The Preacher's Wife (1996)
Average Rating: 5.9/10
Reviews Counted: 43
Fresh: 26 | Rotten: 17
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 7.4/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 9 | Rotten: 3
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.9/5
User Ratings: 29,043
My Rating
Movie Info
An angel wonders if love can be Heaven on Earth in this family-themed romantic fantasy. Rev. Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance) is the pastor of a struggling Baptist church in a poor section of New York City. Biggs is devoted to serving his flock and his community, but things are not easy; membership is down, money is tight, the furnace is broken, and real estate mogul Joe Hamilton (Gregory Hines) wants to buy the property and put up condominiums. The strain is taking its toll on Biggs' marriage to
Dec 13, 1996 Wide
Aug 13, 2002
Disney
Cast
-
Denzel Washington
Dudley -
Whitney Houston
Julia Biggs -
Courtney B. Vance
Rev. Henry Biggs -
Gregory Hines
Joe Hamilton -
Justin Pierre Edmund
Jeremiah Biggs -
Jenifer Lewis
Margueritte Coleman -
Paul Bates
Saul Jeffreys -
Loretta Devine
Beverly -
Lionel Richie
Britsloe -
Jernard Burks
Pizza Man -
Darvel Davis Jr.
Hakim -
William James Stiggers Jr...
Billy Eldridge
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All Critics (52) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (26) | Rotten (17) | DVD (2)
There are many good reasons for going to see The Preacher's Wife.
Top CriticThe Preacher's Wife qualifies as old-fashioned Hollywood movie making at its corniest and most saccharine. But the mostly African American cast puts an engaging spin on the chestnut, and it works beautifully.
For a movie that might have offered a new twist of the mistletoe, The Preacher's Wife delivers the Scrooge-like acceptable market minimum.
The Preacher's Wife is one Christmas picture that actually is in the spirit of the season. It's warm, sentimental, amusing yet serious, bringing fantasy to bear upon the painfully real.
An endearingly modest entertainment elevated by the luminous double presence of Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington.
Has a big heart, but no sense of pace and conflict to sustain the viewing experience for an unnerving two hours.
While the sheer force of Washington's charisma keeps his otherwise monotonous character watchable, the same can't be said for the late Houston, woefully flat in a malnourished role.
The music, the chemistry between Houston and Washington, and minor characters that make us smile make this film worth watching-especially around Christmas, when this is set.
Denzel's Christmas angel meets Whitney's voice.
Houston's inevitable chart-toppers aside, the film mainly sells the values of cooperation and good-samaritanism.
Definitely not Denzel Washington's finest hour.
Generally pleasant and unobjectionable, if not rather bland.
Lukewarm update of the superior "Bishop's Wife."
Audience Reviews for The Preacher's Wife
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