Some movies have a plotline that makes sense when the movie ends, but some films make no sense at all from the start until the end. The plot must convey an idea or a thought throughout the film, and it should be able to give the viewers an understanding of events that might happen. None of the above-mentioned aspects can be found in the new Lifetime TV movie Sins of the Preacher’s Wife, a tale set in rural America where a friendship goes wrong for a woman. How will this person get out of this mess?
Spoilers Ahead
Beth’s Nightmares
The movie begins with Beth, the protagonist, who is shown to be a painter, looking for someone named Cassie, and soon she finds the dead body of the woman she was calling out for. It’s implied Cassie had a history with Beth, and it is understood that this is probably a recurring nightmare for the latter. She is somehow trying to get over it and live a normal life with her husband, Dan, and their daughter Anna.
Dan and Beth have adopted Anna, and as a mother, she is trying hard to connect with her. It may be her anxiety and overthinking that are causing this, as she is a new mother. But there is nothing that could stop her from being a parent to her because there is love for the kid from both. Anna is hardly three years old by the looks of it, and the couple has moved to Willowvale, a small town surrounded by woods and nature in abundance.
From the conversation between the husband and wife, it is understood they have moved around a lot, and Beth has had a lot of trouble adjusting to new places. This can be an indication that there are some underlying mental health issues. It is just speculation regarding why their living situation is almost like that of a nomad. They might also be looking for a decent town or city to settle down in for the sake of their daughter in the hope of giving her a better future.
Beth And Dan Move To Willowvale
Beth is having trouble adjusting to this new town because of its aloofness, and she has not made any friends yet. One day she is threatened by a man of her age to leave the town with her daughter because he claims that it is not safe. The man does not identify himself, but he is quick at putting across this message. This scene was added just to let the viewers know that there is something bad awaiting Beth and her family, and it is implied that she is in shock. It also implies that the man who harassed Beth might come from a powerful background, and he could get away with any form of crime.
This untoward incident seems to be the main point of conflict in the film, and viewers are eager to know things will come to a head. Since the perpetrator’s name is in the title of the film, there are no spoilers left as to who the antagonist will be, making the film highly predictable. Beth, at her husband’s insistence, starts therapy to understand why her nightmares are not fading away. The session does not go as planned because Beth goes through a panic attack and is saved by a woman named Marion from getting hit by a car in her daze. This is the introduction of the foe, and it is understood from here how things would go for Beth. She does not realize the trouble that would be unleashed on her through this woman, and it is only she who will be able to save her family from Marion.
‘Sins Of The Preacher’s Wife’ Ending Explained: How Did Beth And Dan Rescue Their Daughter?
Marion introduces herself as someone who runs a daycare, and her husband is a Christian preacher, Jim, at a local church. Beth finds a friend in her because she feels the woman is trying to understand her. Beth is not in a good emotional state because of her new responsibilities as a mother. This leads to Beth opening up to Marion and venting about the problems she has faced so far.
Beth is not trying to prioritize painting over Anna. She does not want to lose interest in activities like painting because of her new role as a mother. Marion claims to empathize with Beth and offers to babysit Anna. A convenient and manipulative way to gain her trust before she finds out the whole truth.
Beth also introduces Dan and Jim in the hope that the two of them gel as well as Beth and Marion are getting along. The four of them spend a lot of time together, as expected, and Marion tries to spend as much time as possible with Anna. It is also an indication of the jealousy she harbors, for she was never able to give birth to children.
Both women have a conversation over Beth’s aversion to the woods and who Cassia is. Beth revealed that Cassia was her on-and-off friend from school, and she had revealed her love for Beth. Beth had to turn her down because she was in love with Cassia’s brother, which broke her heart. Few days later Cassia was found dead in the woods by Beth, and till date she has not recovered from that trauma. The plotpoint came out of nowhere because the whole nightmare part was completely forgotten by the writers until it was brought up again to close this subplot. Maybe this plot would help the viewers understand her guilt and the reasons for her constant battle with anxiety. Marion sweeps in as her friend and tries to help her understand and get rid of the guilt. Marion does not realize that Beth might need therapy instead of someone throwing random jargon at her.
Marion is trying to get as much information as she can so that it can be used against Beth when the time is right as she has been eyeing Anna for a while. This puts the law and order situation of the town in question. Marion and Jim seem to be above the law in this case, and by the looks of it, they have done something similar in the past.
Jim and Dan go out for drinks, and the latter is confronted by a lady to stay away from the preacher and his wife. Dan does not take this seriously, and he lets Jim let him get drunk. The pacing of the plot from here on picks up, maybe because they needed to finally showcase the act of crime that was to be committed by Marion and her husband, which the movie was centered around. Everything from here on happens in forty minutes, which does not give the viewers any time to absorb the information about why Marion is adamant about getting Anna, who are her other accomplices, and how Beth and Dan will get out of this mess and save Anna.
Jim kidnaps Anna as Beth is trying to help a dizzy and drunk Dan. She finally understands that it was Marion who had been planning to separate Anna from them by making sure the parents leave the town in no time, just out of fear. She lets Dan know about Marion’s plan and heads out to confront them. It is finally revealed that the man who threatened Beth at the beginning of the movie is Marion’s son, Boyd, who was kidnapped and raised as their own, just like Anna has been taken away. Marion had forced Boyd to call her and Jim mommy and papa because they have never been parents. One can only sympathize with the situation, but that does not justify the acts of crime they have committed in the name of God. They could have chosen to go for IVF or adoption, but since they are stern followers of the church, that is not an option for them. Beth shows her feminine power by injuring Jim and running after Marion to rescue her daughter. Marion confronts Beth and talks about how she is the only one who could give Anna a good life, and Anna is better off without her faithless mother.
Marion says all this because she was probably raised in a manner that allowed her to see a lot of things from the church’s perspective. She forgets the emotional torture her mother put her through and, instead of working against it, ends up repeating the behavior. She attacks Beth in a bid to get rid of her, but the latter is saved by Boyd, and Marion is shocked to see her son helping the enemy. She is shocked because it raises questions about how she raised him and why he is rebelling. Boyd does this because he knows Marion is a serial emotional abuser, and to make sure Anna is not raised the way he was. Marion accidentally ends up killing Boyd, and she loses her mind over it. The ending of the movie is where everything in the plot takes place, and there is not much explained as to what the fate of Marion and Jim is after this incident. Were they persecuted for their crimes or let go because of their connections? Not that it would make sense to take a deep dive into their lives, for their arcs were poorly written.
Sins of the Preacher’s Wife ends with Beth, Anna, and Dan leaving the town of Willowvale, for they are done with life in the woods. Dan hopefully understands Beth’s inhibitions and acts on them by moving away to a place where they could live peacefully and not be surrounded by people who are religious fanatics and criminals. They are finally happy to have fought for their daughter Anna, because there is no way she would have let Marion get away with this. Beth gained some control over her life from here on.
