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, Biggs prays to God for help – which arrives in the form of an angel named Dudley.
Denzel Washington
Dudley
Whitney Houston
Julia Biggs
Courtney B. Vance
Reverend Henry Biggs
Gregory Hines
Joe Hamilton
Jenifer Lewis
Margueritte Coleman
Loretta Devine
Beverly
Paul Bates
Saul Jeffreys
Justin Pierre Edmund
Jeremiah Biggs
Lionel Richie
Britsloe
Victor Williams
Robbie
Shari Headley
Arlene Chattan
Marcella Lowery
Anna Eldridge
Cissy Houston
Mrs. Havergal
Charlotte d'Amboise
Debbie Paige
Helmar Augustus Cooper
Johnson Keeley
Jernard Burks
Pizza Man
Aaron A. McConnaughey
Teen
Lex Monson
Osbert
Darvel Davis Jr.
Hakim
William James Stiggers Jr.
Billy Eldridge
Shyheim Franklin
Teen
Taral Hicks
Teen
Kennan Scott
Teen
Michael Alexander Jackson
Robber
Jamie Tirelli
Liquor Store Owner
Lizan Mitchell
Judge
Robert Colston
Bailiff
Juliehera DeStefano
Receptionist
Delores Mitchell
Mary Halford
David Langston Smyrl
Hanley's Waiter
Harsh Nayyar
Christmas Tree Man
Mervyn Warren
Pianist
Roy Haynes
Drummer
George Coleman
Sax Player
Ted Dunbar
Guitar Player
Jamil Nasser
Bass Player
Mary Bond Davis
Bernita
Toukie Smith
Teleprompter Operator
Director
Penny Marshall
Novel
Robert Nathan
Original Film Writer
Robert E. Sherwood
Original Film Writer
Leonardo Bercovici
Screenplay
Nat Mauldin
Screenplay
Allan Scott
January 2, 2025
5
No, no, no, no, no! What in the name of all that's holy convinced anyone that a remake of the delightfully charming "Bishop's Wife" (1947) ought to happen? Instead of that charmingly engaging story of a pre-occupied Bishop losing sight of what really mattered, we get this noisy and aggressive vehicle for Whitney Houston to prove she can shout her songs at us. She's married to the affable minister (Courtney B. Vance) whose church is facing an existential crisis. It's a lone beacon of hope in a deprived area of the city but it's also a prime site for redevelopment, and "Joe" (Gregory Hines) is determined to turn the steeple into a skyscraper. All this rearguard action is taking it's toll on his marriage though, so up pops "Dudley" (Denzel Washington) as the mischievous angel intent on helping this particular lost sheep. Thing is, the more he involves himself in the affairs of this couple the more he begins to fall for "Julia", she for him and nobody is really making any progress on the job in hand. The rest of this is faithful enough to the original but way too much of this is contrived to give it's singing star an opportunity to belt out "I Believe in You and Me" as well as a few more typically seasonal numbers. We all know she could sing, but this isn't singing. It's just showing off. She has a formidable vocal range but the deliveries here lack any kind of subtlety or delicacy. It's as if she was using her own voice instead of a wrecking ball to help out "Joe"! It's just completely class-free, charm-free and I don't think it need to have been made at all. Nobody's finest moments here, sorry.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$40,000,000.00
Revenue:
$48,100,000.00