julianne Nicholson) is a foul-mouthed, chain-smoking agnostic who embraced the responsibility of raising Cathleen, even after the father stormed out of their lives. As they stand face-to- face and Cathleen announces she is going to become a nun and proclaims "I'm in love with God", we all share the parent's pain as a mother stares back incredulously, knowing full well a 17 year old is incapable of making such a decision on her own.
At the convent we meet Reverend Mother (Melissa Leo), a woman so devoted to the cause that she hasn't stepped foot outside the fortress-like walls in 40 years. As she explains to the nuns-in- training that her voice is God's voice, it brought back memories of Alec Baldwin's surgeon character in MALICE (1998) stating in a perfunctory manner, "I am God."
The story follows (at least) three stories: the Reverend Mother, Cathleen and the other nuns, and that of the powerless parent. The setting is the early 1960's and an ordinance known as Vatican II has just been issued. It was designed to restructure the Catholic Church (for the first time in a century) and have it become more contemporary – allowing the nuns to better serve society. Unfortunately, many of the long-term nuns did not embrace the changes and it rocked their daily routines. Adding salt to their wounds was the fact that the changes were mandated from Rome with no input from the nuns – signaling the beginning of a still-present lack of power for women in the church. This is oh so evident in a scene with the Archbishop (Dennis O'Hare) explaining to Reverend Mother how she missed the "subtext" in the suggestions.
Most of the film focuses on the group of girls who are shielded from the outside world and its temptations as they go through the rigorous training on the path to solidifying their love of God. What we see is that these girls are simply trying to figure out their own identities as the system works to drain human nature from their souls. The scenes of solitary prayer are powerful as they each wrangle with their beliefs, faith and true self. Typical teenage giddiness is on display as the girls wear their white dresses and veils on the day of vows. Their elation around the campfire is more creepy than comforting. Most painful of all are the "circle of faults" that Reverend Mother subjects the girls to. Morgan Saylor ("Homeland" daughter) plays one of the Sisters and has one of the most gut-wrenching scenes in the film. Most of us have never been through anything close to this and would label it cruel and manipulative.
Cathleen's mother visits when allowed and dutifully shows up for all ceremonies. We can feel her pain as she strives to will some common sense into her daughter – never giving up hope. It's crucial to note that Ms. Betts does not attempt to take down the church. Rather her story seeks to explore what inspires these young girls to make such a decision, and the emotional turmoil that goes into it. The film kicks off with a narrated "We were women in love", and ends with a footnote explaining that 90,000 nuns left the convents after Vatican II. If you can connect with the hopeful girls, perhaps the film will have the intended emotional gut punch for which it strives. For the rest of us, we are left with no real explanation, nothing to uplift us, and the crushed spirit of a 40 year devoted nun. On the bright side, the arrival of an exciting, new filmmaker is always worthy of celebration no need to comfort me.
Margaret Qualley ("The Leftovers", and real life daughter of Andie MacDowell) stars as Cathleen, a 17 year old girl whose small town life included parents who divorced when she was younger. Her mother (an excellent Julianne Nicholson) is a foul-mouthed, chain-smoking agnostic who embraced the responsibility of raising Cathleen, even after the father stormed out of their lives. As they stand face-to- face and Cathleen announces she is going to become a nun and proclaims "I'm in love with God", we all share the parent's pain as a mother stares back incredulously, knowing full well a 17 year old is incapable of making such a decision on her own.
At the convent we meet Reverend Mother (Melissa Leo), a woman so devoted to the cause that she hasn't stepped foot outside the fortress-like walls in 40 years. As she explains to the nuns-in- training that her voice is God's voice, it brought back memories of Alec Baldwin's surgeon character in MALICE (1998) stating in a perfunctory manner, "I am God."
The story follows (at least) three stories: the Reverend Mother, Cathleen and the other nuns, and that of the powerless parent. The setting is the early 1960's and an ordinance known as Vatican II has just been issued. It was designed to restructure the Catholic Church (for the first time in a century) and have it become more contemporary – allowing the nuns to better serve society. Unfortunately, many of the long-term nuns did not embrace the changes and it rocked their daily routines. Adding salt to their wounds was the fact that the changes were mandated from Rome with no input from the nuns – signaling the beginning of a still-present lack of power for women in the church. This is oh so evident in a scene with the Archbishop (Dennis O'Hare) explaining to Reverend Mother how she missed the "subtext" in the suggestions.
Most of the film focuses on the group of girls who are shielded from the outside world and its temptations as they go through the rigorous training on the path to solidifying their love of God. What we see is that these girls are simply trying to figure out their own identities as the system works to drain human nature from their souls. The scenes of solitary prayer are powerful as they each wrangle with their beliefs, faith and true self. Typical teenage giddiness is on display as the girls wear their white dresses and veils on the day of vows. Their elation around the campfire is more creepy than comforting. Most painful of all are the "circle of faults" that Reverend Mother subjects the girls to. Morgan Saylor ("Homeland" daughter) plays one of the Sisters and has one of the most gut-wrenching scenes in the film. Most of us have never been through anything close to this and would label it cruel and manipulative.
