Sister Act (1992)

Director:

Emile Ardolino

Writer (WGA):

Joseph Howard (written by)

Release Date:

29 May 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Music

Tagline:

No booze! No sex! No drugs!... No way!

Plot:

When a worldly singer witnesses a mob crime, the police hide her as a nun in a traditional convent where she has trouble fitting in.

Plot Keywords:

Choir | Convent | Singer | Nun | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Whoopi Goldberg	...	Deloris Van Cartier / Sister Mary Clarence
Maggie Smith	...	Mother Superior
Kathy Najimy	...	Sister Mary Patrick
Wendy Makkena	...	Sister Mary Robert
Mary Wickes	...	Sister Mary Lazarus
Harvey Keitel	...	Vince LaRocca
Bill Nunn	...	Lt. Eddie Souther
Robert Miranda	...	Joey
Richard Portnow	...	Willy
Ellen Albertini Dow	...	Choir Nun
Carmen Zapata	...	Choir Nun
Pat Crawford Brown	...	Choir Nun
Prudence Wright Holmes	...	Choir Nun
Georgia Creighton	...	Choir Nun
Susan Johnson-Kehn	...	Choir Nun (as Susan Johnson)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild violence and language.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:G (Quebec) | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Norway:10 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #31803)

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

The school exterior shown in the opening shot is St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Reno. It was not operating as a school when the picture was made.

Goofs:

Continuity: During one song, Mary Robert is praying with her hands in the praying position. In the very next shot, her hands are instantly by her side.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[in a classroom in 1968]
Nun: Who can name all the apostles? Yes, Deloris?
Little Delores: John, Paul, George... and Ringo!
[the children laugh]
Nun: Deloris Wilson, you are the most unruly, disobedient girl in this school! Now, I want you to march right up to that blackboard and write the names of all the apostles alphabetically.
[Little Deloris walks up to the blackboard and writes "John, Paul, Peter" and "Elvis" in big letters, underlined. The children laugh again]
Nun: This is enough! You are hopeless, and I wash my hands of you. Mark my words, Deloris. If you continue on this disruptive track, it will lead straight to the devil. Have you any idea what girls like you become?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

My Guy

How can anyone NOT love this film?

Sister Act is definitely one of a kind. It's such a funny, heart-warming film with a good mix of action and comedy and some excellent music as well. I don't normally enjoy films that are driven by just one Hollywood star at the helm, but I have a weakness for Whoopi Goldberg and here she is simply divine as Deloris Van Cartier, a club singer thrown into a convent undercover to hide out from her mobster boyfriend who wants her dead. Of course, she doesn't fit in here so much of the comedy is drawn from Deloris finding it difficult to conform to the nun's holy ways. But sure enough, she finds solace with the choir, and turns them from awful to amazing in no time. The scenes with the choir are the high-points of this film, I guarantee you'll be dancing and singing around your living room to them. Whoopi never fails to disappoint, and is fantastic here. Maggie Smith is also very good as the Reverend Mother, and Harvey Keitel plays hard-man Vince just like you'd expect. Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena and Mary Wickes are all fabulous, each impress in their own special way, with Najimy's innocent and bubbly manner, Makkena's shy and withdrawing character but also possessing a great voice and Wickes' sarcastic but effective wit. Sister Act is just a great, great film, the sparkle and the magic never fade, no matter how many times you watch it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and watch it yet again!