Sister Act (1992) — A First Viewing
We all have blind spots when it comes to movies we’ve watched. So when my wife expressed a desire to watch the 1992 smash hit Sister Act, it was a great opportunity to write what I thought. It wasn’t my first choice for a movie as I anticipated a predictable 100 minutes, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s interesting when sometimes you are put off a film because it is so well-known and contained within the public consciousness that you feel like you have seen it before. Although I think it’s fair to say that Sister Act was formulaic, it was still very enjoyable.
The plot follows Deloris Wilson (Whoopi Goldberg), a lounge singer in Reno. When witnessing her married gangster boyfriend Vince LaRocca (Harvey Keitel) murder an informant, she must be placed in witness protection. Police lieutenant Eddie Southern (Bill Nunn) thinks it’s best if she is placed in the struggling convent of Saint Katherine’s Parish under the leadership of its Reverend Mother (Maggie Smith). The church is crumbling, and attendances are low. All nicely set up for a fish-out-of-water story about learning, singing and God.
The first act of Sister Act moves at a good pace and efficiently uses its time. A prologue shows a young Deloris misbehaving in a Catholic school, the credits scene cuts to Reno and shows her singing ability, then a scene of exposition about her living situation and relationship with Vince. All of these scenes tell us something about the character while being entertaining at the same time. The movie is exceptional at explaining the situation but not standing still whilst doing it.
Going at this pace though can also be a disadvantage when trying to explain why one police officer is solely in charge of Deloris’ witness protection program. The process all seems rather haphazard and unprofessional. Also, I’m no officer of the law, but to place witnesses who are under great duress into an intense environment of “poverty, obedience and chastity” sounds like it could place an exorbitant about of strain on the victim. However, the story needs to get to the convent, and it does it in as effective a way as it can without 15 minutes of exposition.
The film also surprised me in terms of its lack of predictability. Now, that’s not to say that it was unpredictable and took me to places I never thought I’d go when watching it, but I enjoyed where it went with the story. I liked that when going into the convent, Deloris is humbler and quieter and just trying to get on with things than I anticipated. She is given the role as the leader of the choir by the Reverend Mother rather than taking is by force after seeing how bad it is. She is patiently waiting for Vince’s day at court and just wants to keep her head down.
I also thought that the third act would be all based around the Pope’s visit to St. Katherine’s and an appearance from Vince to surprise them all with his gun. But kidnapping Deloris and taking her to Reno only for the nuns to come to her rescue was a great idea. It was a setting ripe for comedy and the two hitmen not being able to ‘take care’ of Deloris because she is a nun was a nice touch.
I was very much anticipating her being excommunicated and then asking to come back for the final concert but none of that happened. The problem when you think you’ve seen a film because everyone else has is you think you can predict the plot when in fact that’s very rarely the case. Carrie Fisher, Nancy Meyers, and more top screenwriters were bought in to write and rewrite the script, and it feels like the jokes reflect the talent.
The casting is great. Originally Bette Midler was in line for the leading role when the script was written in 1987. When it came time to film, Whoopi Goldberg was cast coming off the back of her Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost (1990). She gives the character of Deloris a great energy and likeability.
Harvey Keitel as Vince LaRocca makes perfect sense too. Well-known for playing gangsters or police detectives, Keitel was at the height of his powers after roles in Thelma and Louise (1991), Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Bad Lieutenant (1992). He throws himself into the role of LaRocca and injects him with plenty of menace.
Sister Act is an early example of a movie with plenty of great roles for females and nuns are a great way to explore a breaking free from repression and friendship. The supporting sisters played by the likes of Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena and Mary Wickes are all well cast, especially considering it’s probably not the easiest acting under a habit as so much of the face and body are hidden.
Of course, the film thrives when the music is in full flow. It’s uplifting and gives the movie a clear identity. There probably isn’t as many songs as I expected and through what I knew, I expected it to be more like a musical. Maybe this is because there is a Sister Act musical that opened on the West End with songs from Alan Menken. Using the gospel and rock and roll music sparingly lets Sister Act spend more time in character development and relationships. The music is used as a story-telling technique rather than being the story in of itself.
Sure, the film might be seen as light-hearted and a crowd pleaser, but it does that very well. It’s always tricky to set a tone for a movie when a protagonist witnesses a murder and has to be placed in witness protection. But the balance is done very well in Sister Act. It might not be a masterpiece, but it is definitely an enjoyable, likable, and rewatchable movie. Although I have always been dubious that sequels released only a year after the first film, I’m sure Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) has the same levels of energy and fun.
What the Critics Said:
“It’s all pretty predictable, and if there was time you might get pissed off at the ridiculousness of it all. But things move at such a quickened pace, and the comedic timing of all involved is impressive enough to override the structural flaws.” Jeff Menell — Hollywood Reporter
“It doesn’t have the zest and sparkle it needs; scenes move too slowly, dialogue settles upon itself, routine reaction shots are clicked off with deadly precision. Whoever edited the trailer has a much better idea of what’s good in this material than the man who directed the movie.” Roger Ebert — Chicago Sun-Times
“Despite its hopeless predictability, this is one of those preposterous and sweet-natured family frolics that you find yourself enjoying in spite of yourself.” Angie Errigo — Empire Magazine