Sister Act (1992)

 

Sometimes there are films that are not necessarily awesome, but still have that 'je-ne-sais-quoi' that will have you smiling like a complete idiot every time you watch them. One might call them guilty pleasures, but the truth is that there is no such thing: you either like something or you don't and you shouldn't apologize to anyone for that. 

That being said: I love 'Sister Act' immensely, even if it is not the best film out there. It's hard to pinpoint, but this one just makes me feel good and in every respect it's a fun timewaster and feelgood project. So yes, you can actually make lighthearted comedies that never take themselves too seriously.

Whoopi Goldberg is Deloris Van Cartier, a singer who has an awful job at a Reno Casino, singing to a crowd of people who don't give a toss about what is happening. You know: the kind of act that is very abundant in establishments such as these and which pays the bills, but there's not a lot of enjoyment for the artists themselves. She is the mistress of Vince Larocca (Harvey Keitel), a shady mobster and casinoboss, who ticks a lot of the Italian stereotype-boxes. When Deloris sees Vince killing one of his people, she has to run. 

Enter detective Souther, who has a pretty brilliant idea of placing Deloris in a convent, as no one will ever think to look for her there. The convent is in a dilapidated part of town and everything is on its last legs. Also: not the ideal environment for Deloris, as she is more accustomed to the worldly delights, of course. 

So yes, this is absolutely a fish-out-of-water story with all the trimmings. 

Deloris does clash quite often with the rather stern Mother Superior (a most excellent Maggie Smith), but she also has a profound impact on several other nuns, most emphatically those played by Kathy Najimi and Wendy Makkena. They are also by far the youngest nuns, so I guess that makes sense. Things really start rolling when Deloris gets her hands on the choir and she transforms it into a lean machine, rejuvenating the convent, the congregation and the neighbourhood.

This also draws attention to her and now Vince knows where she's at... 

Yes, the story is incredibly predictable and you can instantly tell where the 'conflict' is going to come from. And yes, a lot of your possible enjoyment depends on whether or not you can stand miss Goldberg's idiosyncracies, but darnit: there is so much fun to be had. This film draws you in and when the finale - however silly - comes along, you'll be grinning from ear to ear. It's the actors that sell this one. Maggie Smith is of course perfection itself and a prefect choice to play the foil to Goldberg's worldly Deloris, but she is stern because she cares for her ladies. She isn't one-dimensionally nasty and that was a good choice. Goldberg is okay, as it feels as though Deloris is pretty close to her real character, but the one who steals the show is Kathy Najimi. She is just so funny and enthusiastic it's hard not to like her. It also feels as if she just improvised most of her lines and actions. If this was scripted, she's darn good. If it was improvised, she's even better. 

Okay, not everyone is as good. Most of the nuns are forgettable and Wendy Makkena has to conform a little too much to the 'goodie-goodie-two-shoes' naive little girl, but you can get over that. Harvey Keitel however is slumming it and he just feels as if he's doing his worst mobster impression. The guy can do better, but maybe this just wasn't his thing. 

Oh, and the music is tons of fun too, with many a joyous 60s tune included. 

It's not high art and maybe not for everyone, but chances are that if you've seen this film a few times, it will still hold a warm place in your heart, just because it is a lot of fun. It's light, it's silly, but it still manages to make a smile appear and sometimes, just sometimes, that is exactly what you need.