Julia Biggs, portrayed by late entertainment legend Whitney Houston, is a former nightclub singer turned choir centerpiece, and the neglected wife of Rev. Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance) – pastor of a struggling Baptist church in a poverty-stricken New York neighborhood.
Henry is under intense pressure to sell the church to property developer Joe Hamilton (the late Gregory Hines) while not-so-tirelessly spending time assisting the needs of his congregation as Christmas draws near. He prays for help, which arrives in the form of an angel named Dudely (Denzel Washington). The divine gift becomes an uncomfortably close companion to the lonely Julia.
A remake of 1947 film The Bishop’s Wife, this Penny Marshall-directed retelling brought more life to its leading actress, portrayed by late entertainment legend Whitney Houston. Based on a screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood adapted form Robert Nathan’s novel of the same name, the challenges Julia faced brought Houston the 1997 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
With Rev. Biggs off lending hands, Julia was left longing for her husband’s touch. The time they were able to share was tense and combative, testing the strength of their marriage.
Simultaneously, Julia was responsible for their son, Jeremiah, while dealing with church affairs in Henry’s absence, defending herself and her relationship to her outspoken mother, Margueritte (Jenifer Lewis), and trying not to let her newfound friendship with Dudley lose its heavenly grace.
Audiences connected with Julia because many could relate to her being caught in the middle, having both her heart and faith tested. With the added pressure of the holiday, she was forced to find joy before she could genuinely share it and share in it.
Julia finally weathering these snowy life storms, and singing fervently about it, will continue to warm hearts and give chills for years and years to come. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
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