Product Details

• Actors: Debbie Reynolds, Ricardo Montalban, Greer Garson, Agnes Moorehead, Chad Everett
• Directors: Henry Koster
• Writers: John Furia, Sally Benson
• Producers: Hank Moonjean, Hayes Goetz, John Beck
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: December 23, 1993
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302478952
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,118 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

One of the unlikeliest pop stars of the 1960s gets the bio treatment in The Singing Nun, a fictionalized account of the Belgian nun dubbed "Soeur Sourire" (Sister Smile). The cute tone is regrettable, and it's difficult to adjust to Debbie Reynolds in a habit, but the movie isn't bad for its kind. It's the light version of The Nun's Story, with Hollywood conflicts substituted for spiritual angst. The supporting cast brings in some camp appeal: Agnes Moorehead as a cranky nun, Chad Everett, and "Ed Sullivan as Himself." The best sequence has Sullivan's CBS crew showing up in Belgium to tape the Singing Nun for his TV shew--er, show--and sending the irresistibly catchy "Dominique" on its way to international success. It's the same breakthrough sequence found in every rock & roll movie, except the song happens to be about a Catholic saint. Doesn't matter: what works, works. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, poignant film, March 23, 2001

By 

Sean Orlosky (Yorktown, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Singing Nun [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"The Singing Nun" is a warm, sincere film, beautiful in its lightheartedness and in its honesty. The true story of a nun who went from Belgium to the Billboards is told through this film, and it is to be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

Debbie Reynolds is the sunny young nun Sister Anne, who comes to a convent in Belgium to begin her religious life, and hopes to one day continue her work in the Congo. With her guitar, "Sister Adelle", and her beautiful singing voice, Sister Anne's talent is quickly recognized by the warm Mother Superior (Greer Garson) and the enthusiastic Father Clementi (Ricardo Montalban). She is encouraged by an old friend, Robert Gerarde (Chad Everett) to record an album of her hymns. The album becomes a sensation, and "The Singing Nun" is soon making appearances at parties and engagements, even appearing on "Ed Sullivan"! At first, Sister Anne is able to take her success in stride, as she begins teaching young children and forming a friendship with one of the underprivileged children, Dominic. But as the film progresses, Sister Anne finds herself torn: Should she continue her singing, or devote herself to God?

One critic wrote that the film had "the warmth and poignancy of a child's first prayer." And "The Singing Nun" is truly, that touching. Its beautiful score includes some wonderful hummable songs like "Brother John", "Beyond the Stars", "It's A Miracle", and "Dominic-A-Nic-A-Nica-A" among them. The perfect performances of Reynolds, Garson, Montalban, Everett, and a great supporting cast lend the movie a true depth of feeling. It's a moving, heartwarming film that will bring a smile to your face every time you watch it.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful story with lovely music, June 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Singing Nun [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Debbie Reynolds and Chad Everett star in this lovely musical. Miss Reynolds is sister Anne, a young nun fresh from the convent, who comes to a poor town in Belgium. Her marvellous singing voice is discovered by the father of the parish, and when sister Anne goes to the recording studio she meets an old beau. Sister Anne becomes a top-recording artist, but she still spends time with the town's children and tries to make friends with the people in town. All while her old beau seems to get interested again.

A wholesome movie! Nothing offensive! A bit of laughter, a bit of sadness, a bit of romance! But all the time wonderful songs, ballads and toe-tappers, beautifully sung by Debbie Reynolds.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful memories, July 21, 2005

By 

Stephanie Micus "old movie buff" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Singing Nun [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I saw this movie when I was 10 years old. Although I knew that it was a fictionalized account of the "real" singing nun, my friends and I enjoyed it immensely. We did not notice the make-up on the nuns, and we did not think that the nuns in it were over the top. Furthermore, there are many movies now where people are supposed to be dying or in a calamity, and they are wearing full make-up, oar the situation in the movie is just too unbelievable for words In fact, we had nuns who taught in our school, and we could team each nun with one of the characters in the movie, including Debbie Reynolds. It is a great movie for an older Catholic audience, who can remember when nuns wore habits, and still played baseball with their students.