Hi all. I’m going to start today with an inspirational quote: If you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, you’d better wake up and pay attention. Now, if you don’t recognize this quote, you’re likely pretty confused as to why I’ve chucked it into my intro. If you do recognize it, chances are, you’re like me; someone who has seen Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit too many times. Funnily enough, Sister Act 2 is the subject of my blog this week. I have some problems with it…
I don’t want to be misunderstood here. Saying that I have some problems with this film might lead you to believe that I dislike it. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth is, I love this film! It’s probably one that I should describe as a guilty pleasure. It’s one of those films where whenever it’s on TV, no matter what bits on, I can sit and watch.
It’s funny the films we get attached to. I know this isn’t exactly Citizen Kane. No one has this film in their “Top Movies” list. But it’s one of those films that I saw as a child and found fascinating. I think it’s the same way for a lot of people. Case in point: The Goonies. I never watched it as a child. I have no idea why. It wasn’t a film my parents ever insisted I should watch and I guess I never happened upon it on TV or in Blockbusters.
When my wife found out I had never seen it, she was shocked. She assured me it was a classic and that I had to see it. So we watched it. It was fine, nothing too special. This wasn’t the glowing review my wife was expecting. But she was viewing it through the prism of nostalgia, based on her seeing it for the first time as a child. I was viewing it as an adult, about 30 years after the film was first released.
Interestingly enough, my wife and I had a complete role reversal when it came to Ghostbusters. This is a film that I adored as a youngster, but my wife had never seen it. We watched it, she thought it was ok. And look, I get it; entertainment is subjective at the best of times, so we won’t always agree on what is and isn’t a classic. Just as long as we’re all in agreement that Ray Parker Jr.’s Ghostbusters theme is an absolute banger of a tune and still slays to this day.
So yes, Sister Act 2 is one that holds a lot of nostalgia for me. But all that nostalgia isn’t enough to blind me on some of the flaws in the movie. The biggest problem for me are the villains. Think of some of the most iconic onscreen villains. The likes of Darth Vader, Hans Gruber, Jaws, the Terminator. They are often almost the most compelling characters on screen and make our heroes all the better for having faced off with them. Sister Act 2 doesn’t have this.
In Sister Act 2, the principal villain is Mr. Crisp. He is the superintendent (I think) of the catholic school. Unfortunately for the pupils of this school, Mr. Crisp wants to close the school down and take an early retirement. BOOOO! But let’s review: yes, he wants to shut the school, but this is a school that is doing extremely poorly. The students are disinterested and some of them feel it is acceptable to rip up their textbooks and stick the remnants to the ceiling. The teachers – by their own admission – are struggling to get through to the kids. The curriculum is old and tired (again, one of the teachers said this). Perhaps closing it down and putting something more useful in place would have been better for the local community.
Ah, but what about the early retirement. Just exactly how lazy is this Mr. Crisp? Well, not very, as it turns out. Mr. Crisp was portrayed by legendary actor James Coburn. The film was released (in the US) in December 1993. Coburn was born in August 1928. Assuming the actor and character are the same age, this would make Mr. Crisp 65 years old. Are we really trying to suggest that 65 is an unreasonable age to retire?
The one place in the film where Mr. Crisp’s “villainous” nature is at the forefront is when he tries to stop the kids from participating in the choir competition. But he only does this once he finds out that “Sister Mary Clarence” is not a nun – or even a teacher – at all. She is in fact a Las Vegas stage performer. One who has not only hoodwinked the school faculty for months, but has now taken the children on a cross country trip with at least one forged permission slip. I know Rita’s is the only one we know is a forgery for a fact, but let’s face it: if one fake signature can fool the nuns, who’s to say how many other kids did the same as Rita? And speaking of Rita.
The secondary “villain” of the piece is Rita’s mother. That might sound a tad harsh. She’s not evil or anything, but she tries to hold back the main protagonist. I think it’s fair to say Rita is the main protagonist; Whoopi Goldberg is obviously the star, but Lauryn Hill’s Rita is the character with the biggest story arc. Anyway, Rita’s mother isn’t happy about her daughter’s involvement with the choir to say the least. She reacts to her joining a school choir the way most parents would react to their child joining a drug cartel. I was only five when this film came out, so I was possibly too young to know, but were choirs problematic in the early 90s? “First they join a choir, the next thing you know, they’re working as a prostitute.”. Assuming this wasn’t the case, Rita’s mother is extremely unreasonable.
So those are our two villains. A 65 year old man who wants to retire and a mother who can’t bear the thought of her daughter singing in a choir.
Now, I know the fact that a man who will write about the flaws in a nigh-on 30 year-old film being partial to nitpicking won’t surprise anyone, so I’m going to pick a few nits. Actually, just one: the microphones…
During the final performance, Rita opens the song with a solo. It’s just her and a pianist (and a sign language interpreter). Rita sings using a microphone. Later in the song, when there is:
- A full musical accompaniment
- Backing singers
- Kids dancing and performing somersaults all over the stage
Rita sings lead vocals – and makes herself heard – without using a microphone. How is this possible? And if it is possible, then why the hell did she need a microphone for the intro? It’s not a massively big deal, but it always completely takes me out of the film every time.
I think it’s probably time for me to stop venting my spleen about this film and just move on. I’m going to get out of the dark room where I write and step into the light of day. Light of day!
Thanks for joining me once again, particularly if you’re not even a fan of Sister Act 2. Back next week with markedly less choir content. Take care.
A Rob Blog 