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The Preacher's Wife

The Preacher's Wife

  • Status: Released
  • 13-12-1996
  • Runtime: 123 min
  • Score: 5.8
  • Vote count: 231

Good-natured Reverend Henry Biggs finds that his marriage to choir mistress Julia is flagging, due to his constant absence caring for the deprived neighborhood they live in. On top of all this, his church is coming under threat from property developer Joe Hamilton. In desperation, Biggs prays to God for help – which arrives in the form of an angel named Dudley.

Denzel Washington

Dudley

Whitney Houston

Julia Biggs

Courtney B. Vance

Reverend Henry Biggs

Gregory Hines

Joe Hamilton

Jenifer Lewis

Margueritte Coleman

Loretta Devine

Beverly

Paul Bates

Saul Jeffreys

Justin Pierre Edmund

Jeremiah Biggs

Lionel Richie

Britsloe

Victor Williams

Robbie

Shari Headley

Arlene Chattan

Marcella Lowery

Anna Eldridge

Cissy Houston

Mrs. Havergal

Charlotte d'Amboise

Debbie Paige

Helmar Augustus Cooper

Johnson Keeley

Jernard Burks

Pizza Man

Aaron A. McConnaughey

Teen

Lex Monson

Osbert

Darvel Davis Jr.

Hakim

William James Stiggers Jr.

Billy Eldridge

Shyheim Franklin

Teen

Taral Hicks

Teen

Kennan Scott

Teen

Michael Alexander Jackson

Robber

Jamie Tirelli

Liquor Store Owner

Lizan Mitchell

Judge

Robert Colston

Bailiff

Juliehera DeStefano

Receptionist

Delores Mitchell

Mary Halford

David Langston Smyrl

Hanley's Waiter

Harsh Nayyar

Christmas Tree Man

Mervyn Warren

Pianist

Roy Haynes

Drummer

George Coleman

Sax Player

Ted Dunbar

Guitar Player

Jamil Nasser

Bass Player

Mary Bond Davis

Bernita

Toukie Smith

Teleprompter Operator

CinemaSerf

No, no, no, no, no! What in the name of all that's holy convinced anyone that a remake of the delightfully charming "Bishop's Wife" (1947) ought to happen? Instead of that charmingly engaging story of a pre-occupied Bishop losing sight of what really mattered, we get this noisy and aggressive vehicle for Whitney Houston to prove she can shout her songs at us. She's married to the affable minister (Courtney B. Vance) whose church is facing an existential crisis. It's a lone beacon of hope in a deprived area of the city but it's also a prime site for redevelopment, and "Joe" (Gregory Hines) is determined to turn the steeple into a skyscraper. All this rearguard action is taking it's toll on his marriage though, so up pops "Dudley" (Denzel Washington) as the mischievous angel intent on helping this particular lost sheep. Thing is, the more he involves himself in the affairs of this couple the more he begins to fall for "Julia", she for him and nobody is really making any progress on the job in hand. The rest of this is faithful enough to the original but way too much of this is contrived to give it's singing star an opportunity to belt out "I Believe in You and Me" as well as a few more typically seasonal numbers. We all know she could sing, but this isn't singing. It's just showing off. She has a formidable vocal range but the deliveries here lack any kind of subtlety or delicacy. It's as if she was using her own voice instead of a wrecking ball to help out "Joe"! It's just completely class-free, charm-free and I don't think it need to have been made at all. Nobody's finest moments here, sorry.