Cathleen's mother visits when allowed and dutifully shows up for all ceremonies. We can feel her pain as she strives to will some common sense into her daughter – never giving up hope. It's crucial to note that Ms. Betts does not attempt to take down the church. Rather her story seeks to explore what inspires these young girls to make such a decision, and the emotional turmoil that goes into it. The film kicks off with a narrated "We were women in love", and ends with a footnote explaining that 90,000 nuns left the convents after Vatican II. If you can connect with the hopeful girls, perhaps the film will have the intended emotional gut punch for which it strives. For the rest of us, we are left with no real explanation, nothing to uplift us, and the crushed spirit of a 40 year devoted nun. On the bright side, the arrival of an exciting, new filmmaker is always worthy of celebration no need to comfort me.
Interesting, But Somewhat Shallow And Disrespectful In The End
TheAnimalMother9 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this was an interesting and sad story. However this is definitely a failed project to say the least.
The film ends up being centered around how the 1960's reforms of the Catholic Church, basically took away many of the older extreme views of the past church, and introduced much more leniency in Catholic nunnery. All of a sudden nuns were not held in a higher regard than that of the average Catholic. Their 'Brides of Christ' designation and special place in the church was entirely abolished. Thus of course taking away the designation in an instant what many nuns had given their entire lives for, to be known and recognized as a bride of Christ by the church. While it is sad for these ladies, or perhaps I should call them 'Sisters', the film really has no real depth to it other than this point. Nor did the film feel authentic to its time or to its characters. The film adds that these reforms are why Catholic nunnery has since almost entirely disappeared.
It is quite clear from watching the film that the writer does not believe in God. This too hinders the film, and to where it eventually leads, as openness in this regard would have made for a much more interesting and effective story, and it quite frankly would have been much more respectful to its subjects. The main young character we follow in the film is really not developed at all, and her supposed interest in God and religion in general is not honestly looked at. For her it just seems like a somewhat rebellious phase, rather than something she's actually truly interested in. Nobody in the entire film actually feels like they have a real interest in God. Since it takes place in a Nunnery, this seems odd to say the least. The film basically comes across in the end as, well it's better that girls are not becoming nuns anymore, and that they are free to love physically as this actually gives more to them than God can. I'm not kidding either, I know it sounds like a pretty ridiculous point, but that is basically the note on which the film ends.
The story is simple, mostly superficial, but somewhat interesting. However the script and the direction needed serious help. The film fails to find any real depth besides the obvious fact that these older nuns were dealt a crushing blow by the church, and basically had a big part of their life's work taken away from them, and that it takes hard work and sacrifice to become a nun. It often shows stereotypical, and occasional fairly realistic struggles with faith among the young nuns, but nothing really meaningful or insightful is ever flushed out. It often feels superficial and too rehearsed, mainly because of it's lack of depth.
The direction, writing and editing are also seriously to be questioned as there are so many unrealistic to the time period things in the film. The strangest being, why is the lead character nude under her habit, and secondly why are we even shown this in the first place? Scenes like this made absolutely no sense at all; And going even further, it is very obvious that this young woman of at least 18, who has been locked in a convent for around two years now, has a shaved pubic region in the 1960's! Just silliness!! It kinda makes you wonder if this film was produced by another Harvey Weinstein kind of sleezeball. There was entirely no point to this nude scene other than to make the film seem less authentic, or more sexy; And I don't see how the film being more sexy fits into the story. Did the minds behind this project all of a sudden decide to give a homage moment to the old 1970's nun exploitation films or something? We are shown nuns getting dressed far too often in the film, without reason. Why? No nudity is shown really until near the end, but all in all it just seemed so odd, so out of place.
If the subject matter interests you, it may be worth a watch. Although this review alone basically gives you the entire story, because there really is no depth to it beyond this at all. The film is greatly flawed, and offers no interesting insights or depth, other than a little of the obvious effect the reforms have on the long time nuns. I will give it a 4 for the acting and because at least I learned a little about the Vatican II reforms. Even if it is a shallow, fairly ignorant and somewhat underdeveloped vision of its subject matter. At least I did learn one new thing and the acting was good, it wasn't a total loss. 4/10.
