Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit ** (1993, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Maggie Smith, Barnard Hughes, James Coburn, Wendy Makkena, Michael Jeter) – Classic Movie Review 3558

Director Bill Duke’s quick 1993 sequel to the 1992 hit Sister Act betrays its hasty production in James Orr, Jim Cruickshank and Judi Ann Mason’s mediocre screenplay in this rickety vehicle for a likeable, amusing and talented star who deserves better. Original writer Joseph Howard, is not involved, credited only for his characters.

Whoopi Goldberg’s showgirl turned nun is now working back in Las Vegas as the headlining singer Deloris Van Cartier when she is coaxed back into pretending to be a nun by sisters Sister Mary Patrick, Sister Mary Robert  and Sister Mary Lazarus (Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena and Mary Wickes). They take Goldberg’s ‘Sister Mary Clarence’ back again to re-meet the Mother Superior (Maggie Smith), who asks her to teach music at poor inner-city San Francisco school St Francis, run by old priest Father Maurice (Barnard Hughes). The school is threatened with closure through lack of funds and the scheming of its wicked administrator Mr Crisp (James Coburn). So the sisters enter the rap-crazed choir class into a musical competition.

Sister Act 2 is so old-fashioned and sentimental that you almost expect to see Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman walk on set at any moment, and so musically oriented that you expect to find Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland on set too.

The Walt Disney studio’s Touchstone Pictures was said to have paid what was then a fortune ($7million) to get Goldberg back in the habit, and she is worth every cent because, with her unfailing energy and good humour, she is virtually the whole show. Smith and Coburn are saddled with the really thankless roles of the straight persons in a comedy, though the equally sidelined Najimy, Makkena and Wickes have some fun moments.

The effortful story focuses on the multi-racial kids, and tries to provide uplift and hope in their dead-end city lives, and pushes the simplistic message that if you work and get good grades you can be a success.

The film follows the Sixties soul trail of the first movie, and provides so many songs that it is virtually a musical. Like last time, these scenes are far and away the best in the movie.

Goldberg’s daughter, Alex Martin, appears in this movie as one of the classroom children. She says ‘Yo Mama’.

It was far from a big hit: it cost $38million and took $57million at the US box office, whereas the original cost $31million and took $134million, grossing $232million around the world. You do the math. So, happily, no Sister Act 3 was called for, though in June 2015 Disney announced that a remake of the original is in the pipeline with Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah (10 Things I Hate About You, Legally Blonde) set to pen the script.

A Broadway musical later followed, with Disney veteran Alan Menken writing the music. It netted five Tony nominations in 2011, including Best Musical.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3558

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