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

I will defend these films TO THE DEATH! I love them, I've watched them a billion times, and they always cheer me up. In the first film, failing lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) accidentally witnesses her mobster boyfriend bumping somebody off, so she goes into hiding in a convent until she can testify. During her stay she becomes Sister Mary Clarence and takes over lead of the choir, teaching those tired old nuns to work it and sound fabulous!

In the sequel, Deloris is back to lounge singing more successfully when her new nun friends surprise her to plead for her help. They're all high school teachers now and the school is in danger of closing. They need her to get back in the habit (aaaahahahaha see what I did there??) and become a music teacher in hopes that she will be able to breathe life back into the school. And of course she turns her slacker students into an amazing choir! Bam!

I love the music in these films. The nuns are oh-so-cute, especially when they start rocking out gospel-style. I give the edge to the second film though, because there are some seriously talented singers in the bunch, including stand-out soloist Lauryn Hill. There's a small scene where she and a friend are sitting at a piano in an empty church, singing in harmony...it's beautiful.

So if you want something light and feel-good, I recommend you revisit these. If nothing else, you can ponder this great mystery of the universe: When will that red-haired nun ever become a REAL nun? Enjoy, and remember: "If you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention!"