Sister Act (1992)

Fresh off our return from a three-week trip to California, we watch the only movie about music set in San Francisco that we could think of: Emile Ardolino’s Sister Act, starring Whoopi Goldberg. We found this popular ‘90s popcorn movie to be surprisingly deep, with its tensions between tradition and change, church and community, and race relations. We talk about the “magical negro” trope, some problems with POC representations in Hollywood, Whoopi’s singing, Lauren Hill’s debut in the sequel, and the odd depiction of the Noe Valley neighborhood. It’s a charming, cute, lively film that may not be true to the City, but is a fun ride.