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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Family | Music

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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

The Reno police station shown, is the main post office in downtown Reno, with some real patrol cars parked outside for set dressing. The patrol cars were driven by officers working security on the set. The real police station in Reno didn't look as much like a police station to director Emile Ardolino.

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Goofs

During the credits at the end of the movie, the spelling of Deloris's name rotates between Delores and Deloris on the magazine covers. The first two magazines (People and Newsweek) show "Delores," while the second two, Time and the National Enquirer show "Deloris".

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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 ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Newspaper and magazine clippings of the nun choir.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #8.66 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Gravy
Written by Kal Mann and Dave Appell
Performed by Dee Dee Sharp (as Dee Dee Sharp)
Courtesy of Highland Music, Inc.

User Reviews

Still Holding Up

I just watched this again on video. It's been 13 years since this movie was released, and it is still hilarious...even though there must've been at least 6 screenwriters, this movie is still wittier than most comedies nowadays. Structurally, it moves at the right pace, and it's likely one of the best movies Paul Rudnick and Carrie Fisher didn't write! But certainly, thank God, for Scott Rudin and his taste and knack for getting movies like this made.

Definitely, one of the most memorable movies of the 90s and one of the best comedies ever. And as an ensemble, one of the best cast movies ever--Maggie Smith was genius casting, Kathy Najimy, Wendy McKenna and other main characters couldn't have been better, and whatever confluence brought Whoopi Goldberg to this part instead of Bette Midler can only be deemed fate. It makes one wonder whether movies with all these corporate parents, bottom lines and marketing trickery nowadays will ever get back to a golden period of just being good.