The film ends up being centered around how the 1960's reforms of the Catholic Church, basically took away many of the older extreme views of the past church, and introduced much more leniency in Catholic nunnery. All of a sudden nuns were not held in a higher regard than that of the average Catholic. Their 'Brides of Christ' designation and special place in the church was entirely abolished. Thus of course taking away the designation in an instant what many nuns had given their entire lives for, to be known and recognized as a bride of Christ by the church. While it is sad for these ladies, or perhaps I should call them 'Sisters', the film really has no real depth to it other than this point. Nor did the film feel authentic to its time or to its characters. The film adds that these reforms are why Catholic nunnery has since almost entirely disappeared.
It is quite clear from watching the film that the writer does not believe in God. This too hinders the film, and to where it eventually leads, as openness in this regard would have made for a much more interesting and effective story, and it quite frankly would have been much more respectful to its subjects. The main young character we follow in the film is really not developed at all, and her supposed interest in God and religion in general is not honestly looked at. For her it just seems like a somewhat rebellious phase, rather than something she's actually truly interested in. Nobody in the entire film actually feels like they have a real interest in God. Since it takes place in a Nunnery, this seems odd to say the least. The film basically comes across in the end as, well it's better that girls are not becoming nuns anymore, and that they are free to love physically as this actually gives more to them than God can. I'm not kidding either, I know it sounds like a pretty ridiculous point, but that is basically the note on which the film ends.
The story is simple, mostly superficial, but somewhat interesting. However the script and the direction needed serious help. The film fails to find any real depth besides the obvious fact that these older nuns were dealt a crushing blow by the church, and basically had a big part of their life's work taken away from them, and that it takes hard work and sacrifice to become a nun. It often shows stereotypical, and occasional fairly realistic struggles with faith among the young nuns, but nothing really meaningful or insightful is ever flushed out. It often feels superficial and too rehearsed, mainly because of it's lack of depth.
The direction, writing and editing are also seriously to be questioned as there are so many unrealistic to the time period things in the film. The strangest being, why is the lead character nude under her habit, and secondly why are we even shown this in the first place? Scenes like this made absolutely no sense at all; And going even further, it is very obvious that this young woman of at least 18, who has been locked in a convent for around two years now, has a shaved pubic region in the 1960's! Just silliness!! It kinda makes you wonder if this film was produced by another Harvey Weinstein kind of sleezeball. There was entirely no point to this nude scene other than to make the film seem less authentic, or more sexy; And I don't see how the film being more sexy fits into the story. Did the minds behind this project all of a sudden decide to give a homage moment to the old 1970's nun exploitation films or something? We are shown nuns getting dressed far too often in the film, without reason. Why? No nudity is shown really until near the end, but all in all it just seemed so odd, so out of place.
If the subject matter interests you, it may be worth a watch. Although this review alone basically gives you the entire story, because there really is no depth to it beyond this at all. The film is greatly flawed, and offers no interesting insights or depth, other than a little of the obvious effect the reforms have on the long time nuns. I will give it a 4 for the acting and because at least I learned a little about the Vatican II reforms. Even if it is a shallow, fairly ignorant and somewhat underdeveloped vision of its subject matter. At least I did learn one new thing and the acting was good, it wasn't a total loss. 4/10.
What a profound film
Gordon-114 August 2018
This film tells the story of a young woman who enters a convent to be a nun, out of her own volition.
Wow, the film may be slow to build up for the finale, but the finale is very profound. I am still rendered speechless and am very saddened by the unintended consequences of the reforms. Having the entire world and the entire reason of existence being invalidated is unimaginable. The film finished for twenty minutes already and I am still having a heavy chest. It is a very profound film.
Wow, the film may be slow to build up for the finale, but the finale is very profound. I am still rendered speechless and am very saddened by the unintended consequences of the reforms. Having the entire world and the entire reason of existence being invalidated is unimaginable. The film finished for twenty minutes already and I am still having a heavy chest. It is a very profound film.
A realistic portrayal of the conflict between religion and sexuality amongst others
varityfillies6 March 2018
Good performance all around by the cast. Rebecca and Margret have great chemistry.A big thumbs up for casting them for the particular storyline. The film is a bit slow to get to point where their characters are concerned but the point is made nonetheless. I would've liked a little more screen time for the two woman because in my view their relationship is the drawcard of the film. Ultimately the rest of the cast did a great job portraying the other issues around becoming a nun. Great film.
A New View of Vatican II
datteln22 March 2018
Previous religious films have attempted to capture the topsy-turvy nature that the Catholic Church faced in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. However, this film gives that transition a new point of view in this film; in the past viewers have typically only seen the laity's, or common person's, struggle with accepting the changes of Vatican II. "Novitiate" gives the women of the Church a voice.
The acting in the film was brilliant and beautifully captured the feelings that any young person would have if they would be giving their life away as in the film, especially regarding sexuality. However, some of the finer details of the film seem to have very little basis in research. While admittedly a banal item, the spoken Latin in the film was very off-putting. Also, an archbishop would not have full autonomy over a women's religious community as is portrayed in the film. Again, these are minor details, but minor details can make or break any film. Also, it seemed that the film was trying to suggest that the only people who could "make it" in a convent like this are the brainwashed, ill-informed members. The film would have done well to show some members of the community who were genuinely happy.
