155: The Preacher's Wife (1996)

155: The Preacher's Wife (1996)

From Christmas Movies Actually by Collin Souter

February 20, 2026 · 1h 22m

About this episode

Collin and Kerry discuss the 1996 film The Preacher's Wife, its plot, characters, and its place in the context of spiritual films in the 1990s.

Kerry and Collin take a look at the remake of The Bishop's Wife (1949, episode #109), the Penny Marshall-directed The Preacher's Wife , starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Huston, Courtney B. Vance and Gregory Hines. While the film sticks with the original's principal characters, it adds a lot of plot to the storyline that does not always benefit the overall outcome. Was there as great a need for movies about spiritual awakenings and celestial encounters in he 1990s as there was in the post-WWII era? Can Denzel Washington really do anything? What was Penny Marshall's last film project before she passed away in 2018? Can we get a replica anywhere of the Dudley tree-topper at the end of the film? All these questions get answered, plus three more films from 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Visit collinsouter.com RogerEbert.com Follow Collin and Kerry on Letterboxd. Book movies covered: Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) An Actor's Revenge (1963) Consequences of Love (2004)

People in this episode

Hosts: Kerry, Collin

Topics covered

  • The Preacher's Wife
  • Denzel Washington
  • Penny Marshall
  • spiritual awakenings
  • film analysis

Keywords

  • The Bishop's Wife
  • 1990s films
  • celestial encounters
  • Dudley tree-topper

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Hiroshima Mon Amour

Books & works: The Preacher's Wife, The Bishop's Wife, Hiroshima Mon Amour, An Actor's Revenge, Consequences of Love

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