SISTER ACT
A film review by Frank Maloney
Copyright 1992 Frank Maloney
SISTER ACT is a film directed by Emile Ardolino, from a script by "Joseph Howard." It stars Whoopie Goldberg, Maggie Smith, and Harvey Keitel, with Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena, and Bill Nunn. Rate PG for language.
SISTER ACT showed a lot of potential to be the summer's sleeper hit when I saw it at an after-work matinee on Friday. It was booked into two of the auditoria in the local multiplex and my theater was packed with very happy movie-goers. I know I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would after reading the reviews in our local dailies. If it does take off and become a money machine, it will be a triumph in a way. From what I've read, this was not a happy movie to make. Goldberg said she'd never work for Disney or Touchstone again. Bette Midler was offered the part of Deloris Van Cartier first, a part conceived especially for her. When Goldberg took it on, it had to be substantially rewritten, and she has even accused the studio of a racist script. I understand that seven writers (including Carrie Fisher) contributed to the final script. The script is attributed to the traditional pseudonym Joseph Howard as a result. It was made on the cheap, for a low-end $15 million, as part of Disney's new policy, and as a result does not appear at its best -- shoddily produced and big, uncaring story holes.
Still, SISTER ACT has a lot of power resources that helped it overcome its own problems. For one, the director, Emile Ardolino (DIRTY DANCING) has a proven track record as a hitmaker; he gives the film its energy and timing and the audience has no choice but to be sucked into the film by its own momentum. Whoopie Goldberg, even though she is by no means at her sharpest here -- sanitized and toned down by the Disney image -- still gives us her best comedy/action film yet (perhaps excepting GHOST in which she was a supporting player). And she generously shares the spotlight with Kathy Najimy as the bouncy, sizeable Sister Mary Patrick and with Wendy Makkena as Sister Mary Robert the novice who finds herself in her singing. And of course, the estimable Maggie Smith is letter perfect as Mother Superior; no one on either side of the Atlantic can purse a lip better than Maggie Smith. It is the friendships that Goldberg makes in the convent that are the emotional heart of this warmly funny movie.
And it is amazingly funny, especially given the hackneyed and entirely predictable script, which is pretty much THE SOUND OF MUSIC in reverse. Some of the best moments are the rehearsals and performances of the nuns' choir, the direction of which Whoopie takes over. And the songs, Motown classics and Salve Regina, are given the R&B-goes-to-church treatment with respect and affection, and they work in "making a joyful noise." Frankly, you haven't lived until you've heard "My Guy" or "I Will Follow Him" in an ecclesiastical context.
I can cheerfully recommend to SISTER ACT to all but the most serious among you. It is a warm, funny movie, an ideal summer break, without a thought in its cinematic head, but with lots of chemistry, friendship, respect, and energy. You can even pay full ticket price with a clean conscience.
(In the Seattle area, SISTER ACT is playing at several theaters, including the Crossroads down a piece from the corporate campus.)
-- Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney .
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews