The Nativity Story (2006) Reviews

• Perhaps the most authentic and accurate version you'll ever see

  jhammell-22006-12-17

  If you believe that Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus and everyone else in the actual events were white, Anglo-Saxon Europeans living in Central Park in New York or in California, you will be disappointed with this movie. If you want to see how people really appeared, lived and responded to the actual culture in Israel at the time of the birth of Christ, this is a work of art. "The Nativity" is an excellent depiction of the actual events as we know them from the Bible. While it has very minor "flaws", these are buried under the number of things that make this film accurate and authentic. Mary does not wear her piety on her sleeve and get hysterical and dramatic at every turn in the story. Instead she is accurately portrayed and played as a simple peasant girl in a very traditional culture with strict rules of behavior. She responds hesitantly but with faith to the events that focus on her. Joseph is equally realistic as a young peasant just beginning life, and any man who has ever faced marriage for the first time will appreciate the dilemmas facing Joseph and his reactions to them. Herod is an historically-accurate and ruthless jerk, but the movie does not overdo his part. The balance is just right; he's on camera enough to convey his wickedness and his part in the plot, but not enough to distract from the message. The wise men are great! Instead of being simple plastic figures in a nativity scene on your mantle, they really come to life, add a lot of context to the movie, and provide a lot of information about how and why things happened as they did. The timing of the wise men's arrival may be off - but no one is 100% certain when they did arrive so this is not a big deal. When the shepherds are visited by an angel to announce the birth of Christ, the angel is not followed visibly by "a heavenly host praising God" - but you can hear them. I could go on and on and on, but the point is that this is an excellent depiction of events that occurred in Israel 2,000 years ago. If you want to learn about and marvel at what life was really like at that time, see the movie. It will bolster your faith. If you want to see Adam Sandler playing a Jewish Santa Claus to celebrate Christimas, this is probably not the movie for you.

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• A tender telling of the Christmas Story

  maryk-62006-12-17

  I really liked this movie! I thought all of the acting was very Very good-- and I loved the fact that all of the actors looked and acted very much like you would expect the people of that region to look and act... this was not a Hollywood whitewash - but a genuine, tenderly done telling of the birth of Christ... a real Christmas gift to the movie-going public. I also appreciate very much the efforts the filmmakers have gone to tell the story accurately-- aside from the fact the wise men most likely really showed up a year or so after Jesus was born.. Get some real Christmas spirit - go see this movie.

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• This is no low budget attempt at portraying the Biblical account

  carl-stubblefield2006-11-15

  This is no low budget made for TV, direct to DVD, or "preaching to the choir" type film. Quite the contrary. Like Mel Gibson's The Passion, The Nativity Story delivers the quality acting, cinematography, musical score, special effects, direction, sound, production, etc. we've grown accustomed to receiving from the most skillful members of the Motion Picture industry. I was particularly appreciative of the way phrases in the Bible which can often be overlooked like, "Joseph...not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly." came to life on film. We see just how they would have very likely played out in the very personal lives and communities this all took place in. I found the scene riveting when Joseph labors to come up with that initial plan to send her away, and then announces it to Mary and her parents who are there with him. Also, the courage and faith needed by Joseph and Mary to believe God took on a whole new understanding when seeing how the culture they likely lived in brought intense pressures which would have very well been cause to shrink away in fear in the face of had not they obeyed the angel's charges to "do not be afraid." A real strength of the film, I believe, was in how scenes that were straight from the Bible either used the words of the Bible practically verbatim, or at least there was just unspoken acting out the heart of the scene, with little to no unnecessary additions to the Biblical account. This, I believe, let's the Bible speak for itself for the most part and for that I send a big thank you to Mike Rich as the screenplay writer in getting to the heart of the personal lives of those involved in Jesus' conception and birth while seeking to be true to the text's original meaning. And to Catherine Hardwicke and all others involved in getting the Biblical account onto this media with all their professional skills, I say thanks as well. I'd love to see many more "Accounts" (the connotation of the word "Story" weakens the impact in my mind...but that's just me) from the Bible put to film by this great team assembled to produce The Nativity (Story).

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• Far Deeper and far more realistic than previous renditions

  skotoparavich2006-12-02

  When it comes to biblical movies, I always look for accurate biblical and theological rendering first and foremost. But accuracy is not necessarily enjoyable. You can easily tell if a movie is low-budget or not. You can easily tell if the acting is superficial or not. This movie is different. It combines biblical accuracy with excellent acting. Each character was portrayed very correctly. I have studied the biblical characters immensely; and from what we have in the synoptic gospels, the actors brought to live those beloved characters of the bible. This is a Christian movie filled with biblical themes and messages. If you are looking for different interpretation than the biblical one, you might not like it. But if you are looking for good acting or accurate biblical rendering, you will not be disappointed. Treat yourself this Christmas to one of the most beautiful movies.

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• Lovely film contains spoilers

  pjh07042006-12-05

  I had a completely different reaction to this film than a previous reviewer who thought it lacked impact and was bland. I was drawn into it from the beginning and left surprised at how strongly it affected me. I felt that the Director was trying to not only "tell the story" that so many of us know and take for granted, but was trying to convey it as it probably was, especially culturally and emotionally. As a viewer familiar with both the standard story and the historical and theological debates and sticking points, what really mattered to me is exactly what Catherine Hardwicke, the director, apparently favored - Herod's obsession with not losing his power (he had to be obsessed in order to order babies murdered) and how that obsession caused him to completely miss the entire point. He was not wise. The Magi gave him the answer concerning the prophecy that he feared and, in doing so, realized by his hypocritical reaction that he feared the prophecy. Hardwicke also gave us, I believe, a strong Mary. But, she reminded us that Mary was YOUNG. She also did not present a romanticized view of Mary's and Joseph's betrothal, but what is probably a more realistic one. Theirs was an arranged marriage. Joseph could have accused Mary of adultery and she may have been stoned. I thought that both Mary and Joseph were well cast. What young girl wouldn't have been confused and perhaps resentful of her arranged marriage when she still wanted to play and have fun? Yet, she grew throughout the film to love her child, her husband, and humankind. ("He is for all of mankind.") I also appreciated the reminders of what reality must have been like for Joseph. A beautiful young couple to watch together and the baby chosen for Jesus was stunning. Loved the story, loved the film. Extremely worthy effort. It will go in my permanent collection.

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