Top 10 Best Sister Act Franchise Moments

After seeing her boyfriend commit a crime, a singer named Deloris is forced to go undercover as a nun so that he can't get to her. But since she spent most of her days living it up in Reno Nevada, adjusting to life in a convent isn't exactly easy for her. Deloris decides to blow off some steam by sneaking out to a bar at night. It's a ton of fun watching her insult and scold tough guys while dressed in a nun's habit. The scene gets more enjoyable when two fellow nuns join her in the seedy establishment. Although the sisters leave after one dance, neither the patrons nor the audience will ever forget this night at the bar.

In this sequel, the Reverend Mother of Saint Francis Academy asks Deloris to become a music teacher at a struggling school. Although the singer agrees to give it a shot, she quickly regrets her decision. Deloris is given an unruly class of students that has zero desire to do any work. She has to scratch her nails across the chalkboard and throw out admittedly funny insults just to keep her quirky class in check. Despite her best efforts, her classroom ends up descending into chaos before the period is over. This brief exchange is an entertaining way to show Deloris her new teaching gig won’t be a walk in the park.

Decades after Deloris attended Catholic School as a young child, she seems to have become very out of touch with religious traditions. This is made hilariously clear at her first lunch in the convent. Deloris is asked to bless the food before the sisters eat. Her resulting grace is a mix of traditional prayer, random bible verses, wedding vows, and even the Pledge of Allegiance. Although all the other sisters look a little confused, they graciously accept the odd blessing. This funny scene foretells how bad Deloris would be at blending in. At least she’s good at making us laugh.

Rita initially comes off as a student who couldn't care less about music. She butts heads with Deloris right away and abandons the rest of her singing classmates early in the film. But underneath her rough exterior, she has a deep love for music. Deloris tries to reach her standoffish student by giving her a copy of “Letters From a Young Poet” and an awesome pep talk. The experienced singer lets Rita know that she should embrace and pursue her passions, and their conversation is hugely inspiring to watch, especially to those who work in the arts. And their talk has the added bonus of bringing Rita back into music class.

When Deloris first arrived at St. Katherine's, the choir was in pretty rough shape. So she’s pretty unhappy when the Reverend Mother forces her to join the group. But Doloris decides to put her full effort into turning the choir into a wholly new and exciting singing group. Their big debut takes place during Sunday mass. After singing traditional hymns, the sisters segue into a fun reimagining of “Hail, Holy Queen”. Their performance is so spirited and exciting that random people off the street come into the church just to check it out. Although the Reverend Mother isn't too thrilled about the song, everyone else who watches this infectious number can’t help but praise it.

It doesn't take long for the new choir to explode in popularity. After packing the pews on Sundays, the Pope decides to visit, just to hear them in person. The sisters blow him away with a glorious up-tempo version of “I Will Follow Him”. During the toe-tapping number, Deloris and Mary Robert both get to show off their strong vocal talents. By the end of the performance, the pope himself is giving them a standing ovation. The “I Will Follow Him” number was a great way to wrap up the movie. It was one last reminder that blending old traditions with new ideas can result in some really sweet music.

Despite everyone's best efforts, Deloris is kidnapped by two of her ex-boyfriend’s goons. Once the sisters hear that she has been taken to Nevada, they rush to save her. After hilariously guilting a pilot into giving them a lift, they arrive in Reno just in time to help Deloris, who’s still dressed in a nun’s habit. The sisters confuse the gangsters by spreading out across the casino and making it impossible to find Deloris among them. Their brilliant stalling tactics ensure this comedy has a happy ending. But the most heartwarming thing about the nun scramble is that it shows the sisters really see Deloris as one of their own.

Before “Sister Act 2” faded to black, the cast had one last surprise for us: a performance of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. This post-credit scene is so much more than a simple gag. The song brings in our favorite characters from both films singing on the same track. We also get to hear amazing solos from Rita, Tanya, and of course, Delores. The cast performs this huge number on a simple white set that allows them to dance and play around as much as they want. All of the actors look like they’re having an absolute ball while recording this song. We couldn’t have asked for a better scene to close out the sequel.

Transforming the music class into a great choir wasn't enough to keep Saint Francis Academy from closing. But when Deloris hears there’s a big all-state singing championship coming up, she figures that a win could save the school. She puts all her faith into a fun arrangement of “Joyful Joyful”. After Rita leads us in with a powerful and soulful verse, the rest of the class takes the stage in the most ‘90s outfits ever, to blow us away with their remix. By adding rap, R&B, and sweet choreography to a traditional hymn, the students win the competition and save the school.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Ahmal Hits a High Note
“Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” (1993)

Deloris Is a Star
“Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” (1993)

Deloris Channels James Brown
“Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” (1993)

Messing With Sister Mary Robert
“Sister Act” (1992)

Nuns Perform “Ball of Confusion”
“Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” (1993)

The moment where Deloris pretends to pray just so she can hit two goons below the belt is genius. But her most brilliant moment comes after her ex, Vince, gets arrested. By this point, he had kidnapped her, threatened her life, and insulted her singing talents. So, we understand why she had a few choice words for him. Instead of cursing him out in front of the nuns in the room, she decides to hit him with a more PG phrase. Whoopi Goldberg's perfect line delivery makes the line sound like a brutal insult. Seeing her deliver a vicious verbal smackdown to her ex that gets her anger out, and respects her fellow sister’s values, never gets old.