The Nativity Story
Tags: murder, whimsical, flashback, good versus evil, melodrama, storytelling

Plot synopsis:
This is a conflation of the stories of the birth of Jesus found in biblical accounts by Matthew and Luke.Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) lives in the small town of Nazareth. She's still young enough to play with the other children of the town, although she must also work to help her poor family get by. The people of the town can barely pay the king's taxes. When one of their neighbors loses his daughter to involuntary servitude to pay off a tax debt, Mary is forced into a betrothal by her parents to Joseph (Oscar Isaac), a young homebuilder who has had his eye on Mary. They're told they must not consummate the marriage for a year. Mary's not happy with the arrangement. She barely knows Joseph; she certainly does not love him.But then an angel (Alexander Siddig) appears to Mary, telling her she's been chosen by God to bear the Son of God, who will save their people. She's told her cousin Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), who's ostensibly too old to have children, is already pregnant, which is proof God can do anything. Mary agrees to the angel's request, and then travels to see Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the wife of Zechariah (Stanley Townsend), a priest who was told in the temple his aged wife would conceive and bear a son, who was to be named John. Zechariah didn't believe it, so he lost his ability to speak. When Mary shows up, Elizabeth seems to know all about Mary's impending pregnancy, saying her own child leapt in her womb. Mary tells Elizabeth she's scared, since the law requires she remain pure. She thinks nobody will believe she's kept her vows. Elizabeth comforts her, telling her to trust God.Mary stays until Elizabeth's child is born. Zechariah gets his voice back when he insists the boy be named John. Mary, who is now pregnant, decides she had better return home.When she comes back noticeably pregnant, however, the whole town is scandalized, and Joseph is broken hearted. Mary's parents can't believe Mary; they fear she might have been raped by one of Herod's soldiers. They tell her she could be put to death for violating her vows. Joseph agrees not to press charges, but he's upset and bitter. The town shuns Mary. But then Joseph sees the same angel in a dream who tells him Mary's telling the truth, and so he takes her back, which now makes him an outcast in the town, too.Meanwhile, evil King Herod (Ciarán Hinds) is worried about a prophecy of a new king who will be a Messiah for his people. He thinks some usurper may make political use of the prophecy to start an uprising. He decides to take advantage of Caesar's desire for a census to make everyone return to his ancestral home. Since the Messiah is to come from David's lineage, Herod thinks he can trap the pretender in Bethlehem, the City of David. Joseph is a descendant of David, so Herod's order also forces Joseph to go to Bethlehem. Mary agrees to go with him, so they undertake an arduous journey, during which Mary comes to see Joseph as a good, self-sacrificing man. Affection and trust grows between them.At about the same time, three magi in Persia, who have also been studying prophecy, decide to travel to Judea because the alignment of a star with two planets tells them a new king will be born there. They load up some camels and take off across the desert. At a stopover in Jerusalem, they tell Herod the Messiah king will not be a grown man, but a little baby. Herod pretends he wants to pay homage to the new king, too, and asks them to return with directions once they've located him. After they leave, Herod hatches a terrible idea. He decides he can put an end to the people's hope in the prophecy by killing all the babies in Bethlehem.Just as Mary and Joseph reach Bethlehem, Mary starts contractions. Joseph runs around looking for a place for her delivery, but all that's offered is a stable. Just as she gives birth, the three celestial bodies line up, and a shaft of light falls on the stable. Following the advice of the angel, some shepherds show up to see, including one who showed kindness to Mary and Joseph earlier. Mary tells him her baby is born for all mankind. The shepherds are followed by the magi. The magi present their gifts of gold for the king of kings, frankincense for the priest of priests, and myrrh for the one who must sacrifice.After they leave, Mary and Joseph go to sleep, but then Herod's soldiers begin their terrible infanticide. Just in the nick of time, the angel's voice warns Joseph. So, as the soldiers start slaughtering the innocents, Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus are already out of town, heading for Egypt.

Review: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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..
The power of the film and what, in my view, makes it far and away the best thing to happen to Christmas films in a long time is that it is indeed a realistic portrayal of human emotions.When I say the previews for the release I knew that this was going to be something interesting.
As Mary stated "I have broken no vow." It is clear that Castle-Huhghes has acquired the maturity and intellect that was essential in playing such a prestigious role.I loved how the film acknowledges that Mary was only a child when she became the mother of Jesus, and the movie shows the emotional transformation of Mary.
Catherine Hardwicke has a reputation for directing films that portray the gritty teenage essence, and she takes her talent of amazing depictions of the teenage nature to the story of the beloved Virgin Mary.
It is also an attempt to convey the physical hardships of the time, the economy of thought and word, the limited aspirations of people 2000 years ago, and the simple faith that has a good deal to do with the success of Western culture to this day.
This movie shows the very human sides of Mary and Joseph and the difficulties they must have encountered while preparing for the 2nd most monumental event in history, the birth of Christ (the greatest event of course was His Passion and Resurrection).I loved this movie and hope everyone can enjoy it!.
If you like traditional biblical films faithful to the Bible, this movie is for you.
