Product Details

• Actors: Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courtney B. Vance, Gregory Hines, Jenifer Lewis
• Directors: Penny Marshall
• Writers: Nat Mauldin And Allan Scott
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: August 13, 2002
• Run Time: 124 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (155 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000065V3J
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,267 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Preacher's Wife" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This tedious remake of the classic Christmas movie The Bishop's Wife falls on its face by significantly altering the careful design of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert E. Sherwood's story for the original film. In Sherwood's version, a rather wooden, inept bishop and his lonely wife unknowingly take into their lives a heaven-sent angel who aids the former and ends up falling in love with the latter. In this unnecessary update, an inner-city preacher (Courtney B. Vance) and his estranged spouse (Whitney Houston) are visited by a celestial goof (Denzel Washington), whose unsolicited offer of help is enough to galvanize Vance's character to fix his own problems. What that means is this: by the second act, there's no reason to have Washington's angel in the story. Even his infatuation with the missus isn't enough to warrant his hanging around this movie; the change is a colossal blunder by director Penny Marshall. Vance ends up stealing the film from Washington, but it's a Pyrrhic victory; for the most part this movie just seems like a series of random scenes between opportunities for Houston to belt out songs. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

In this romantic comedy, an angel accidentally falls in love with a young woman even though he is assigned to rekindle her marriage!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story And Music Combine In A Terrific Christmas Movie October 11, 2005

By Simon Davis

Format:VHS Tape

As a rule I dont tend to warm to remakes of classic films however the Penny Marshall directed Christmas story "The Preacher's Wife", is a definite exception and has become one of my favourite festive season viewing experiences. Based on the classic Samuel Goldwyn film "The Bishop's Wife", which starred legends Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven, this 1996 effort has a charm and slant on the essentially same story all its own. Denzel Washington in the role of an angel sent down to earth to sort out the life of a preacher who has lost sight of what really is important, is a most worthy successor to Cary Grant in the original film and Whitney Houston in the female lead displays a warm screen presense and great musical talent that couldn't be bettered in this type of story. Amazingly I only saw this film for the first time 3 years ago but it has become a firm favourite of mine ever since. Combining a traditional and much loved Christmas tale with some truly wonderful gospel singing gives this effort a really upbeat feel which however never sacrifices for one minute the more touching aspects of the story.

"The Preacher's Wife", focuses on the parish of St. Matthews run by Rev. Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance), a well meaning and dedicated preacher who has been trying to be all things to all people in his needy area. Along the way through court cases for wrongly convicted minors, leaking furnaces, and offers by local big wig Joe Hamilton (Gregory Hines), to "upgrade", to a new flashy parish of the future, Henry has lost sight of his wife Julia (Whitney Houston), and their small son Jeremiah (Justin Pierre Edmund). Just when things look the blackest and Henry feels he is acheiving nothing an unexpected answer to his prayers for help comes in the form of debonair stranger Dudley (Denzel Washington), who has a hard time convincing the embattled preacher that he has been sent down to earth by "the big guy", to help him with his problems. Dudley has his work cut out for him as Christmas approaches and Henry gets more and more ground down by his duties in the parish. Dudley begins to provide the warm understanding companionship that Julia craves much to the growing alwarm of her well meaning mother Beverly (Loretta Devine). The pair go skating, and even go out at night to the jazz club where Julia used to perform and where Henry proposed to her. Warned off by Beverly, Dudley begins to see that he is falling in love with Julia and that that was not why he was sent back to Earth. Some well timed intervention in Joe Hamilton's crass plans for Henry makes the preacher begin to see where his real value is and what is important to him, first and foremost his family. All things come together for the Christmas pageant and service where Henry reaffirms his faith in God and his family and his place in the world. Dudley realises his work is done on earth and in a poignant finale blesses the family with a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree after which they will not recall his presense in their lives at all. Dudley attends the Christmas service at St. Matthews but the adults have no memory of him, however Jeremiah still so young at heart does still know him and wishes Dudley a Happy Christmas before he returns to Heaven with his task successfuly completed.

A truly inspirational and touching story filled with some beautiful music and comic pieces is the best way to describe this beautiful little movie. I love all three lead performances here and it's a joy to see Denzel Washington, normally the star of some intensely dramatic films, in such a charming and light hearted role as Dudley. He displays a fine comic talent and teams especially well with the other two leads. If ever there was a proper successor to Cary Grant in this role then Denzel Washington is it. Whitney Houston does very well in the role of Julia and she displays a nicely touching persona especially in her scenes with her screen son. She of course comes alive in the musical numbers many of which she produced herself. I've become a big fan of gospel music after her terrific rendition of such numbers as,"Step by Step", and especially the show stopping "I believe in you and me". Courtney Vance playing the earlier David Niven role of Henry is also excellent and his performance contains alot of the dramatic meat of the story as the essentially kind hearted preacher who is torn too many ways and sees himself loosing his family. His work with Denzel Washington in particular is note worthy especially in the scenes when he can't seem to understand just "where", this mysterious helper has suddenly come from. Other standouts in the cast are Jenifer Lewis as Julia's mother in a very funny performance full of great lines and wry observations about what is happening in the Biggs household, and Gregory Hines as sharp business man Joe Hamilton who in turn is also affected by Dudley's presense in his previously rather shallow life. The look and feel of "The Preacher's Wife", makes it a wonderful newer Christmas viewing experience and much of the credit goes to the church scenes with the St. Matthew's choir taking centre stage. Their singing and expert handling of all the gospel music is perfect and really gets you into the feel of the season.

As a "modern", Christmas story I personally feel "The Preacher's Wife", is a most worthy successor to the well known and greatly loved earlier classics like "White Christmas", and "Miracle on 34th Street". Taking a very different slant on the story than the earlier 'The Bishop's Wife", it manages to be wholly original in its own way and makes delightful seasonal viewing. Try and see this touching film next Christmas and I'm sure it will become a treasured part of your holiday viewing like it is in my home.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great movie, and a much better remake. February 29, 2004

By Margaret Ordway.

Format:DVD

Fine and uplifting remake has everything going for it. A great leading man (Denzel Washington) and a great cast of characters that will lift your sprits when you are down. Great support is giving by Courtney B. Vance and Whitney Houston, and the soundtrack by Miss Houston is simply amazing. See it, and let a smile come a cross your face.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Preacher s Wife January 3, 2010

By TREND700

Format:DVD

The Reverend Henry Biggs is a good man who's doubtful about his ability to make a difference in his troubled community and home. Help is on the way in the form of an angel named Dudley who soon becomes the source of and solution to their problems. This movie is wholesome, great family entertainment with a good message. I absolutely loved it.