The Preacher's Wife

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The Preacher's Wife

PG

1996

2h 4m

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

47 Reviews

44%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

A cleric begins to doubt himself and is visited by an angel. The heavenly emissary is supposed to help the good reverend over his midlife crisis, but he is distracted by the cleric's lovely young wife. A remake with gospel music of the "The Bishop's Wife".

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Critics Consensus

Solid performances and a steady directorial hand help The Preacher's Wife offer some reliably heartwarming - albeit fairly predictable - holiday cheer.

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Esther Iverem

Washington Post

09/24/2002

There are many good reasons for going to see The Preacher's Wife.

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Peter Stack

San Francisco Chronicle

06/18/2002

3/4

The 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.

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Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

04/12/2002

2.5/4

For a movie that might have offered a new twist of the mistletoe, The Preacher's Wife delivers the Scrooge-like acceptable market minimum.

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Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

Apr 10

C

Nice but uninspired, it fails to transcend the original.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

11/26/2022

3/4

That’s the case with The Preacher’s Wife, a film that takes the classic black-and-white film The Bishop’s Wife and turns it into a glossier, minimally inspiring film.

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

08/02/2022

Incredible music and Denzel and Whitney have fantastic chemistry

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John P

@jpevoto Jan 3

Too cutesy and not funny. Whitney Houston’s acting attempt didn’t cut it. Lacked all the charm of the original. Hard to fault the preacher for visiting someone in the hospital or encouraging a young man about to go to trial. For someone supposedly lacking faith, he shows a lot of it. This is one of the script’s problems. It’s uneven as well as unfunny.

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Dean S.

@DeanDFW Dec 27

A Xmas movie favorite in our house: sappy with happy results for all.

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Matt L

@Mattliptak Dec 22

A warm, uplifting, and often overlooked holiday gem that fully understands what a Christmas movie should be. The Preacher’s Wife is sincere, comforting, and genuinely feel-good, centered on themes of love, faith, and community rather than forced spectacle or cynicism. Denzel Washington brings effortless charm and warmth, striking a perfect balance between humor and heart. Penny Marshall does an excellent job with this remake, keeping the tone grounded and emotionally honest. At the center, Whitney Houston shines—her performance is natural and heartfelt, and her voice truly feels angelic, elevating the entire film. Sweet without being corny and festive without trying too hard, The Preacher’s Wife leaves you smiling and reminded why classic, feel-good Christmas movies still matter.

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Keith B B

@Okbullard Nov 18

It was entertaining with a good plot. It's a nice Christmas movie.

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Michael C

@Coxmjc23 Oct 26

One of my all time favorite holiday movies!!! The BEST!!!

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Aug 14

Success in 2 hours and 4 minutes. The worldwide gross is $57,000,000.00. In memory of Whitney Houston (August 09th, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, USA-February 11th, 2012, in Beverly Hills, California, USA).

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Penny Marshall

Director

Denzel Washington

Dudley

Whitney Houston

Julia Biggs

Courtney B. Vance

Reverend Henry Biggs

Gregory Hines

Joe Hamilton

Justin Pierre Edmund

Jeremiah Biggs

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The Preacher's Wife: Trailer 1

1:49

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Synopsis

A cleric begins to doubt himself and is visited by an angel. The heavenly emissary is supposed to help the good reverend over his midlife crisis, but he is distracted by the cleric's lovely young wife. A remake with gospel music of the "The Bishop's Wife".

Director: Penny Marshall
Producer: Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Screenwriter: Nat Mauldin, Allan Scott
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Mundy Lane Entertainment
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 3, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $48.1M
Runtime: 2h 4m
Sound Mix: Surround