Tilly's performance grew on me as the film progressed but I did find her work somewhat mechanical and calculated. I was aways aware that she was Acting with a capital A. Amanda Plummer, a more naturally offbeat/eccentric actress, apparently originated the role on Broadway and I wonder if she would have brought more spontaneity to the role had she played Agnes in the film.

Bancroft is excellent. By this stage in her career she could ham with the best of them but she is dignified and subtle here. Fonda - whose best big screen work was behind her by this point - is all wrong for the role, as you say.

Agreeing with both analyses.

Perhaps they cast Jane for her star power, to attempt to draw in a wider audience than others in the cast may have. Or maybe they intended to broaden the appeal of a film from a sort of narrow interest.

Miss Fonda does both, and she does round out with a bit of sophistication this rather depressing film.

After hearing about this title for a couple of decades, I finally was able to see Agnes of God, which turns into an entirely different picture than I had anticipated even after initially hearing plot summaries.

On a side note, I'm not sure that the final cut addresses the connection with the bleeding palms (which, of course, everyone knows its symbolism), but it's like, "if, then, else," but then the screen story veers away from the "else." Without spoiling the picture, it may be a question not answerable, or maybe it's merely a question not answerable at any rate because scenists didn't know how to connect the reasoning?

I haven't watched this movie in about five years, but recall, each time (multiple) throughout the years I saw it completely "buying" Meg Tilly as the young innocent. I always found her performance entirely natural and unaffected seeming, like she was personally living the moments of the story.

Incidentally, I was surprised to learn, in recent years, that Meg (born Margaret Elizabeth Chan) and her sister Jennifer (born Jennifer Ellen Chan) are half of Chinese descent. I never would have guessed that.

Hi, Invidia. I created a thread about that the other year. I don't think anyone actually knows the answer to that question.

If you move your comment, above, to instead be posted on the other thread, it'll be a perfect fit there. (This present thread's focus is on Meg Tilly's performance.)