When a nightclub singer is forced to take refuge from the mob in a convent, she ends up turning the convent choir into a soulful chorus complete with a Motown repertoire, until the sudden celebrity of the choir jeopardizes her identity.
Deloris Wilson (Whoopi Goldberg), a black woman who has chosen the stage name Deloris Van Cartier, is a Reno, Nevada 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 (Harvey Keitel), 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, Lieutenant Eddie Souther (Bill Nunn), who has long been running an operation to get enough evidence to put Vince behind bars, this murder, which could be the metaphorical 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 ...Written by
Huggo
While Paul Rudnick was writing the screenplay, Bette Midler (who was attached to star at the time) suggested he should go to an actual convent to do research. So he went to stay in the Regina Laudis Abbey in Bethlehem, Connecticut. The Prioress of this convent was Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B., who as a younger woman had been an actress, singer, and dancer in such Hollywood movies as the Elvis vehicle King Creole (1958) and the beach romance Where the Boys Are (1960). Mother Hart is still the only known nun to be a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and she and her fellow nuns enjoy watching her Academy screeners every year. See more »
Goofs
The opening scene shows young Deloris (Isis Carmen Jones) writing on the blackboard with her right hand. Whoopi Goldberg is left handed. See more »
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 wash ...
[...] See more »
Crazy Credits
Newspaper and magazine clippings of the nun choir. See more »
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. See more »
One of the 20th century's greatest female performers, Whoopi Goldberg doesn't fail to impress in this light-hearted look at an ex-lounge singer who is forced into hiding at a convent, after witnessing her lover shoot somebody.
It's outrageously funny and Deloris has soooooo many funny lines, you won't be able to contain yourself. When asked to name all the Apostles, a young Deloris replies: 'John, Paul, George... and... Ringo!' and when told by the Cops she'd have to hide from her lover, her reaction was: 'What are you gonna do, stick me in a bag and bury me? FORGET IT!'
Whoopi puts in yet another fantastic performance (acting and singing wise), and Maggie Smith is great as Mother Superior. Harvey Kietel portrays Deloris' shady lover, and one of the funniest characters is the one played by Kathy Najimy (before 'Veronica's Closet' and 'King Of The Hill'). Wendy Makkena plays Sister Mary Roberts, and the remaining Nuns are also really good.
The Nun's get stuck into helping rid the city of sin - cleaning buildings etc. And along the way, Deloris gets stuck into leading the church choir. With her help, she transforms the off-key, no-hoping choir into a funky-type singing group, and this attracts attention from the streets, and from The Pope.
A fantastic movie, and Whoopi yet again delivers a flawless performance, stealing the show with her cool voice, witty one-liners and, well, that hair! Awesome stuff! 8/10
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One of the 20th century's greatest female performers, Whoopi Goldberg doesn't fail to impress in this light-hearted look at an ex-lounge singer who is forced into hiding at a convent, after witnessing her lover shoot somebody.
It's outrageously funny and Deloris has soooooo many funny lines, you won't be able to contain yourself. When asked to name all the Apostles, a young Deloris replies: 'John, Paul, George... and... Ringo!' and when told by the Cops she'd have to hide from her lover, her reaction was: 'What are you gonna do, stick me in a bag and bury me? FORGET IT!'
Whoopi puts in yet another fantastic performance (acting and singing wise), and Maggie Smith is great as Mother Superior. Harvey Kietel portrays Deloris' shady lover, and one of the funniest characters is the one played by Kathy Najimy (before 'Veronica's Closet' and 'King Of The Hill'). Wendy Makkena plays Sister Mary Roberts, and the remaining Nuns are also really good.
The Nun's get stuck into helping rid the city of sin - cleaning buildings etc. And along the way, Deloris gets stuck into leading the church choir. With her help, she transforms the off-key, no-hoping choir into a funky-type singing group, and this attracts attention from the streets, and from The Pope.
A fantastic movie, and Whoopi yet again delivers a flawless performance, stealing the show with her cool voice, witty one-liners and, well, that hair! Awesome stuff! 8/10