Sister Act (1992)

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.

Director:

Emile Ardolino

Writer:

Paul Rudnick (as Joseph Howard)

Stars:

Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 8 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Deloris
Maggie Smith	...	Mother Superior
Kathy Najimy	...	Mary Patrick
Wendy Makkena	...	Mary Robert
Mary Wickes	...	Mary Lazarus
Harvey Keitel	...	Vince LaRocca
Bill Nunn	...	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	...	Choir Nun

Storyline

Deloris Wilson, a black woman who has chosen the stage name Deloris Van Cartier, is a Reno lounge singer, she the lead in a girl trio in which she also chooses and arranges the music and choreographs the shows. She is a wisecracking, showy woman who has always loved music. She, however, only has her current job being hired by her married lover, Vince LaRocca, to sing in his casino's lounge. She learns of Vince's true business as a gangster when she walks in on him killing one of his employees who wronged him. As a witness to the murder, Deloris goes on the run to the police, Lt. Eddie Souther who has long been running an operation to get enough evidence to put Vince behind bars, this murder which could be the proverbial nail in Vince's coffin. However, Vince has put a contract out on Deloris' life to prevent her from testifying against him. As such, Eddie has to hide her until the trial, which will be at least two months. Where Eddie chooses is St. Katherine's, a poor Catholic parish ...

---

Plot Keywords:

witness protection program | show of hands | choir | singer | convent | 

---

Taglines:

No sex. No booze. No men. No way.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Family | Music

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 May 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sister Act

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,894,587, 31 May 1992

Gross USA:

$139,605,150

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$231,605,150

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Touchwood Pacific Partners 1

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital (5.1 surround)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Rudnick, the original screenwriter, got his pseudonym "Joseph Howard" from the name of a character in a story he had written (Joseph) and his brother's middle name (Howard).

---

Goofs

During the first execution of "Hail Holy Queen", Mary Robert has her hands joined in praying position. In the very next shot from another angle, her hands are instantly by her side.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
[in a classroom in 1968]
Nun: Who can name all the apostles? Yes, Delores?
Little Delores: John, Paul, George... and Ringo!
[the children laugh]
Nun: Delores 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 Delores 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 ...
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

Newspaper and magazine clippings of the nun choir.

---

Alternate Versions

TBS broadcasts overdub a quick feedback-like squeal sound during the opening musical number to obscure an obscenity, when Whoopi Goldberg's character inserts the comment "You don't give a s--t" as the song "Heat Wave" ends.

---

Connections

Referenced in Bob's Burgers: Sliding Bobs (2015)

---

Soundtracks

I Will Follow Him
Music by Franck Pourcel and Paul Mauriat
Lyrics by Arthur Altman and Norman Gimbel
Performed by Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Andrea Robinson, Mary Wickes, Ellen Albertini Dow, Carmen Zapata, Pat Crawford Brown, Prudence Wright Holmes, Georgia Creighton, Susan Johnson, Ruth Kobart, Susan Browning, Darlene Koldenhoven, Sheri Izzard, Edith Diaz and Beth Fowler

User Reviews

Whoopi takes over a ragtag nuns choir and organizes a swinging musical numbers

A Nevada club singer named Deloris(Whoopi Goldberg) is forced into the witness protection after accidentally seeing a murder by her mobster lover(Harvey Keitel). The police lieutenant(Bill Nunn) hide her and she takes shelter into a convent ruled by a stiff and waspish Mother Superior(the eminent Dame ,Maggie Smith). The Reno lounge singer donning nun's habit and organising the convent choir formed by sympathetic nuns who steal best laughs(Wendy Makkenna,Kathy Najimy, Mary Wickes, among others) and including a concert with presence of Pope John Pablo II.

This amusing film with some genuinely funny moments follows the formula about a fish out water. Motormouth Whoopi Goldberg is pretty well the complete show and good performances for likable nuns,Makenna, Najimy and veteran Wickes and excellent Maggie Smith who disapproves modern methods. The musical numbers with a 'Diana Ross and the Supremes style', magical choreography and songs are catchy and done with gusto. The movie is amused and entertained with bemusing set pieces but don't let it make you expect too much. Well-done musical score with swinging tunes by Marc Shaiman and colorful cinematography by Adam Grenberg. The film is geared directly toward Whoopi Goldberg fans and young viewers .The motion picture is professionally directed by Emile Ardolino and was a surprising box office hit. Ardolino's speciality was dance and musicals. As it was, a semi-musical 'Dirty dancing', made his name in the cinema after years of Television specials and almost all the best moments in his few subsequent pictures were musical ones. Another speciality were comedies, such as he proved in '3 men and a little lady' and 'Chances are' . 'Dirty dancing and Sister act'were the biggest hits of his short films career , but he early died from AIDS. Followed by 'Sister act : Back in the habit', with similar casting and set in a rundown High School.