The film did capture the chaotic nature that religious communities faced after Vatican II, but the film only ended up telling half the story. While it's true that most women's religious communities dwindled after the reforms, there were many more liberal leaning communities that thrived and used the reforms of the Council to better reach the outside world.
Overall, though, this film offers the outsider a small glimpse of world that is otherwise completely cut off and separate from their own. "Novitiate" offers the viewer a chance to understand how the 21st century Church got to be where it is today.
The acting in the film was brilliant and beautifully captured the feelings that any young person would have if they would be giving their life away as in the film, especially regarding sexuality. However, some of the finer details of the film seem to have very little basis in research. While admittedly a banal item, the spoken Latin in the film was very off-putting. Also, an archbishop would not have full autonomy over a women's religious community as is portrayed in the film. Again, these are minor details, but minor details can make or break any film. Also, it seemed that the film was trying to suggest that the only people who could "make it" in a convent like this are the brainwashed, ill-informed members. The film would have done well to show some members of the community who were genuinely happy.
The film did capture the chaotic nature that religious communities faced after Vatican II, but the film only ended up telling half the story. While it's true that most women's religious communities dwindled after the reforms, there were many more liberal leaning communities that thrived and used the reforms of the Council to better reach the outside world.
Overall, though, this film offers the outsider a small glimpse of world that is otherwise completely cut off and separate from their own. "Novitiate" offers the viewer a chance to understand how the 21st century Church got to be where it is today.
A Journey of Faith, Love, and Inner Turmoil
m-abtahi28 January 2024
I recently watched the film "Novitiate" (2017), an American production directed by Maggie Betts. The movie explores the eternal conflict between old and new, tradition and innovation, age and youth. Set against the backdrop of Vatican II reforms, it delves into the internal struggles of a young girl seeking to embark on a path deeply captivating to her, yet one that clashes with the understanding of the religious authorities.
Throughout the film, the questions linger, "What do you want?" and "What are you looking for?" The apparent answer seems clear: the young girl is in pursuit of divine love. However, as our own Hafez wisely puts it, love appears easy at first but leads to challenges. This romantic quest, within the framework of Catholic Church beliefs concerning human relationships, both interpersonal and divine, and the higher-level connection between religious institutions and their followers on one side and God on the other, weaves a complex yet captivating and tumultuous narrative.
The film skillfully navigates the duality of spirit and body, love and power, principles and emotions, independence of thought and faith, authority, and flexibility. It vividly portrays the dichotomies that unfold in the world of religious devotion.
In "Novitiate," despite the potential for exploring the dualities of religious and non-religious perspectives, the director chooses to focus on the internal religious critique within the framework of the Vatican reforms. The film offers valuable lessons and reflections on the intricate relationship between faith, traditions, and personal convictions.
Throughout the film, the questions linger, "What do you want?" and "What are you looking for?" The apparent answer seems clear: the young girl is in pursuit of divine love. However, as our own Hafez wisely puts it, love appears easy at first but leads to challenges. This romantic quest, within the framework of Catholic Church beliefs concerning human relationships, both interpersonal and divine, and the higher-level connection between religious institutions and their followers on one side and God on the other, weaves a complex yet captivating and tumultuous narrative.
The film skillfully navigates the duality of spirit and body, love and power, principles and emotions, independence of thought and faith, authority, and flexibility. It vividly portrays the dichotomies that unfold in the world of religious devotion.
In "Novitiate," despite the potential for exploring the dualities of religious and non-religious perspectives, the director chooses to focus on the internal religious critique within the framework of the Vatican reforms. The film offers valuable lessons and reflections on the intricate relationship between faith, traditions, and personal convictions.
Powerful and So Sad
sue-2852127 June 2018
I was raised in the Catholic Church and was going to a Catholic School at the time of Vatican II and lived through the Vatican II changes. Being only 12 I can distinctly remember the nuns starting to wear every day clothes. This movie is so powerful in what went on within the convents and how the nuns were demoralized by Vatican II. Totally tragic in my eyes.
Some good ideas here and there. Movie starts really good, but then becomes cringey
fciocca14 March 2021
"Novitiate" is set during the 60s, when the Vatican Second council reformed completely the entire Church, by removing some old practices, being less strict. The story follow a young woman that decides to take her vows to become a nun, during this big transition. The Reverend Mother of the convent is very reluctant on changing rules.
