NASTY HABITS

UK, 1976, 87 minutes, Colour.
Glenda Jackson, Geraldine Page, Melina Mercouri, Sandy Dennis, Anne Jackson, Anne Meara, Susan Penhaligon.
Directed by Michael Lindsay- Hogg.

Nasty Habits is based on Muriel Spark’s novel The Abbess of Crewe. Spark is best known for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. In The Abbess of Crewe, she satirises American politics.

Nasty Habits appeared only a few years after the Watergate scandals and the resignation of Richard Nixon as President of the United States. Audiences at the time relished the entertaining parody. However, later generations, not familiar with these aspects of American politics, may relish the performances and the humour but not realise the deadly and satirical implications.

The film is set in a Philadelphia abbey where the abbess is about to be elected. Glenda Jackson does an impersonation of Richard Nixon, including his fireside chats to the public, and she and her supporters break into a sewing box. In the sewing box are some illicit love letters from one of the nuns. With the potential scandal, the intervention of the Vatican, the murmurings in the community, there is a religious scandal.

A group of very substantial actresses portray the various nuns in the community, especially Geraldine Page, Sandy Dennis, Anne Jackson and Anne Meara. Edith Evans is also there (with memories of her presence in The Nun’s Story). However, Melina Mercouri does an impersonation of Henry Kissinger as the nun on international missions. There is a strange collection of priests and monsignors portrayed by Jerry Stiller (Anne Meara’s husband, father of Ben Stiller), Rip Torn (husband of Geraldine Page) and Eli Wallach (husband of Anne Jackson).

The film was directed by Michael Lindsay Hogg who had a forty-year career, principally directing television. This included the 1980s Brideshead Revisited. (And he is the son of actress Geraldine Fitzgerald.)

1 The title and tone, humour? The plot and characterisation and satire in itself, with reference to Watergate and the American experience of the '70s, to the experience of the Church? A comedy of its time? Its impact as knowledge of references past?

2. Muriel Spark's wit? Her setting of the Watergate satire in England, in Crewe? The transition to America, to Philadelphia? The explanations? An English Abbess in an American abbey?

3. The skill of Glenda Jackson in interpreting her role, highlighting the satire? The range of actresses supporting her? The quality of the acting and the contribution to the humour?

4. The effectiveness of the film as political satire? On the United States, on President Nixon and his regime? To what purpose? Change, insight, ridicule? Moralising fable? The particular political satire? Its universal aspects?

5. The application of the character identities to American politicians? Alexandra and Nixon? Haldeman and his associates? Sister Gertrude and Kissinger? Sister Geraldine and Gerald Ford? Sister Winifred and John Dean? The Jesuits and the break-in? The reference to the various parties, rivalries? The obvious Republican targets? Who were the Democratic targets?

6. Did the film throw light on what was wrong with Richard Nixon? His achievement of power, exercise of it, understanding of it? Using it, ruthlessness? Conservative stances with 'progressive' and even illegal behaviour? Hypocrisy? Slogans, cover-ups? The end justifying the means? Being above the law? Attitudes towards subordinates, enemies? Blackmail? The self-righteous approach and explaining oneself to the public? the television interview and speech? Downfall and reaction to it? The parallels between Abbess Alexandra and Nixon? The use of his words, especially at the end as she departed for Rome?

7. The satire on the Church? The screenplay's being at pains to dissociate itself from the real Catholic Church? The audience view of the Church and its administration, of contemplative orders, of the use of power within the Church, of conservatism, hypocrisy, change? The validity of the parallel with politics? The points made about church administration and authority? The Church as target for humour? The exaggerations, the ridiculous? The humour of the nuns and language, smoking and drinking etc.? Audience expectations of nuns? The film's respect or not of the Church and its institutions? Rome’s explanation of the order?

8. The picture of the Abbey of Philadelphia - the Benedictine and Jesuit traditions and their mixing? Abbess Hildegarde and her rule, her dying, her last words and her choosing of Alexandra as successor? The build-up towards the elections? The politicking? The presentation of prayer, the recitation of the Divine Office, liturgical celebrations? The forms and the spirit? The humour of Alexandra's beautiful singing and Winifred's cacophony? Superiors and their luxuries? baths, eating, drinking, smoking and various privileges? The sewing room? The novices and their being influenced? Communication within the abbey? The bugging of the abbey and the recording of speeches? The hold of Alexandra over the community and the rivals? The television viewing?

9. Alexandra within this context? Her ambitions and her concealing of these with pseudo-modest words? Her henchnuns and their devotion? Their roles in the community? Their continually being with Alexandra, feeding her the flattery she needed? Their personalities and their manner? Flirting with the priests? Winifred and her awkwardness, stupidity and shrewdness? Her gaffes? Her being victimised and used? Her being made to deny what she said? The humour of Geraldine and the likeness to President Ford? Her awkwardness and accidents? The background of ambition, manoeuvres? Double talk in disowning the bugging? The use of surveillance ? and the use of the statue of the Infant of Prague etc.? The bugging of the trees and the conversation with Winifred?

10. The attack on Felicity? Felicity and her permissive views, philosophy of love? Her influence in the sewing room? Her rendezvous with Thomas and the erotic overtones? Her doffing of the habit, being dishevelled in the chapel? The nuns knowing this? The build-up to the break-in, the need to get her letters? Her reaction to the break-in, her attitudes towards authority? The importance of her leaving, television interviews, the demonstrations? Was Felicity a credible rival to Alexandra?

11. The Prioress and the Novice Mistress and their tactics? The contact with the Jesuits? Talk, meals, enjoying their company? The planning, the actual presentation of the break in? the two attempts? The police arriving and the laughing off the break in as an example of high spirits? The growing investigation?

12. Winifred and her style? Her being used? The background of the blackmail and her two impersonations as regards the money? The humour of her disguises? Her confession? Her male impersonation and her being arrested? Her having to be rescued from the police station?

13. The background of scenarios and Alexandra and the nuns coping? Alexandra and her shrewdness and her non-knowledge? Machiavellian manoeuvres? The Prioress and Novice Mistress burning the tapes?

14. The background irony of Sister Gertrude ringing in, going round the world in her plane, continually being photographed, the odd combinations of missions and scenes in the Arctic, Africa, India? Melina Mercouri and her vivacity as Sister Gertrude? Her coming in by helicopter for the elections? Her being persuaded to go away again? Her doing her own thing and getting praise for it? The obvious satire on Henry Kissinger and his methods?

15. The scenes in Rome, the Roman explanation of the order, curiosity, investigation? The exposure of Alexandra and her being sent to Rome?

16. Alexandra and her having to cope with her downfall? Everything failing when she expected success? The build-up of her address to the nation and the Nixon parallels? Her defeat and departure for Rome and her Nixon-like farewell?

17. The irreverent good humour of the film? Despite the title, was the film nasty? The ability to laugh at the abuses of political power? Catharsis, insight?