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:

$139,610,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$231,600,000

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

An opening scene shows Dolores as a young girl, played by Isis Carmen Jones. Later the same year, Jones played a "de-aged" version of Goldberg's character Guinan, in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) season six, episode seven, "Rascals".

---

Goofs

In the first scene, young Delores' teacher asks her to write the names of all the apostles on the blackboard, alphabetically. Delores writes "John, Paul, Peter, Elvis." Until she writes "Elvis" the teacher is nodding in approval. Two things are wrong with this. First, Paul (though considered an apostle in a different context) is not one of the original twelve apostles. Second, when the apostles are written alphabetically, "Andrew" is the first. Any Catholic school teacher would have corrected her long before she added "Elvis" to the list.

---

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

Featured in The Nostalgia Chick: Sister Act (2012)

---

Soundtracks

Shout
Written by Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley, and O'Kelly Isley
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

The Source?

I seem to be the only person who has noticed the remarkable similarity between "Sister Act" and "Brother Orchid", a 1940 Edward G. Robinson film. Does anyone else agree? Certainly the details of the plot have been changed to make the central character female and a singer. In the earlier play/film the Robinson character was a gangster who took refuge in a monastery when he was in trouble with the mob. He uses his business "talent" to put the institution on a better footing, as I remember, by selling flowers. The basic plot is that of the worldly individual entering a religious setting, at first attempting to con the inmates, and then becoming a real part of their system.