33 Years Later, Can We All Agree Maggie Smith's Sister Act Character Deserves An Apology?

It’s funny, the little things you end up remembering from your childhood. For example, whenever I would go visit my grandmother, I knew to expect two things: First, there would definitely be Rice Krispies treats waiting for me; and second, she would have two VHS tapes available for me to watch. One was the 1994 live-action film of The Jungle Book; the other was the 1992 musical comedy, Sister Act. And while both movies were great, Sister Act soon became a tried-and-true favorite that I would’ve happily watched again and again even if my grandma had ever decided to expand her movie collection (she did not). But it didn’t matter. Watching Whoopi Goldberg’s Deloris Van Cartier pose as a nun and transform the lackluster convent choir into a show-stopping sensation never ceased to entertain me — a fact that still holds true even today.

It’s been years since I sat down and watched Sister Mary Clarence breathe life and energy into the church community with her unorthodox methods and less traditional music choices, yet I ended up enjoying it just as much now as I did back then. The premise, the music, the humor... it all proved to be nonstop fun that had me laughing (and singing) from start to finish. However, I noticed one crucial aspect of the film had changed for me during my recent rewatch of Sister Act, and that was my feelings toward Maggie Smith’s character, Mother Superior.

When I watched this as a kid, I always harbored a little resentment toward Smith’s head nun. From my perspective, she seemed mean, cruel even, to both Sister Mary Clarence and her fellow nuns. What did she have against music? Why couldn’t she embrace this fun and exciting change that was helping to engage the community and bring members back to the church? What was her deal? It’s only now, as an adult and a mother, that I can truly appreciate where this character was coming from. Her intentions weren’t spiteful or malicious or unkind. In fact, they were quite the opposite.

As much fun as Sister Mary Clarence brought to the convent, it was also the reason she ended up getting tracked down by her mobster ex-boyfriend. The whole point of her going undercover as a nun was so she could easily keep a low profile, allowing her to remain undetected and unnoticed by the outside world. Music does the exact opposite of that. It draws people in. And it’s what put her back in danger, along with all the other nuns. Mother Superior feared this would happen and took the danger Sister Mary Clarence was in much more seriously than anyone else (apart from the detective helping her out).

Mother Superior was the voice of reason, and while she admittedly was prone to the traditional ways of the church and didn’t approve of Sister Mary Clarence’s modern techniques, she also was just trying to keep everyone safe. Maybe her approach to doing so was colder than it could’ve been, but her intentions were honorable. If my son were in danger, I would do anything to keep him safe — even if he didn’t like it or felt I was being too strict and no fun. He could resent me all he wanted, as long as it meant he was safely by my side. That’s now how I view Mother Superior’s actions.

So it’s time we all make a confession: She was never the bad guy. She was the actual hero of the movie, and we all owe her one hell —  I mean, one heck, of an apology.