Things start to go south towards the half of the movie: while there are beautiful depictions of relationships and conflicts between characters, on the other hand, there are others that are not deepen enough. For example, sister Mary Grace had a lot of potential, but she is dismissed too quickly. I did not have the chance to know her at all, and she was a key protagonist. There are here and there a few good scenes, but overall I am not really sure if the nun life represented in this movie was very accurate. I know that this kind of life is very hard and you need to earn your vows, and I am aware that there are orders stricter than others, but I felt that it was forced.
The acting is overall pretty decent, but I cannot say that I was astonished by it. I was definitely excepting more from Margaret Qualley, considering her successful career in recent years, but I was disappointed. There are a lot of cringey scenes, that I could not bare. At some point it seemed almost like a parody. I am aware that there are a lot of scenes that are very demanding in terms of acting, but unfortunately most of actresses did not deliver. Honestly, it is not a bad film, but considering the slow pace rhythm and its two hours length, they could come up with something better for sure.
Things start to go south towards the half of the movie: while there are beautiful depictions of relationships and conflicts between characters, on the other hand, there are others that are not deepen enough. For example, sister Mary Grace had a lot of potential, but she is dismissed too quickly. I did not have the chance to know her at all, and she was a key protagonist. There are here and there a few good scenes, but overall I am not really sure if the nun life represented in this movie was very accurate. I know that this kind of life is very hard and you need to earn your vows, and I am aware that there are orders stricter than others, but I felt that it was forced.
The acting is overall pretty decent, but I cannot say that I was astonished by it. I was definitely excepting more from Margaret Qualley, considering her successful career in recent years, but I was disappointed. There are a lot of cringey scenes, that I could not bare. At some point it seemed almost like a parody. I am aware that there are a lot of scenes that are very demanding in terms of acting, but unfortunately most of actresses did not deliver. Honestly, it is not a bad film, but considering the slow pace rhythm and its two hours length, they could come up with something better for sure.
A lot like a female Catholicism version of 'WHIPLASH'!
Hellmant20 December 2017
'NOVITATE': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
The critically acclaimed religious themed drama, about a nun in training (in the 1960s) who starts to question her faith. It was written and directed by debut feature filmmaker Margaret Betts, and it stars Margaret Qualley, Melissa Leo, Dianna Agron, Morgan Saylor, Liana Liberato, Julianne Nicholson and Denis O'Hare. The film has received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it's also garnered prestigious awards attention as well. I found it to be really well made and involving.
At the age of seven, Cathleen Harris (Qualley) was introduced to Catholicism by her agnostic mother (Nicholson), for educational purposes. Cathleen feels drawn to the religion, at the great disappointment of her mother, and at the age of 17 she decides to join a convent as a postulate. She's trained by the extremist Reverend Mother Marie St. Clair (Leo). Reverend Mother tortures the young women she trains, in an obsessive (outdated) belief that it will bring them closer to God, and she rejects modern reforms ordered by the Second Vatican Council. Her methods really put Cathleen, and her faith, to the ultimate test, while Cathleen also must struggle with natural temptations of desire.
The film is a lot like a female Catholicism version of 'WHIPLASH' to me, that's what the relationship between Cathleen and Reverend Mother feels like. It's very intense, hard to watch, and at times pretty emotional. Leo is also fantastic in the role, and I definitely wouldn't be surprised to see her get an Oscar nomination for it. The film is also a great examination of what faith and commitment to faith meant for these women at that time. It's definitely an interesting, and emotionally involving, movie to watch.
The critically acclaimed religious themed drama, about a nun in training (in the 1960s) who starts to question her faith. It was written and directed by debut feature filmmaker Margaret Betts, and it stars Margaret Qualley, Melissa Leo, Dianna Agron, Morgan Saylor, Liana Liberato, Julianne Nicholson and Denis O'Hare. The film has received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it's also garnered prestigious awards attention as well. I found it to be really well made and involving.
At the age of seven, Cathleen Harris (Qualley) was introduced to Catholicism by her agnostic mother (Nicholson), for educational purposes. Cathleen feels drawn to the religion, at the great disappointment of her mother, and at the age of 17 she decides to join a convent as a postulate. She's trained by the extremist Reverend Mother Marie St. Clair (Leo). Reverend Mother tortures the young women she trains, in an obsessive (outdated) belief that it will bring them closer to God, and she rejects modern reforms ordered by the Second Vatican Council. Her methods really put Cathleen, and her faith, to the ultimate test, while Cathleen also must struggle with natural temptations of desire.
The film is a lot like a female Catholicism version of 'WHIPLASH' to me, that's what the relationship between Cathleen and Reverend Mother feels like. It's very intense, hard to watch, and at times pretty emotional. Leo is also fantastic in the role, and I definitely wouldn't be surprised to see her get an Oscar nomination for it. The film is also a great examination of what faith and commitment to faith meant for these women at that time. It's definitely an interesting, and emotionally involving, movie to watch.
Another reason for people who think the Catholic Church is diabolical to keep thinking it
alythgoeop24 November 2017
Well, I hardly know where to begin in describing how sad, tedious and inaccurate this film is. I have been a happy and healthy Dominican Sister for over 40 years, and I was optimistic that this would be a good film. I'm really sorry I wasted two hours on it. It does not do justice to the times, the complexity of the changes that began to emerge with Vatican II, and it is not even accurate in describing the process of becoming a nun. So I just wonder where Margaret Betts got her information. Did she interview anybody who actually stayed and found happiness in religious life? I doubt it.
There was no joy, no sense of companionship or sense of being part of something exciting. No real narrative about what the impact of Vatican II had on Catholic thought, just a few superficial conversations between the Archbishop and the Reverend Mother. It is a bleak and morose story of postulant Cathleen's struggle to survive a mean and closed minded mother superior whose ego should have driven her to confession.
Too bad, this could have been a great story, with compelling dialogue, dramatic tension, and a breakthrough moment of personal change. Instead it was a painful exaggeration of the predictable inaccurate stereotypes of Catholic Sisters, complete with Nun-Zilla. It gives people who have always hated the Catholic Church a good reason to keep hating it.
Margaret Betts was scheduled to Skype in and have a conversation with the audience at the theater we attended. I'm kind of glad she could not make it. The sisters in the audience would have had a hard time coming up with something nice to say.
There was no joy, no sense of companionship or sense of being part of something exciting. No real narrative about what the impact of Vatican II had on Catholic thought, just a few superficial conversations between the Archbishop and the Reverend Mother. It is a bleak and morose story of postulant Cathleen's struggle to survive a mean and closed minded mother superior whose ego should have driven her to confession.
Too bad, this could have been a great story, with compelling dialogue, dramatic tension, and a breakthrough moment of personal change. Instead it was a painful exaggeration of the predictable inaccurate stereotypes of Catholic Sisters, complete with Nun-Zilla. It gives people who have always hated the Catholic Church a good reason to keep hating it.
Margaret Betts was scheduled to Skype in and have a conversation with the audience at the theater we attended. I'm kind of glad she could not make it. The sisters in the audience would have had a hard time coming up with something nice to say.
Learn how tough the Church can be on its young women.
JohnDeSando24 November 2017
Novitiate is not Audrey Hepburn's The Nun's Story, nor is it The Sound of Music, The Singing Nun, or countless other romances about happy nuns. It's closer to Doubt. This "expose" is merciless showing the almost Marines-like indoctrination of young girls, first to be postulants, then novices, then the real deal.
Although the film doesn't have drill sergeants, it has a super-committed Mother Superior (Melissa Leo). She will punish swiftly with, for instance, the girls kneeling to walk while saying Hail Mary's or disciplining themselves with knotted ropes. But the real torture is the interior questioning of the young women about even the existence of God.
Nevertheless they are moving to become "brides of Christ," which when they dress in bridal gowns for the actual marriage borders on satire, hokum, or downright pathos. As more than one postulant avers, "Where is He?" daily, the girls are giving themselves to God while not feeling the divine presence.
Perhaps the biggest problem is the emergence in the early '60's of Vatican II, that progressive body of prelates that liberalized the Church and demoted the nuns. So much for that disrespect as 90,000 pure souls took the last train outta there.
The central postulant, Cathleen (Margaret Qualley), has a tough time with her vocation, much less her attraction to another hopeful. The complications of sexual yearnings in young women is a nicely figurative way of showing the challenges of taking 17 year old girls from a normal life, which usually involves young men.
Cathleen's mother, Julianne Nicholson (Nora Harris), serves as the vox populi questioning the sanity of the process as she is losing her daughter to these unknown forces of religion. For Catholics, Novitiate is a confirmation; for non-Catholics it's a gloss on the complexity of Catholic faith.
Although the film doesn't have drill sergeants, it has a super-committed Mother Superior (Melissa Leo). She will punish swiftly with, for instance, the girls kneeling to walk while saying Hail Mary's or disciplining themselves with knotted ropes. But the real torture is the interior questioning of the young women about even the existence of God.
Nevertheless they are moving to become "brides of Christ," which when they dress in bridal gowns for the actual marriage borders on satire, hokum, or downright pathos. As more than one postulant avers, "Where is He?" daily, the girls are giving themselves to God while not feeling the divine presence.
Perhaps the biggest problem is the emergence in the early '60's of Vatican II, that progressive body of prelates that liberalized the Church and demoted the nuns. So much for that disrespect as 90,000 pure souls took the last train outta there.
The central postulant, Cathleen (Margaret Qualley), has a tough time with her vocation, much less her attraction to another hopeful. The complications of sexual yearnings in young women is a nicely figurative way of showing the challenges of taking 17 year old girls from a normal life, which usually involves young men.
