The Bishop's Wife

Starring: Carey Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Woolley, James Gleeson, Gladys Cooper, Elsa Lanchester
Directed by: Henry Koster
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
1947

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A bishop (David Niven) reluctantly deals with an angel (Carey Grant) sent to Earth to help him.

Review:

Tim: The Bishop's Wife is an inspirational, feel-good movie that had surprisingly strong religious overtones. There were many aspects of the film I enjoyed, but it never felt like an exceptionally well made movie. I wasn't surprised to read that there were some production troubles- it feels like the movie ran into some bumps along the way. It's a perfectly fine film, but it's clearly several levels below similar movies. The one that really comes to mind is It's a Wonderful Life. While that movie is one of the all-time classics, this one just feels so far below it.

The story is fine. A bishop is dealing with a lot of challenges- he is trying to raise funds for a new cathedral, he's overwhelmed with his duties at work, he's stressed and distant from his wife and child. He prays to God and the Big Man responds by sending him a charismatic angel. Everyone around him falls in love with the angel, except for the Bishop. He feels like the angel is a constant thorn in his side. I mean, I suppose the story is fine. I don't have any real issues with it, but it's not like it was some brilliant tale. It was adapted from a novel, but the story itself never really grabs you. It's hard to feel too sympathetic for the bishop. I suppose we like his wife and child, and Dudley (the angel) is a fun character. I don't know, I don't have any big issues with the plot, but I never really loved it.

The film really feels like a vehicle for Cary Grant, and he doesn't disappoint in the lead role. He's suave and funny and kind as Dudley. He's a fascinating character and Grant gives a strong performance bringing him to life. Grant is easily the best part of the film. David Niven was good as the bishop. It' s a bit of a thankless role, but he played the part well. Niven is a good actor and he delivered a worthwhile performance. Loretta Young was good as the bishop's wife. I was never blown away by her, but she worked well enough in the role.

I did enjoy some of the visual effects that showed off Dudley's powers. They were cute editing tricks that conveyed the point that he was angel. The movie does have a good message, but it didn't feel like it was quite clear enough to me. Again, probably unfair to compare it to It's a Wonderful Life, but that movie directly hit you with its message so that it was unforgettable. That doesn't happen here. The movie might be a tad long at 1 hour, 49 minutes. To be honest, I kind of lost steam towards the end. It was hard to focus and I was looking forward to it ending. Still, the story is interesting enough that you want to see how it all concludes.

I did enjoy The Bishop's Wife and consider it a solid movie. I was very surprised it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as Best Director. It never felt good enough for those accolades. It won only one Academy Award, for Best Sound Recording. Like I said, I had no big issues with the film, it just felt like a minor success to me.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, Father Goose