The Nun's Story (1959)

Directed by

Fred Zinnemann

Genre

drama film, biographical film

Country

United States

Runtime

2h 29m

Rated

NR

Rating

7.2 of 10 from 202 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A young Belgian woman enters a convent and devotes herself to religious life, facing the personal sacrifices and strict discipline required. She eventually serves as a nurse in the Congo alongside a skeptical surgeon.

introspectivesolemnrestrainedearnestmeditativepatientpoignantaustere

What happens

The Nun's Story is a 1959 American drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, and Dean Jagger. The screenplay was written by Robert Anderson, based on the 1956 novel of the same name by Kathryn Hulme. The film tells the life of Gabrielle van der Mal, a young woman who decides to enter a convent and make the many sacrifices required by her choice. The film is a relatively faithful adaptation of the novel, which was based on the life of Belgian nun Marie Louise Habets. Latter portions of the film were shot on location in the Belgian Congo and feature Finch as a cynical but caring surgeon. Released by Warner Bros. Pictures on June 18, 1959, The Nun's Story was a critical and financial success, and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress for Hepburn. Franz Waxman's score was nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy Award. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• White Witch Doctor (1953)
• The Miracle (1959)
• Molokai: la isla maldita (1959)
• Girl, Interrupted (1999)
• Nurse Edith Cavell (1939)
• Baptême (1989)
• The Calling (2009)
• Thérèse (1986)