Sister Act

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

1992 1h 40m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

🍅

73%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.5

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 3,550🍅73%Rotten Tomatoes●51Metacritic★6.5IMDB · 116,127

MusicComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When lively lounge singer Deloris sees her mobster beau commit murder, she is relocated for her protection. Set up in the guise of a nun in a California convent, she proceeds to upend the quiet lives of the resident sisters.

“No sex. No booze. No men. No way.”

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Cast

Whoopi Goldberg
Deloris Van Cartier / Sister Mary Clarence
Maggie Smith
Mother Superior
Kathy Najimy
Sister Mary Patrick
Wendy Makkena
Sister Mary Robert
Mary Wickes
Sister Mary Lazarus
Harvey Keitel
Vince LaRocca
Bill Nunn
Lt. Eddie Souther
Robert Miranda
Joey

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Emile Ardolino
Writers: Paul Rudnick
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 7.5× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

34 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Sister Act Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Emile Ardolino, shot by Adam Greenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Marc Shaiman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Colleen Halsey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith and Kathy Najimy carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "No sex. No booze. No men. No way.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Emile Ardolino directs. Adam Greenberg behind the camera. Marc Shaiman scores. Colleen Halsey cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 7.5× over at the box office.
234 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Sister Act Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Emile Ardolino, shot by Adam Greenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Marc Shaiman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Colleen Halsey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith and Kathy Najimy carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "No sex. No booze. No men. No way.".
9IMDB entry: tt0105417 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 15 themes, including "concert", "nun", "church choir", "dark comedy".

The technical file

Cinematography: Adam Greenberg
Original score: Marc Shaiman
Editing: Colleen Halsey
Production design: Jackson De Govia
Costume design: Molly Maginnis
Makeup / hair: Julia L. Walker
Sound: Mel Metcalfe
Stunt coordinator: Alan Oliney
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $31,000,000
Box office: $231,605,150
Return: 747% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Sister Act (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes: 73% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 51/100
IMDB rating: 6.5/10 · 116,127 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

9 wins & 10 nominations total

Part of

Sister Act Collection

Sister Act is a 1992 American comedy film released by Touchstone Pictures. Directed by Emile Ardolino, it features musical arrangements by Marc Shaiman and stars Whoopi Goldberg as a Reno lounge singer who has been put under protective custody in a San Francisco convent and has to pretend to be a nun when a mob boss puts her on his hit list. Also in the cast are Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena, Mary Wickes, and Harvey Keitel. The film was followed by a 1993 sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.

Also by

Emile Ardolino

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-06-20
★ 7/10
Mary Clarence? Like Clarence Williams III from The Mod Squad? 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. Whoopi Goldberg is the sister act of the title, and boy does she have a great time with the characterisation. It's hardly pulling up any trees, and it holds few surprises, yet it's so warm and gentle with its humour it's near impossible to dislike. The laughs obviously come from Goldberg's street wise gal trying to adapt to life in a convent. The big message that unfolds, as she gets more at ease with her surroundings, is that not only can earthy girls come to be honourable by learning new fortitudes, but also that they can positively affect those around them in a perceived stuffy environment. The trajectory of the nunnery choir under Goldberg's tutorship - from wailing cats to cherubic angels - is the film's highlights, while Maggie Smith as the prim and proper Mother Superior is class unbound. Harvey Keitel as the gangster who is after our sister's blood is wasted, and the ending is never really in doubt, yet this is a good pick me up movie, undemanding fun for those after a quick smiley fix. 7/10
Filipe Manuel Neto2022-07-19
★ 10/10
One of the great comedies of the decade. We are facing a film that was a huge success when it was released and continues, even today, to have a vast legion of fans. It's one of those light, friendly comedies that doesn't age, is always current, and is a pleasure to revisit from time to time. The expertly written screenplay tells the story of Deloris, a casino singer who must be protected by the police after witnessing her lover, a married gangster, kill a police snitch at close range. The authorities' solution is to hide her in a convent, where she will have to assume a false identity and pretend that she is a nun. Of course, most of the film's jokes come precisely from the difficult adaptation of a showgirl to a strongly strict environment, where obedience and discipline are taken seriously. The film works wonderfully well, and despite the years that have passed, it remains an amazingly up-to-date film that doesn't show its age. It's one of those films that we can watch and rewatch without getting tired, from time to time, and that is still fondly remembered by many people today. It's not a great film from a technical point of view, with average cinematography and editing, good sets and decent costumes, but no big fights and other challenging technical elements. The cast is lavish and full of talent. The protagonist is the great Whoopi Goldberg, who was at the time experiencing one of the highlights of her career (shortly before, she had received the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for Ghost), becomes, with this film, truly an icon. Next to her were the grandiose Maggie Smith and the funny Kanthy Najimi, Wendy Makkena and Mary Wickes, who bring to life the most significant nuns of that convent. The villain, in turn, is very well done by Harvey Keitel.
CinemaSerf2023-08-26
★ 7/10
Whoopi Goldberg and Dame Maggie Smith are on top form in this engaging comedy thriller. Goldberg "Deloris van Cartier" witnesses her gangster boyfriend commit murder. When she is drafted in by the police to testify against him, she is put into a witness protection scheme with a difference. She is to hide out in a convent under the tutelage of Dame Maggie's "Mother Superior". After initial clashes on just about everything, Goldberg - "Sister Mary Clarence" - finally finds a sense of purpose with the choir - and soon that choir is attracting global attention, even the Pope is coming to hear them sing. Of course, the publicity isn't all good - and her boyfriend "Vince" (Harvey Keitel) soon tracks her down. Can she be rescued from his evil clutches? This is an enjoyable film to watch. Once it gets going, there are plenty toe-tapping musical numbers and both women at the top of the bill, as well as the feisty Mary Wickes ("Sister Mary Lazarus"), are clearly having some fun having a funny and well paced script to work too. The conclusion is pretty much as you'd expect, descending just a little too much into slapstick for my liking before a rousing Papal audience! To be honest - there is nothing here not to like. Good fun!