Novitiate
CAST: Margaret Qualley, Melissa Leo, Julianne Nicholson, Dianna Agron DIRECTOR: Margaret Betts ENDING DECEMBER 7
Spanning over a decade from the early 1950s through to the mid-60s, NOVITIATE is about a young girl's first initiation with love, in this case with God. Raised by a non-religious, single mother in rural Tennessee, a scholarship to Catholic school soon finds Cathleen drawn into the mystery and romanticism of a life devoted to the worship and servitude of God. With the dawn of the Vatican II era, radical changes in the Church are threatening the course of nuns' lives. As she progresses from the postulant to the novitiate stage of training, she finds her faith repeatedly confronted and challenged by the harsh, often inhumane realities of being a servant of God. Cathleen finds herself struggling with issues of faith, sexuality, and recent changes in life of the Church.
"Novitiate" is a thoughtful and sincere rendering of the devout religious caught up in the changing times of modern society.Michael Heaton, Cleveland Plain Dealer
In Leo, it presents a remarkable portrait of a complex woman struggling with forces beyond her control.Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Most films, especially mainstream ones, are about the forces that whirl around characters. "Novitiate" grapples with what's going on inside them.Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
