History Film / Novitiate

* NunsNRosaries: Used as a major plot point. The Roses wear a very traditional "penguin" habit and Mother wants to keep them in it long past the time that Vatican II has said they can dispense with it.

* StayInTheKitchen: The Archbishop's attitude is implied to be that of the whole Church. When Mother Marie says it was a "slap in the face" for nuns not to have any say in the Vatican II changes, he responds with amused patronization: "You really expected them to have a voice, the sisters?"[[note]]Leo Cardinal Suenens (Belgian)'s reaction to the lack of women at the Council was actually very similar to Mother's, famously saying "Why are we even discussing the reality of the Church when half of the Church is not even represented here?" 23 women were appointed as "auditors" thereafter, ten of them nuns. They attended meetings, read and commented on the documents proposing changes, but had no official say in what happened.[[/note]]

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Sister Mary Grace masturbates, but she is anguished and miserable, not enjoying it. She's "in a lot more secret pain and confusion than even she herself realizes." Later on, Cathleen masturbates in her sleep. She's so guilty about it she stops eating and requests to take the discipline (although she names other faults, not this, when she speaks to Mother Marie).

* SmallReferencePools: Catholics and others who are even slightly familiar with how convents really work -- even if they've just seen ''Film/TheNunsStory'', ''Film/{{Doubt}}'', ''In This House of Brede'' or ''Film/AgnesOfGod'' -- will be on yellow alert the instant Rev. Mother says ''she'' is the voice of God, ''"because He can't be there Himself"'' [[note]]This tells you instantly that Mother is not in her right mind. Catholics believe that God is everywhere -- there is nowhere that He isn't. Holy Scriptures, the Holy Rule guidelines for behavior written by the order's founder, and the bell that signals time periods for different activities, are considered the voice of God. In addition, nuns are encouraged to try to be sensitive to the promptings and guidance of the Holy Spirit.[[/note]] and forbids questions. People whose experience of nuns is limited to the SternNun type in school are likely to think this is how it really is. Abuse survivors will likely take one look at the facial expressions and postures of Sister Anne and the novices and recognize that the Roses are not a normal monastery ''at all.''

It's 1964. Cathleen Harris (Creator/MargaretQualley) is a Catholic convert, the daughter of a working-class atheist single mom (Julianne Nicholson). Feeling she has been called by God to devote her life to holy service, she enters the contemplative order of the Blessed Rose. One expects an enclosed convent to be strict, but Rev. Mother Marie Saint-Claire (Creator/MelissaLeo) is running the place like a {{Cult}}. The first thing she tells the aspiring postulants is that her voice must be regarded as a stand-in for God's, and asking any questions at all is grounds for instant dismissal.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Sister Mary Grace masturbates, but she is anguished and miserable, not enjoying it. She's "in a lot more secret pain and confusion than even she herself realizes." Later on, Cathleen masturbates in her sleep. She's so guilty about it she stops eating and requests to take the discipline (although she names other faults, not this, when she speaks to Mother Marie.)
* ATasteOfTheLash: The Roses use the old-fashioned "discipline", a seven-stranded cord with hard knots, on themselves. Cathleen is shown using it properly, flinging it over her shoulders to cause pain but not injury.

* SmallReferencePools: Catholics and others who are even slightly familiar with how convents really work -- even if they've just seen ''Film/TheNunsStory'', ''Film/{{Doubt}}'', ''In This House of Brede'' or ''Film/AgnesOfGod'' -- will be on yellow alert the instant Rev. Mother says ''she'' is the voice of God[[note]]Holy Scriptures, the Holy Rule guidelines for behavior written by the order's founder, and the bell that signals time periods for different activities, are considered the voice of God.[[/note]] and forbids questions. People whose experience of nuns is limited to the SternNun type in school are likely to think this is how it really is. Abuse survivors will likely take one look at the facial expressions and postures of Sister Anne and the novices and recognize that the Roses are not a normal monastery ''at all.''

Mother is unhinged, putting it mildly, but part of it is understandable. The Second Vatican Council called by [[ThePope Pope John XXIII]] is on, and is commanding numerous changes and reforms to common Catholic Church practices. Mother feels that the old ways are the Church's (and her) connection to God and without them the whole establishment (and her faith, her ''identity'', not just her authority) will crumble. She's also pissed that nuns weren't given a voice at the council to speak about the changes that affect them in such crucial ways, and she lets the Archbishop know about it. To protect her faith and that of her nuns, she commits an act of extreme disobedience; she actually ''doesn't tell them'' about the orders for reform and openness that have come to her from higher up. To contrast with Mother Marie is one of her senior right-hand Sisters, novice mistress Mary Grace (Creator/DiannaAgron), who calls her out and opines that a more liberal approach to religion could be a good thing.

* ChristianityIsCatholic: Lampshaded. All the postulates are cradle Catholics to the point that when Cathleen says she was not born into the faith they splutter "But...is that even ''allowed?''" [[note]]It is, as long as she has taken instruction and is baptized, confirmed and receives Holy Communion. We don't see it but we can presume she's undergone this process as soon as she was of the proper age (over 12).[[/note]]