The Preacher's Wife (1996)

I loved whitney in the bodyguard. I also love musical movies if its contemporary. I also love denzel. I am also a christian. Therefore i thought i would love this movie. Wow, what a disappointment. I didnt like whitneys acting in this at all. I also didnt like the storyline for denzel. The angel was supposed to help them but he falls in love with the wife??? Noooo. Not my cup of tea. Denzels acting in this was subpar. The husband and the mother were the only ones who had good acting in this, but not enough to carry the film. Boring movie.

Is this a remake of a similar title/plot? Sort of.Is this one better? Even though I'm a big fan of classic movies, I have to say (having seen both) that "The PREACHER'S Wife" IS a better movie than "The BISHOP'S Wife."Firstly, there's the music. Man! I wish they'd make a soundtrack CD of the whole movie's songs. You can find a FEW of them out there, but not all and not just altogether and on an audio CD.Obviously the late Whitney Houston's numbers are great, but there's also some group numbers, etc of other actors' music that I think is outstanding too.Secondly, Denzel Washington, Courtney B. Vance and Houston as well as Jenifer Lewis, Gregory Hines and Justin Pierre Edmund all just give A+++ performances in every scene. (Jennifer Lewis' character is just hilarious.)SPOILER ALERTAnd I love how the directors/writers dealt with the accidental attraction of Washington and Houston and yet took a moral of upholding Julia and Henry's marriage as his ultimate goal and avoided any sexual betrayal etc. Hence, it stays a good, uplifting, family Christmas movie.And it's a holiday favorite at our house. We watch it every year.

Let me state up front that I am a fan of both Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston. I am not, however, a fan of this movie.The script is a complete mess; this movie doesn't know what it wants to be or wants to do. None of the leads is particularly credible in his or her roles. The story is not funny enough to be a comedy, nor compelling enough to be a drama. Another problem, and a big one, is the constant lead-ins to Whitney Houston musical numbers that don't really fit the story.I didn't find this movie very entertaining, and frankly, there were a couple of times I surfed away looking for something better.

I first saw this movie right when it came out, when I was a kid. I loved it then, and still watch it every Christmas (and sometimes when the holidays are still months away!). I've seen the original movie "The Bishop's Wife" and liked it, and I think this remake is very well put together. Whitney's voice in incomparable. The perfect soundtrack for her to be singing on. Heart-warming and fun for the whole family. It's one of the few movies that I can watch over and over and over again, and not tire of it. Denzel plays Dudley with just the right charm, and tries to do the right things, but doesn't always seem to make it. Courtney Vance is the picture of a frustrated pastor (I come from the family of a minister. Trust me, he plays the tough times to a tee!) still trying to do what he should, and managing to make it work. Great family film.