The Nun's Story (film)
| The Nun's Story | |
|---|---|
 original film poster | |
| Directed by | Fred Zinnemann |
| Written by | Robert Anderson from the novel by Kathryn Hulme |
| Produced by | Henry Blanke |
| Starring | Audrey Hepburn Peter Finch Edith Evans Peggy Ashcroft |
| Cinematography | Franz Planer |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date | 1959 |
Running time | 149 min |
The Nun's Story is the title of a dramatic film that was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 1959.
Based upon the 1956 novel of the same title by Kathryn Hulme, the story tells of the life Sister Luke, a young woman who decides to enter a convent but ultimately finds it hard to adjust to the sacrifices required of her. The book was based upon the life of Marie-Louise Habets, a Belgian nurse who similarly spent time as a nun.
A major portion of the film takes place in the jungles of Africa where Sister Luke assists Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch) in helping treat the natives of the area.
The film version follows the book fairly closely, although there is an added level of sexual tension present in the relationship between Dr. Fortunati and Sister Luke that is absent from the novel. Also appearing in the film were Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, Dean Jagger, Mildred Dunnock, Colleen Dewhurst, and Beatrice Straight.
It was nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Actress in a Leading Role (Audrey Hepburn), Best Cinematography, Color, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Picture, Best Sound and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
The Nun's Story was a major box office success in its day and was considered, for a time, to be the most financially successful of Hepburn's films and one the actress often cited as her favorite. Hepburn met Marie-Louise Habets while preparing for the role, and Habets later helped nurse Hepburn back to health following her near-fatal horse-riding accident on the set of the 1960 film, The Unforgiven.
The Nun's Story received its first official North American DVD release on April 4, 2006.
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