Change of Habit

Change of Habit (1969)

Genres - Drama  |   Sub-Genres - Musical Drama, Religious Drama  |   Release Date - Nov 10, 1969 (USA - Unknown), Nov 19, 1969 (USA - Limited), Jan 21, 1970 (USA)  |   Run Time - 93 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - G
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Synopsis by Dan Pavlides

Dr. John Carpenter (Elvis Presley) helps the economically disadvantaged in an inner-city medical clinic. Three nuns are assigned to help out at the facility and are allowed to wear regular clothes instead of the traditional habits. Sister Michelle (Mary Tyler Moore) is the speech therapist who Dr. Carpenter would like to examine personally after hours. Along with the other sisters (Barbara McNair and Jane Elliot), Michelle is subjected to the criticism of the local parish priest (Regis Toomey) in the social experiment of non-traditional dress. Two spinsters even mistake the nuns for prostitutes without their habits. The priest wins out in the end, and the nuns must again don their habits. As the good doctor sings to the ailing children, Sister Michelle is transfixed both by a crucifix hanging on the wall and by Elvis Presley in an ironic and symbolic scene that flashes between the two icons. This was Presley's last studio feature and he welcomed the move from stifling screen images as he returned his focus to live performances and recording for the remainder of his illustrious career.

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Keywords

clinic, doctor/nurse, forbidden-love, ghetto, nun, peeping-tom, rape