In this movie he was portrayed as just as he should be.Very minor spoiler ahead The film also contained many episodes not mentioned in the Bible, but these episodes most certainly occurred with the principals in the story (for instance Mary being afraid to marry a man she didn't know etc.).
The producer chose to follow the traditional approach in portraying the story of the birth of Christ by having the Wise Men at the Nativity even though the biblical account reveals that when they arrived in Bethlehem, the scene had moved to a house and the "baby" had become a "child." "Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:11).
The obviously highly motivated and dedicated filmmakers of this movie have simply thrown away the book (as did Mel Gibson) on how to create a religious movie and given us something fresh and original --- while taking nothing away from religious tradition.With not a dull moment in the film, the story takes us from a year prior to the birth of Jesus till shortly after the Nativity.
She responds: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word".At the beginning Joseph is suspicious when Mary announces the blessed news but later is informed by an Angel.At the time that Mary is due to give birth, she and her husband Joseph travel from their home in Nazareth about 150 kilometres (90 miles) south to Joseph's ancestral home in Bethlehem to register in the census ordered by Herodes the Great (Ciaran Hinds).
Mary gives birth to Jesus she places the newborn in a manger .Meantime an angel of the Lord visits the shepherds guarding their flocks in nearby fields and brings them "good news of great joy": "to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord." The angel tells them they will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.
I liked this movie because of the humanity of the main two characters --- Joseph and Mary.
Writer Mike Rich and director Catherine Hardwicke try to remind the world of the purpose of Christmas in The Nativity Story.The film follows Mary and Joseph through the moments before the birth of Christ.
It's the Christmas story told as a classic legend, leaving out some major theological and historical points, but keeping the message clear: that Christ is the only begotten Son of God. I would say that it's worth seeing it once.Rated PG for some briefly violent sequences and long drawn-out traveling.Release: December 2006.
I love that the story of the birth of Christ was told through this movie.
Inspired and deeply moving, The Nativity presents the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus Christ in a simple, yet elegant manner that portrays the characters as real people.
Had this been so in real life, Mary, Joseph and Jesus would have been seen much differently by the people of the time.
One great film, if you loved The Passion Of The Christ, then you'll The Navity Story it really gives you reason to celebrate..
The "tough" issues are addressed honestly and realistically (Mary's reluctance to enter into the betrothal with a man she barely knew and didn't love; her isolation from the community because of her "unplanned pregnancy"; Joseph's shock and disappointment upon learning of the plight of the young lady he had chosen because of her virtue; etc.)While some artistic license was used - resulting in aspects of the story that were not 100% in keeping with the Biblical text - taken in total, there are so many WONDERFUL things about this film that I'm reluctant even to mention negatives.I will long remember "The Nativity Story" as the highlight of my Christmas celebration for 2006..
The Nativity Story gave me some new insight into what it was like for Mary and Joseph to bring their son into the world during that period of time.
Keep the great, meaningful movies coming!The realism of the journey really brought home for me some of the things that Joseph and Mary may have had to endure - winds, sand, feet pain, judging eyes, thieves, not to mention fulling pregnant riding on that donkey the whole way in that unhospitable terrain.There were minor things that bothered me but not so much as to take away from the beauty and message of the story.
The nativity story ,told by a woman with taste and sensitivity.Faithful to the gospels,while avoiding most of the Hollywood traps (except for the light that comes down from the sky,in the "Ben Hur" tradition) Much time is given over to the Magi ,but they were scientists after all,and their huge knowledge of astronomy makes sense.All the well-known episodes are featured: the angel telling Mary she would conceive the son of God,the way the Jews used to treat their supposedly unfaithful women,the visit to Mary's cousin Elizabeth who's expecting a baby too (Jesus ' cousin,John The Baptist ;Herode Antipas,featured in the movie ,will have him behead),and the crib.Traditionnaly,however, the Magi did not arrive before the Twelfth Night.It could be the first movie dealing with just the birth of Christ,the many others telling the whole story.You do not have to be a believer to appreciate it..
This film relates the events faithfully, and while it focuses on Mary  and portrays her as a level-headed and sensible girl at a time when many around her are flapping a bit  to good effect, it struggles to develop her as a living, breathing person rather than a biblical character.
Writer Mike Rich uses the three wise men for gently comic effect in an attempt to lighten the earnest atmosphere, but such humorous moments seem sorely out of place.In summary, this film won't disappoint those looking for a straightforward account of the birth of Jesus but will probably fail to engage the casual viewer..
The blue hues in the filming make the settings seem somber often, one thing that I wondered about how the people of the time saw the events that are now history.I loved this movie and think that no matter where you are in your walk to your journeys end one would enjoy this timeless story, thank you Catherin Hardwick for having the courage to do this movie..
The main thing separating this and the many previous versions of this classic story was that the cast was generally Middle Eastern (except the Kiwi playing Mary) and the movie had a much more authentic feel about it.It was obviously not as ground breaking as "The Passion Of The Christ", but this movie did cast a new light on several of the events surrounding Jesus' birth and therefore gave a new perspective eg the engagement of Joseph and Mary and the turmoil the pregnancy would have caused, the revelations given and most of all to me, the awesomeness of Jesus coming to earth in the form of a baby.Not a Hollywood Blockbuster, but not too bad at all..
