In a sentenceThe choir has Whoopi Goldberg, which seems an unfair advantage
Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) takes the name Sister Mary Clarence among a community of nuns led by Mother Superior (Maggie Smith). The convent choir gives her somewhere to direct her musical energies, and she sets about bringing rock ’n’ roll into its repertoire. Her fellow sisters include Sister Mary Patrick (Kathy Najimy), Sister Mary Robert (Wendy Makkena) and Sister Mary Lazarus (Mary Wickes). Deloris has ideas about how the choir should sound, while Mother Superior has a whole community to oversee.
Plays from YouTube when you press play; nothing loads from them until then.
Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith make Sister Act a warm, enjoyable musical comedy, with songs that justify the familiar setup. The plotting is routine, but the ensemble gives us good reason to forgive it.
We recommend Sister Act for its performers and its music, with a modest allowance for predictable plotting. Emile Ardolino has a comic premise that needs little explanation: Whoopi Goldberg brings rock ’n’ roll to a nuns’ choir. The useful decision is to let the nuns share the pleasure instead of merely standing about looking scandalised. At 100 minutes, the film gives us enough time in their company to make the familiar story easy to forgive.
Whoopi Goldberg plays Deloris Van Cartier, also known as Sister Mary Clarence, with enough force to make the whole enterprise seem likely to tip towards her. She is funny, but her warmth matters just as much; a performance based entirely on disruption would soon become tiring. Maggie Smith’s Mother Superior gives that energy somebody worth meeting. There is pleasure in watching two such different comic performers work together, and Emile Ardolino is sensible enough to leave room for both.
Kathy Najimy as Sister Mary Patrick, Wendy Makkena as Sister Mary Robert and Mary Wickes as Sister Mary Lazarus help make the community worth spending time with. The supporting cast has enough presence for the choir to register as a collection of people. We never feel that we are simply waiting for the star to speak again. That generosity is a substantial part of the film’s appeal, and it survives the more mechanical jokes.
The music is where the premise pays off most reliably. With Marc Shaiman handling the music, the choir’s change of style remains enjoyable after the first laugh. We found ourselves unexpectedly moved by the choir’s enthusiasm; their pleasure in making music together is easy to share. The editing by Richard Halsey and Colleen Halsey gives these stretches a momentum that the surrounding comedy does not always match. The numbers feel like time well spent, even when the route to them has been obvious.
Adam Greenberg’s cinematography is most effective when it lets us take in the ensemble without fuss. Jackson DeGovia’s production design is similarly restrained, giving the performers surroundings that do not compete for our attention. We would welcome a little more visual character, particularly when the jokes themselves are doing so much of the work. Still, the plain presentation suits a comedy that depends so heavily on watching its performers together.
Paul Rudnick’s writing is less dependable than the casting. Too often, the joke arrives already understood, and familiarity becomes an excuse for leaving it as it is. The story also gives us little reason to wonder where it is heading, which puts considerable weight on the performers’ ability to keep us amused along the way. They usually manage, but the weaker stretches make us wish the script had given this cast more to surprise us with.
There is nothing wrong with a musical comedy offering uncomplicated pleasure, provided the people making it have done enough work. Here, the cast and the songs make that bargain seem fair, though anyone hoping for much bite should look elsewhere. Choose it when the evening calls for warmth, and accept that the story will probably get where you expect before the choir has finished.
Most critics respond warmly to Sister Act, with praise centred on Whoopi Goldberg’s comic energy and her ability to make a familiar plot entertaining. The songs and the convent choir’s transformation are recurring strengths, while the ensemble also earns praise for its casting and warmth. Across the positive reviews, the appeal is fairly consistent: Goldberg gives the comedy its momentum, and the musical premise supplies much of its fun.
The reservations concern predictability and shortcomings that the more enthusiastic critics find easy to forgive. Empire offers a more qualified response, describing the comedy as predictable and inane while still finding it sweet-natured and enjoyable, chiefly through Goldberg and the choir. The available verdicts therefore differ more in enthusiasm than in their account of what works; Time Out’s verdict is inaccessible, so no specific praise or reservation can be established from that entry.
Turan finds the film an exceptionally funny, polished comedy despite its familiar plot. He especially praises Whoopi Goldberg’s energetic performance and the sharply cast ensemble.
Read the full review →The review is positive about the comedy and Goldberg’s star-making performance. It singles out the songs as a strength.
Read the full review →Lowry finds the comedy infectious and expects audiences to overlook its shortcomings. He especially praises the premise of Goldberg bringing rock ’n’ roll to the nuns’ choir, along with the warmth of Goldberg and Smith’s performances.
Read the full review →The review is positive about the film as a comedy. It singles out Whoopi Goldberg’s performance as its main attraction.
Read the full review →Errigo finds the film predictable and inane, yet ultimately sweet-natured and enjoyable. She singles out Whoopi Goldberg’s full-throttle performance and the convent choir’s transformation as its main appeal.
Read the full review →The page identifies this as a film review, but its verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be determined from the accessible page.
Read the full review →
The Trouble with Angels · not reviewed yetMore convent comedy, with mischief and authority given room to enjoy themselves.
The Blues BrothersFor another musical comedy that treats a ridiculous mission with cheerful seriousness.
The CommitmentsAnother unruly musical ensemble, with more friction and a rougher comic temper.
School of RockAnother disruptive outsider discovers that organising a band requires learning to listen.
We Are the Best! · not reviewed yetFor the pleasure of making music together before anybody thinks you are ready.
Free account
Two lists that know where things are streaming, collections you can share, your own score beside ours, and Discover that remembers what you have seen.