Cathleen's mother, Julianne Nicholson (Nora Harris), serves as the vox populi questioning the sanity of the process as she is losing her daughter to these unknown forces of religion. For Catholics, Novitiate is a confirmation; for non-Catholics it's a gloss on the complexity of Catholic faith.
A Strongly Acted Drama
atlasmb8 June 2019
People sometimes ask what the difference is between a religion and a cult. Defining the difference is not always easy. But this is a film that lends itself to such an analysis. An abundance of ritualism certainly might be a hallmark of a cult. Also, strong dogma and strict rules. Certainly a strong personality at the head of the hierarchy may be an indicator, which is often why we hear the term "cult of personality".
"Novitiate" follows a group of novice nuns, newly devoted to the monastic life, as they struggle to adapt to the spartan regimen. At the head of this house is the Reverend Mother (Melissa Leo), a woman dedicated to traditions that may no longer be Vatican-approved. She rules with absolute authority over her novices and seems to relish the harsher aspects of the lifestyle.
The camera focuses on Sister Cathleen (Margaret Qualley, daughter of Andie MacDowell. You may also see her in "Fosse/Verdon".) Her role may remind some of Audrey Hepburn's role in "The Nun's Story", but "Novitiate" has a harder edge, mostly due to the Reverend Mother.
The acting is strong and believable. Even if you have no particular interest in Catholic doctrine, it is easy to identify with the young women who choose to undergo such radical changes in their lives. The illusion that they forgo ownership of free will, is just that---an illusion. But at some point, willful subservience to authority comes very close to a loss of free will. And this creates a struggle for some of the novitiates. This is central to the drama of the film. Likewise, it asks us to consider the mental health aspects of the willful sacrifice of one's ego and freedom.
"Novitiate" follows a group of novice nuns, newly devoted to the monastic life, as they struggle to adapt to the spartan regimen. At the head of this house is the Reverend Mother (Melissa Leo), a woman dedicated to traditions that may no longer be Vatican-approved. She rules with absolute authority over her novices and seems to relish the harsher aspects of the lifestyle.
The camera focuses on Sister Cathleen (Margaret Qualley, daughter of Andie MacDowell. You may also see her in "Fosse/Verdon".) Her role may remind some of Audrey Hepburn's role in "The Nun's Story", but "Novitiate" has a harder edge, mostly due to the Reverend Mother.
The acting is strong and believable. Even if you have no particular interest in Catholic doctrine, it is easy to identify with the young women who choose to undergo such radical changes in their lives. The illusion that they forgo ownership of free will, is just that---an illusion. But at some point, willful subservience to authority comes very close to a loss of free will. And this creates a struggle for some of the novitiates. This is central to the drama of the film. Likewise, it asks us to consider the mental health aspects of the willful sacrifice of one's ego and freedom.
Maria Monk-lite
twhiteson30 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
In the mid-19th century, the widely popular "expose" book, "The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk," which portrayed Catholic convents as places of torture and debauchery, helped fuel anti-Catholic bigotry. Although "Novitiate" doesn't completely fall into blatant Catholic bashing, its portrayal of its convent as a place of misery does make it seem like Maria Monk-lite.
"Novitiate" attempts to be a 21st century version of Fred Zinnemann's fantastic 1959 film "The Nun's Story" which was about a Belgian nun's (Audrey Hepburn) struggles with her faith, profession as a nurse, and conflicting loyalties during WW2. "Novitiate" was so inspired by "The Nun's Story" that it has one of its characters make a direct reference to it.
"Novitiate" is the story of "Cathleen Harris" (Margaret Qualley) the only child of a broken home being raised by her mother (Julianne Nicholson). Although not Catholic and being raised in a de facto agnostic household, shy Cathleen "falls in love" with God after being inspired by the devotion of one of her kindly nun teachers at the parochial school she attends on scholarship. At age 17 and against her mother's objections, she joins a cloistered convent with the intention of making it her life.
However, it's 1964 and the Vatican II Council is under way with its intention of drawing Catholicism into the 20th century. That doesn't sit well with the convent's ultra-conservative Mother Superior (Melissa Leo). She's quite content with her Order's medieval traditions of public confessional debasement and self-inflicted scourging by the penitent. (Yeah, it's laid on a bit thick.)
Most of the movie is about how Cathleen and her fellow rose-cheeked novitiates struggle with both their faith and convent's strict rules especially its enforced silences. Cathleen appears to adapt better than most, but then "Sister Emanuel" (Rebecca Dayan) joins the convent and that's where the movie really lost me.