This is a decent portrayal of the Virgin Birth story, showing a young Mary and Joseph in a light that is believable for the most part.
The film is best judged for how it portrays life at the time and the possible ways in which Mary and Joseph would have related to each other at this stage of their relationship.The film almost had the feeling that it was shot on a side-lot of the HBO "ROME" series.
Whether you believe this to be true or not is immaterial, it was a vivid and compelling telling of a story that is familiar to all.17-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) was a perfect choice to play Mary.
This movie shows more of the hardship of Mary and Joseph than other portrayals of the birth of Jesus, including their financial difficulties and especially their problems with their journey to Bethlehem.
I have never seen anything from Hollywood that comes close to glorifying God--I've seen my share (10 Commandments with Charlton Heston, "The Resurrection," George Steven's "The Greatest Story Ever Told" , the animated "Prince of Egypt," Mel Gibson's "The Passion" and a recent one, "The Nativity Story.") The latest one I saw was "The Nativity Story" from New Line Cinema based on Jeremiah 23:5-6 (see http://www.thenativitystory.com/.) which chronicles the two-year period of Mary and Joseph's life and culminates in their leaving Nazareth and journeying 100 miles to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.It was actually very close to the Bible account.
The Bible gives the main events surrounding the birth of Christ but the writers did an excellent job in filling in to let us see what the time period was like, the customs, and the people.
I knew to some degree the story of Mary and Joseph's journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem prior to seeing this film.
What I didn't know was how I would like the movie.Released on the first day of the Advent season, Catherine Hardwicke's The Nativity Story hit theatres with no intention of trying to convert audiences into Christianity or to make waves in the media.
Far away, the Three Wise Men, Balthasar, Gaspar, and Melchior, begin their journey across the desert to Judea, following the star that will hopefully lead them to "the king".What is most appealing about the film is that just about everyone knows how the story goes, yet when the moment of birth draws closer and closer, its as if you are hearing it for the first time.
So OK, it's a faithful rendering of a very brief New Testament narrative, with additional dialog that attempts to portray the Judeans of that time -- but beyond that, from a critical standpoint it's so god-awful even God would agree.I wanted to leave during the opening cheeseball villainy of Herod, but remained to the bitter end -- putting up with the swelling (make that sweltering) violin score replete with multiple interwoven Christmas carol themes, to the painfully uncomfortable comic relief of the three wise guys (sort of a weird astrological minstrel-show), to the climactic creche scene straight out of a bedecked mantelpiece from the 50's.As Mary, Keisha Castle-Hughes looks properly worried throughout (her upturned brows frequently reminded me of Olivia Hussey's similar turn at bat).
I think it is one of the best movie versions of the nativity story that I've seen, but its no "Passion".
Joseph's comment that the Temple 'used to be a holy place' was a nice touch of foreshadowing; the look the Wise Men gave each other as they offered myrrh to Christ sent shivers down my spine; and the children reciting a passage from 1 Kings 19 was both thematically appropriate and homey.For its many clunky moments and visually cheesy moments, I can't give this film an unqualified rank of 'good'; but as far as Scriptural integrity and subtlety go, it's possibly the best I've seen yet..
I thought they had chosen the right girl to play Virgin Mary very well besides Olivia Hussey in the film/mini-series "Jesus of Nazareth" from 1977; Keisha's portrayal was top-notch.The film also has excellent music and that's one thing I love in a movie is a very good soundtrack, as I said many times.
I'm not going to discuss the plot of this movie since probably most people interested in seeing it know the whole story and have heard it a couple hundred times.
It doesn't have the same quality that The Passion of the Christ does, but neither is it made poorly like some Christian movies (e.g. Courageos, Facing the Giants, and Letters to God) all of which have terrible stories and let the religiousness of their films limit them to an unholy degree.
It turns out to be even better, thanks to exceptional production values and a real resonance in terms of storytelling that brings both the era and the characters to life.The filmmakers don't go so far as to have the characters speaking in their original languages like Mel Gibson did for PASSION OF THE Christ, but everything else looks and feels great, particularly Oscar Isaac's and Keisha Castle-Hughes's very human Joseph and Mary.
This is, however, a very good movie, which moves along at a good clip and offers a reasonably accurate (albeit not perfect) telling of the biblical story of Christ's birth.That event, of course, actually receives rather short shrift in the Bible, restricted largely to the first 2 Chapters of Luke's Gospel and a few verses in Matthew's.
"The Nativity Story" is a sweet, simple, and family-friendly retelling of events leading up to the birth of Jesus.It's not a great movie.
(Pssst...wise men...a little to the right so we can see Mary.) Since the birth of Jesus was probably the second most important event in human history, it seems that a filmic rendering of the story should be as grand as the most important event (Christ's death and resurrection) was two years ago.
We should never down play a real story, and this movie does this way to many times.
I suppose movies like It's a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Story, have their place.