Whoopi Goldberg has finally found a solid comic film project with "Sister Act," and it's a soft PG-rated picture, of all things.
Toning down her usual foul-mouthed, vulgar persona, Goldberg is still swaggering and street-smart, but she's also charming and, best of all, very funny.
The Whoopster stars as a second-rate lounge singer performing in a third-rate Reno casino when she accidentally witnesses a murder involving her boyfriend (Harvey Keitel), the mob boss who runs the place.
A local cop (Bill Nunn) is happy to have a witness against Keitel — it seems he's been trying to nail him for some time. But there's a leak in the police department, so he quietly relocates Goldberg to a San Francisco convent.
Goldberg masquerades as a nun, with only the Mother Superior (Maggie Smith) and the Monsignor (Joseph Maher) knowing the truth. As she gradually becomes friendly with the other nuns, Goldberg, of course, starts off on the wrong foot: She mixes up a blessing on the food with the Pledge of Allegiance, she complains about the sacrifices she is forced to make and even goes to a bar across the street to get a drink (non-alcoholic, however).
All of this ingratiates her to the other nuns, who start to loosen up a bit. This is especially true of the members of the church choir, as Goldberg becomes their director and jazzes up the hymns. She even has them singing variations on old pop tunes. (In the film's most irreverent moment, the choir sings "My God," instead of "My Guy.")
For the most part, however, the film has the expected message of Goldberg getting the sisters to go out and really help people, and the sisters helping Goldberg see the error of her ways.
None of this is very original, of course. Robert De Niro and Sean Penn masqueraded as priests in "We're No Angels" and "Nuns on the Run" had Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane hiding out as nuns. And there are older examples of this common comic premise.
But "Sister Act" is so full of genuinely hilarious moments and boasts such an appealing cast, it manages to overcome its predictability.
Goldberg is wonderful, but she also gets terrific support from Wendy Makkena as a shy young nun; Kathy Najimy as a giggly, eager, optimistic sister; and veteran character actress Mary Wickes as the stern but soft-hearted former choir director.
"Sister Act," rated PG for some violence (off-screen and subdued) and a couple of profanities, is very funny. And that's the bottom line. How can you complain about a movie when it makes you laugh so much?