As stated above, the movie makes reference to "The Nun's Story" in which a novitiate admits that film was her inspiration to become a nun despite it being "unrealistic" because Audrey Hepburn was so beautiful. Unrealistic? In "Novitiate," most of the nuns range from very pretty to downright gorgeous! Also, this convent appears to have come stocked with a full make-up department because all the young sisters are always glammed-up!
Yet, it really gets dumb with Sister Emanuel's entrance. Once Cathleen takes a few quick glances at the beautiful Emanuel (Ms. Dayan has former model written all over her) she suddenly decides that she belongs to the Pink Team. Her instant transformation from devout novitiate to starving (literally) for lesbian intimacy was just ridiculous. How dumb is it? Well, it reminded me of those 1990's straight-to-video "erotic thrillers" in which if two attractive women were alone in a room together then they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other. At least, those "erotic thrillers" usually had a few lines of dialogue to try to explain why two women became instantaneous lesbian lovers, but "Novitiate" doesn't even have that to explain why Cathleen and Emanuel are suddenly groping and giving each other passionate kisses. The only explanation is that Ms. Qualley and Ms. Dayan are both extremely attractive and the producers clearly thought it'd be "hot" to watch them "get it on." It's so blatantly prurient that it is insulting.
Undoubtedly, the film-makers deluded themselves that they were making serious points as to the sexual tensions that had to exist in Catholic convents because after all everyone is obsessed with sex, right? So, we get scenes of sisters being unable to "master their domain" and the "nuns-gone-wild" stuff between Cathleen and Emanuel. It pretty much undercuts everything else including the Vatican II conflicts, Ms. Leo's and Ms. Nicholson's performances, and the shallow conversations as to faith.
In sum: a stupid, prurient film with pretensions as to seriousness, depth and art.
"Novitiate" attempts to be a 21st century version of Fred Zinnemann's fantastic 1959 film "The Nun's Story" which was about a Belgian nun's (Audrey Hepburn) struggles with her faith, profession as a nurse, and conflicting loyalties during WW2. "Novitiate" was so inspired by "The Nun's Story" that it has one of its characters make a direct reference to it.
"Novitiate" is the story of "Cathleen Harris" (Margaret Qualley) the only child of a broken home being raised by her mother (Julianne Nicholson). Although not Catholic and being raised in a de facto agnostic household, shy Cathleen "falls in love" with God after being inspired by the devotion of one of her kindly nun teachers at the parochial school she attends on scholarship. At age 17 and against her mother's objections, she joins a cloistered convent with the intention of making it her life.
However, it's 1964 and the Vatican II Council is under way with its intention of drawing Catholicism into the 20th century. That doesn't sit well with the convent's ultra-conservative Mother Superior (Melissa Leo). She's quite content with her Order's medieval traditions of public confessional debasement and self-inflicted scourging by the penitent. (Yeah, it's laid on a bit thick.)
Most of the movie is about how Cathleen and her fellow rose-cheeked novitiates struggle with both their faith and convent's strict rules especially its enforced silences. Cathleen appears to adapt better than most, but then "Sister Emanuel" (Rebecca Dayan) joins the convent and that's where the movie really lost me.
As stated above, the movie makes reference to "The Nun's Story" in which a novitiate admits that film was her inspiration to become a nun despite it being "unrealistic" because Audrey Hepburn was so beautiful. Unrealistic? In "Novitiate," most of the nuns range from very pretty to downright gorgeous! Also, this convent appears to have come stocked with a full make-up department because all the young sisters are always glammed-up!
Yet, it really gets dumb with Sister Emanuel's entrance. Once Cathleen takes a few quick glances at the beautiful Emanuel (Ms. Dayan has former model written all over her) she suddenly decides that she belongs to the Pink Team. Her instant transformation from devout novitiate to starving (literally) for lesbian intimacy was just ridiculous. How dumb is it? Well, it reminded me of those 1990's straight-to-video "erotic thrillers" in which if two attractive women were alone in a room together then they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other. At least, those "erotic thrillers" usually had a few lines of dialogue to try to explain why two women became instantaneous lesbian lovers, but "Novitiate" doesn't even have that to explain why Cathleen and Emanuel are suddenly groping and giving each other passionate kisses. The only explanation is that Ms. Qualley and Ms. Dayan are both extremely attractive and the producers clearly thought it'd be "hot" to watch them "get it on." It's so blatantly prurient that it is insulting.
Undoubtedly, the film-makers deluded themselves that they were making serious points as to the sexual tensions that had to exist in Catholic convents because after all everyone is obsessed with sex, right? So, we get scenes of sisters being unable to "master their domain" and the "nuns-gone-wild" stuff between Cathleen and Emanuel. It pretty much undercuts everything else including the Vatican II conflicts, Ms. Leo's and Ms. Nicholson's performances, and the shallow conversations as to faith.
In sum: a stupid, prurient film with pretensions as to seriousness, depth and art.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
