Sister Act: 20th Anniversary Edition/Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

Whoopi Goldberg enjoyed her greatest big-screen success with these easygoing comedies that paired her with a gaggle of likable nuns played by such scene-stealers as Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy, and Mary Wickes. In Sister Act (1992), Goldberg stars as Deloris Van Cartier, a Reno lounge singer who witnesses a murder committed by her gangster boyfriend, Vince (Harvey Keitel), and is hidden away in a San Francisco convent by the cops for her protection. Deloris is obviously a fish out of water until she takes over the nuns' choir and turns it into a swinging group whose newfound popularity helps to revitalize the rundown neighborhood, but also brings Deloris unwanted publicity. An amiable trifle with toe-tapping musical numbers, Sister Act immediately spawned the inferior sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), in which Deloris joins some of her old convent friends at a dilapidated Catholic high school threatened with closure by ruthless administrator Mr. Crisp (James Coburn). Naturally, Deloris molds the students into a choral group that could save the school by winning a state competition—if only parental interference can be overcome. Once again the music is spirited, but the formula is already getting tired, so this follow-up—which also stars Lauryn Hill, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Michael Jeter—comes off as rote. Extras include a “making-of” featurette on Sister Act, and two music videos. The recent adaptation of Sister Act into a Broadway musical may spur interest in this pair of crowd-pleasers, presented here in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo set. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)