The Preacher's Wife (1996)

 

The Preacher's Wife - 1996

Coming up next we have 1996's "The Preacher's Wife", a remake of "The Bishop's Wife".  Here we see an angel who has come to earth to help a weary preacher.  As he does, he forms a close bond with the preacher's wife, which threatens to undo all the angel is tasked with doing.

The film's cast includes Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courtney B. Vance, Gregory Hines, Jenifer Lewis, Loretta Devine, Justin Pierre Edmund, Lionel Richie, Cissy Houston, and Victor Williams.

Rev. Henry Biggs is the preacher at St. Matthew's Church in New York.  His wife, Julia, leads the choir with her powerhouse voice.

And Julia's not above using the choir to accent certain points of her husband's sermons, which, on occasion, can annoy Henry.

This Christmas season, Henry is feeling exhausted and a bit discouraged.  Alone in the bedroom, he asks God for some help.

That help comes in the form of an angel named Dudley.  Henry is extremely reluctant to accept that Dudley is an angel, but since he needs the help, he agrees to have Dudley as an assistant, though his true identity is known only to Henry.

When Dudley reports for his first day to work as the preacher's new "assistant", he makes a very favorable impression on Julia and especially on her mother, Marguerite.

One of the things on Henry's mind is business tycoon Joe Hamilton.  Joe owns the mortgage on St. Matthew's, and he is pressuring Henry to have it torn down in order to build a flashy, modern church.  Henry is extremely reluctant to do so, but Joe informs him that the church is coming down whether he's on board or not.

With Henry's mind on other matters and neglecting his wife and son, Dudley spends time with Julia.  They get along great, and Dudley also gets along with the Biggs' son, Jeremiah.

Dudley arranges a date for Henry and Julia, however Henry must break the date so he can minister to some sick parishioners.  Henry tells Dudley to take Julia.  He takes her to a nightclub that Henry and Julia used to know well.  Julia even gets on stage to sing "I Believe In You And Me".

When they return from their night out, Henry has waited up and is clearly jealous.  He tells Dudley to keep away from his wife.

However, that doesn't stop Dudley, who continues to spend time with Julia.  They have an enjoyable time ice skating.

Julia's mother Marguerite cautions Dudley to be careful where Julia is concerned.  Dudley says that he's confident Julia will forget him as soon as he leaves.  Marguerite says, "She'll forget herself if you don't.  Now Dudley, you are a charming person.  Go charm somebody else, okay?"

Dudley goes to an empty St. Matthews to think about his mission and what he must do to get it back on track.

Later, he engineers a set of events that bring Henry and Julia closer and rekindles the love they feel for each other.  He also pays a visit to Joe Hamilton.

At the St. Matthews' Christmas service, Julia participates in the children's pageant and sings "Who Would Imagine A King?".

Henry gives a powerful sermon that revitalizes his congregation.  With Joe Hamilton's blessing, the church will stay open and continue serving the needs of the community.

Afterwards, Julia leads the choir in singing "I Love The Lord".  Henry and Julia embrace at the song's conclusion.  During this song, Dudley leaves the church and with him all memories involving him are gone from the minds of the church people.

As a finale to the Christmas service, Julia and the choir sing a rendition of "Joy To The World" that has the entire congregation on its feet, including Joe Hamilton.

The Biggs family returns home and sees a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, which Dudley had decorated before he left.  Though they don't remember him, he'll always be present as part of their Christmas decorations.

Cast rundown:

   Denzel Washington............................Dudley

   Whitney Houston...............................Julia Biggs

   Courtney B. Vance.............................Rev. Henry Biggs

   Gregory Hines...................................Joe Hamilton

   Jenifer Lewis.....................................Marguerite Coleman

   Loretta Devine..................................Beverly

   Justin Pierre Edmund.........................Jeremiah Biggs

   Lionel Richie.....................................Britsloe

   Cissy Houston..................................Mrs. Havergal

   Victor Williams..................................Robbie

And that's all for The Preacher's Wife.  Originally, Denzel Washington wanted Julia Roberts for the main role of Julia Biggs.  He later thought Whitney Houston would be a better choice, and he pursued her for more than a year until she finally agreed.  During a 2009 interview, Whitney Houston revealed that her marijuana and cocaine habits were extremely bad.  There was not a day during the shooting that she was not on some sort of drug.

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