Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Directed by	Bill Duke
Produced by	Scott Rudin Dawn Steel
Written by	James Orr Jim Cruickshank Judi Ann Mason
Starring	Whoopi Goldberg Kathy Najimy James Coburn Maggie Smith
Music by	Miles Goodman
Cinematography	Oliver Wood
Editing by	John Carter
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures
Release	December 10, 1993
Running time	107 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Gross revenue	$100 million
Preceded by	Sister Act

Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit is a 1993 comedy film loosely based on the life of Crenshaw High School choir instructor Iris Stevenson, and starred Whoopi Goldberg. Directed by Bill Duke, and released by Touchstone Pictures, it is the sequel to the successful 1992 film Sister Act. Most of the original cast reprise their roles in the sequel, including Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena, and Mary Wickes.

Plot

Sisters Mary Patrick, Mary Lazarus and Mary Robert attend the final performance of Deloris van Cartier at a Las Vegas theater, depicting her escapades at the nuns' convent in the previous film. Afterwards, the Sisters ask Deloris for her assistance once again. Reuniting with the Reverend Mother, Deloris learns the nuns now work as teachers at St. Francis School, a school Deloris herself had attended, which is facing closure if the administrator Mr. Crisp convinces the local diocese to agree. Deloris agrees to help teach the music class, once again taking on her persona as Sister Mary Clarence. She meets the monks who also work at the school, including principal Father Maurice, math teacher Father Ignatius, grouchy Latin teacher Father Thomas, and the cook Father Wolfgang.

Mary Clarence attempts her first lessons in the music class, finding the students unruly and rude. Among the students is the ringleader Rita Watson; preachy Ahmal; white rap artist Frankie; Sketch, who sleeps a lot due to heavy work; and fashionable Maria. Upon learning the school will close at the conclusion of the current term, Mary Clarence rallies the nuns and monks to find a way to improve the school to keep it open. Like Reverend Mother before him, Father Maurice finds himself in conflict with Mary Clarence and her `radical' ways, but Reverend Mother reminds Father Maurice that the term `radical' was applied to them in their day, and reassures him that Mary Clarence's presence will help.

Mary Clarence finally dawns a new day and properly takes control of her class, prompting Rita to walk out. When the class breaks out in spontaneous singing, showing their true potential, Mary Clarence decides to turn the class into a choir. At first, the class is skeptical, but change their minds when finding out the school will close.

When Mary Robert finds Rita singing before a friend, she and Mary Clarence convince her to return to classes. The class rebuilds the music room themselves and becomes a successful choir under Mary Clarence's guidance, with Rita returning to become a lead singer alongside Ahmal.

The choir performs a practice run before the school and receives a standing ovation. Afterward, when the nuns find trophies amid the dust and grime which reveal that the school had won the all-state choir championship before, sometimes for several consecutive years, Mary Robert wonders aloud whether they still hold the competition or not.

Finding in the affirmative, the nuns enter the choir in the contest behind Mary Clarence's back, who is then tasked with getting Father Maurice's reluctant permission. However, Rita's strict mother Florence refuses to let her daughter attend, believing a career in music to be a dead end. Rita rebels, forging her mother's signature on the parental consent form to follow her dreams, leaving her mother an apologetic letter.

Shortly after the choir leaves, Mr. Crisp discovers Mary Clarence is no nun and convinces Father Maurice to withdraw them from the competition. The monks overhear and race after the choir bus with the nuns and kids, hampered by Father Thomas's reckless driving.

At the championship, the choir is intimidated by the competition and considers quitting, but they change their mind after Mary Clarence sternly lectures them, reminding them how far they have already come. In the midst of all this, the monks, along with Fr. Maurice arrive and Father Maurice appears to inform the choir of his decision, but, surprised by the choir's robes, changes his mind and allows them to go onstage.

The other monks lock Mr. Crisp in a closet to prevent him from revealing Mary Clarence's true identity to the representatives of the diocese who had come to the competition before the kids have a chance to sing.

Rita arrives onstage, briefly getting stage fright when she spots her mother in the audience, but leads the choir into a modern, hip-hop-inspired rendition of Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee. The choir ultimately wins the championship, and the diocese representatives, impressed by the choir's performance, allow the school to remain open. By this time, Crisp has freed himself from the closet and is about to spill the beans to the Diocesan administration when they give the shocked Mr. Crisp a promotion (against his wishes) when Reverend Mother makes it look like he came up with the idea to attend the competition himself. Florence apologizes to Rita and tells her that she is proud of her, and the film closes with a rousing rendition of Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

Cast

• Whoopi Goldberg - Deloris Van Cartier / Sister Mary Clarence
• Kathy Najimy - Sister Mary Patrick
• Barnard Hughes - Father Maurice
• Mary Wickes - Sister Mary Lazarus
• James Coburn - Mr. Crisp
• Michael Jeter - Father Ignatius
• Wendy Makkena - Sister Mary Robert
• Sheryl Lee Ralph - Florence Watson
• Robert Pastorelli - Joey Bustamente
• Thomas Gottschalk - Father Wolfgang
• Maggie Smith - Reverend Mother
• Lauryn Hill - Rita Watson
• Brad Sullivan - Father Thomas
• Alanna Ubach - Maria
• Ryan Toby - Ahmal
• Ron Johnson - Sketch
• Tyse Saffuri - Choir
• Jennifer Love Hewitt - Margaret
• Devin Kamin - Frankie
• Christian Fitzharris - Tyler Chase
• Tanya Blount - Tanya
• Mehran Marcos Sedghi - Marcos
• Pat Crawford Brown - Choir Nun
• Hill Harper - Choir Boy
• Christian Mcveigh - supermac
• Erica Campbell - Competing Choir

Sister Act films

Sister Act • Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

Wendy Makkena films

Sister Act (1992)  · Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)  ·