'The Preacher's Wife'           By DUANE BYRGE

Every time the Preacher hits a rocky patch in his sermon, the Preacher's wife cranks up the choir to uplift his ramblings. So too does the rousing gospel singing of Whitney Houston lift up "The Preacher's Wife" when it hits some story flat notes and dull patches. Starring Houston and Denzel Washington, this holiday-time fantasy will surely warm viewers' hearts despite its patchy narrative.

Based on the 1947 film "The Bishop's Wife," this film is an old-style, family fantasy chilled over with the hard realities of contemporary urban life. In this '90s rendition, Houston stars as a choir-singing preacher's wife, Julia, whose marriage to her husband, Henry (Courtney B. Vance) has become stale. The sparks that once kindled between them have now been doused by Henry's workaholic tendencies. The Preacher is a good man, to a fault. By taking on all the woes of his parish, he has not only unwittingly neglected his wife and son (Justin Pierre Edmund), but in the process, has become less effective as a minister. In a moment of desperate candor, the Preacher prays for help and, lo and behold, it arrives in the form of an angel, a dapper, gray-coated gent named Dudley (Washington). Although appreciating that God works in mysterious ways, the Preacher is skeptical about the viability of so charismatic and smooth-talking an angel.

What Dudley brings that is most valuable to the Preacher's household is his luminous smile and good-hearted intentions. He soon becomes a hit with the kid, and Mom, of course, notices. Verily, she sparks to his good works. The movie is at its most fun and most magical in the scenes between Washington and Houston as the effervescent Angel brings the good wife out of her day-to-day doldrums.

It's hard not to root for them to get together and somehow lose the stuffy hubby. Houston and Washington are a radiant screen couple and when paired on the screen, the story sizzles.

Screenwriters Nat Mauldin and Allan Scott's updating of Robert E. Sherwood and Leonardo Bercovici's "The Bishop's Wife" script is episodically structured as Dudley assists the Preacher and his wife in their personal and parishional woes, sometimes pulling a few angelic tricks out of his overcoat's sleeve. Eventually, the story kicks into a solid dramatic gear in a battle between the Preacher and a slick developer (Gregory Hines) over saving the church. The film's narrative here is similar to that of a musical, serving mainly as a line to string together Houston's glorious gospel singing.

Although the pacing sometimes drags, director Penny Marshall has nicely colored the production with a number of offbeat human moments. Marshall's direction is particularly strong in her work with the supporting players. As the minister of drudge, Vance is well-cast.

The supporting cast _ credit to casting director Paula Herold _ brings life and energy to the production. Particularly entertaining are Jenifer Lewis as the preacher's sassy mother-in-law and Loretta Devine as his lively secretary.