THE PREACHER'S WIFE
Joshua Wan
Directed by: Penny Marshall
Written by: Leonardo Bercovici (script The Bishop's Wife) Todd Graff (uncredited) Nat Mauldin Allan Scott Robert E. Sherwood (script The Bishop's Wife)
Produced by: Buena Vista Pictures / Mundy Lane Entertainment / Parkway Productions / Samuel Goldwyn Company / Touchstone Pictures
Cast: Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courtney Vance, Gregory Hines, Lionel Ritchie
Run Time: Approx. 124 Minutes
Rating: ** out of *****
A saccharine tale of an angel sent to earth to help an overworked preacher restore family ties and save his church from being taken over by a ruthless real estate moghul. Courtney B. Vance is the sincere, good-hearted preacher who is too involved with helping his community to notice his personal life falling apart. Whitney is the loyal but neglected wife who finds herself comforted by the presence of angelic Denzel. Matters worsen when angel boy finds himself falling for the preacher's wife. Scandal, murder, body parts? Not.
This is a feel-good, touchy-feely, holiday all star extravaganza...a modern day all-black IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE type deal. Penny Marshall milks the genre with great abandon: children singing, ice skating in Central Park, good looking leads, children singing...
THE PREACHER'S WIFE is predictable (plot-challenged), but kept entertaining (just barely) by the charming Denzel character and the relentless but really good gospel music.
The Flying Inkpot Rating System:
* Wait for the TV2 broadcast.
** A little creaky, but still better than staying at home with Gotcha!
*** Pretty good, bring a friend.
**** Amazing, potent stuff.
***** Perfection. See it twice.
JW plays bass in a bar surrounded by drunk people.
Read other movie reviews at the Inkpot
Other film reviews by this writer can be obtained from the InkVault by doing a key word search with this writer's name.Other film reviews by other writers can also be obtained from the InkVault through key word searches.
Explore the Flying Inkpot
They're Alive!
Concert Reviews
Bit deadish:
Other Resources at The Flying InkpotHome
