In most ways The Preacher's Wife is as traditional a Christmas confection as fossilized fruitcake. It has a big budget, big stars and a heartwarming rendition of Joy to the World. The songs are sung by diva Whitney Houston, who plays the wife of a disillusioned minister. Her co-star, Denzel Washington, is a sexy angel who wants to save Houston's neighborhood church as well as her troubled marriage. On paper, the movie looks as if it has all the ingredients for a box-office slam dunk. But there's one thing missing: white people.
The executives who run Hollywood have long believed that...