The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
56%RT Audience Score: 35%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Solid performances and a steady directorial hand help The Preacher’s Wife offer some reliably heartwarming – albeit fairly predictable – holiday cheer
The Preacher’s Wife is a classic Christmas movie that will warm your heart and make you believe in miracles. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy and saccharine, but that’s part of its charm. Denzel Washington shines as the angel sent to help a struggling preacher, and Whitney Houston’s voice is as beautiful as ever. The supporting cast is also fantastic, adding humor and heart to the story. It’s the perfect movie to watch with your family during the holidays, and you’ll be singing “Joy to the World” for days afterwards.
Production Company(ies)
Réalisation d’art cinématographique
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Portland, Maine, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for brief mild language
Year of Release
1996
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 4m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 1996 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 13, 2004
Genre(s)
Fantasy
Keyword(s)
starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courtney B Vance, Gregory Hines, Justin Pierre Edmund, Jenifer Lewis, directed by Penny Marshall, written by Nat Mauldin, Allan Scott, produced by Samuel Goldwyn Jr., fantasy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Esther Iverem, Peter Stack, Liam Lacey, Kevin Thomas, Susan Stark, Dana Harris, Peggy Fernandez, Brian Orndorf, Matt Brunson, James Plath, Heather Boerner, PG, holiday movie, Christmas movie, gospel music, angel, midlife crisis, marital insecurity, faith, African American cast, heartwarming, sentimental, amusing, serious, Scrooge-like, old-fashioned Hollywood, corny, saccharine, chestnut, mistletoe, warm, predictable, reliable, steady directorial hand
Worldwide gross: $48,102,795
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $91,815,994
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,059
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 10,012,649
US/Canada gross: $48,102,795
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $91,815,994
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 793
US/Canada opening weekend: $7,649,752
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $14,601,430
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 805
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $40,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $76,349,820
Production budget ranking: 548
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $41,114,378
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$25,648,205
ROI to date (est.): -22%
ROI ranking: 1,511
Whitney Houston – Julia Biggs
Courtney B. Vance – Reverend Henry Biggs
Gregory Hines – Joe Hamilton
Justin Pierre Edmund – Jeremiah Biggs
Jenifer Lewis – Margueritte Coleman
Director(s)
Penny Marshall
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (18)
September 7, 2011 | Rating: A-
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
There are many good reasons for going to see The Preacher’s Wife.
September 24, 2002
Esther Iverem
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
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.
June 18, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
Peter Stack
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
For a movie that might have offered a new twist of the mistletoe, The Preacher’s Wife delivers the Scrooge-like acceptable market minimum.
April 12, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
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.
February 14, 2001 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Penny Marshall’s remake of The Bishop’s Wife is very uneven — sometimes sweet or soulful, often stiff.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/4
Susan Stark
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
While the movie has heartwarming stamped all over it, the plot stacks the deck against this light comedy with a dark undercurrent of marital insecurity, failure of leadership and testing one’s faith.
November 6, 2019 | Rating: 2/4
Dana Harris
Newhouse News Service
One flash of Washington’s warm, genuine smile is enough to hook anyone. There is a sincerity, a gentleness and a kindness that comes across no matter what role he plays and this one lets those qualities shine.
February 23, 2019 | Rating: B
Peggy Fernandez
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Has a big heart, but no sense of pace and conflict to sustain the viewing experience for an unnerving two hours.
February 18, 2013 | Rating: C
Brian Orndorf
Blu-ray.com
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.
September 13, 2012 | Rating: 2/4
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
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.
August 6, 2012 | Rating: 7/10
James Plath
Movie Metropolis
Denzel’s Christmas angel meets Whitney’s voice.
December 18, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Heather Boerner
Common Sense Media…
Plot
Good natured Reverend Henry Biggs finds that his marriage to choir mistress Julia is flagging, due to his constant absence caring for the deprived neighborhood they live in. On top of all this, his church is coming under threat from property developer Joe Hamilton. In desperation, Rev. Biggs prays to God for help – and help arrives in the form of an angel named Dudley. However, Dudley’s arrival seems to cause even more trouble…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels mentions Denzel Washington’s “warm, genuine smile” and “sincerity, gentleness, and kindness” in their review of The Preacher’s Wife.
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