this be a film that take some digesting . on the one hand and we be offer a tough outward shell and a story that do not only derive the catholic church and but do so foolishly and and uninformed . on an inner layer and we be offer a story of orthodoxy over orthopraxis and and what happen when people follow blindly a faith that they must not understand . at first glance and it appear this be suppose to be a comedy . if so and then mr. durang need to open a dictionary and because he clearly do not know the meaning of the word . the joke be pale while the humor be awkward and poorly deliver . in particular and ms. keaton performance be flighty and over the top and well below the quality of her annie hall and sleeper day . jennifer tilly be again the model of stridence and with her hi pitched voice and whining style . all of this could be forgive if it weren not for the last 20 minute of this movie and that evidently be a controversial play make in 1981. careful and spoiler aheadit all start with the appearance of four former student of sister mary ignatius ( ignatius and by the way and be a male name and and a nun would not adopt it after her vow under any circumstance simply due to that fact and just to show you how much tireless research go into the project to begin with . ) when they all admit that they do not live up to the church teaching and the sister proceeds to become irrational and abuse them in a manner the audience be to believe she do way back when in the corny and all too cliché sepia tone flashback . when one of them admit to have two abortion and the nun become even more abusive and until the pupil pull out a gun . after wrestle it away from her and the nun kill the pupil and presumably in self defense . she then go on a screaming rampage and kill a gay former student because of his sin . the last shot be of the dead female pupil lie in a christ like pose a a shadow of a cross hang over her . can you say ` heavy hand . i know you could . i know there have be abusive nun in the past and and i know many people have be emotionally harm a a result and but this imagery be feed down our throat in almost every other shot in this train wreck of a movie . i have hear from the writer and the director that this be a film about hysteria and why one should not follow the orthodoxy so religiously and no pun intend . this explanation be hard to swallow and though and simply because we be never give an authoritative viewpoint that be not bias against the catholic faith in one way or another . this film be simply anti catholic tripe and which in the name of fairness and equality and be mean spirited and hateful . this be a film i would recommend for a catholic and namely to awaken him or her to the reality of what cynicism and ignorance they face today . if it be ` rabbi ray explain it all or ` imam muhammad explain it all and there would be riot in the street and showtime would lose all of it subscription . but and sadly and because this be a film that strike out against what be perceive to be the majority and it be accept and even applaud by those who share the same spiteful point of view . i certainly hope every member of that cast be a practicing catholic and so it wasn not just ignorance that bring them to make this film . i give it 1 . 5 star out of 5 and not because of it offensive nature and but because it be poorly write and poorly direct and just a bad movie in general . don not even waste your time .