Good natured Reverend Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance) finds that his marriage to choir mistress Julia (Whitney Houston) is flagging, due to his constant absence caring for the deprived neighbourhood they live in. On top of all this, his church is coming under threat from property developer Joe Hamilton (Gregory Hines). In desperation, Rev. Biggs prays to God for help - and help arrives in the form of an angel named Dudley (Denzel Washington). However, Dudley's arrival seems to cause even more trouble...