The Nativity Story

Name: The Nativity Story
Genre: Drama, Family
Released: December 1, 2006
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 52
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Shohreh Aghdashloo

2006

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 47 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 47 Ratings

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The Nativity Story

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Movie Details & Credits

New Line Cinema | Release Date: December 1, 2006 | PG

Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Summary: The Nativity Story chronicles the arduous journey of two people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous pregnancy, and the history-defining birth of Jesus. (New Line Cinema)

Director: Catherine Hardwicke

Genre(s): Drama, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

Kirk Honeycutt

Unfolds in a scrupulously accurate historical adventure story that depicts the world of Jesus' birth with an exciting you-are-there verisimilitude. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

By grounding everything that went before in an earthy realism, Hardwicke earns the elevation of the nativity sequence, one of the more beautiful scenes in this year's cinema. Read full review

William Arnold

It's a handsome production, nicely shot by Elliot Davis on Italian and Moroccan locations, with a performance by Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider") as the Virgin that's so pleasing and minimalist it could have been lifted from a fresco by Giotto. Read full review

Chris Kaltenbach

Other than portraying Mary as an overwhelmed teenager, mystified that God has chosen her to be the mother of his child, it doesn't offer anything that hasn't been playing out in grade-school pageants for decades. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

This is not a chance to "experience the most timeless of stories as you've never seen it before" but just the opposite: an opportunity, for those who want it, to encounter this story exactly the way it's almost always been told. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

The Nativity Story is a film of tame picture-book sincerity, but that's not the same thing as devotion. The movie is too tepid to feel, or see, the light. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

A deadly dull, by-the-numbers rendition of the Nativity story. Read full review

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User Reviews

DeirdreJ.

Dec 9, 2006

I watched this movie for the second time today. As usual (!), there were people talking in the theatre, but (quite unusual!) they were saying things like, "Oh, that shot is gorgeous!" and "The photography is stunning, and so is the music." I agree. The movie is very beautiful. Some of it I watched this movie for the second time today. As usual (!), there were people talking in the theatre, but (quite unusual!) they were saying things like, "Oh, that shot is gorgeous!" and "The photography is stunning, and so is the music." I agree. The movie is very beautiful. Some of it does look like a Chirstmas card, and some looks more like (for instance) National Geographic, but every shot is beautifully composed. I also found the acting very good, and I think the whole thing was very intelligently done. The movie does have two strikes against it (neither of which mattered to me very much). The first is that it sticks very closely to the biblical story. Those who expected it to contradict the tenets of Christianity in some way will of course be disappointed. Also, it's rather contemplative. Some people will automatically find that boring. In fact, it reminded me of "The New World," one of my favorite movies of last year. It is similarly beautiful, similarly measured in its pace, and similarly from a woman's perspective -- and I loved it! For what it's worth, I liked it the first time I saw it, but loved it the second time, when I was able to notice even more. BTW, the scenes with Gabriel were some of my very favorite, and I loved that they used a falcon to herald him. That just has so much symbolic resonance -- like a lot of the other details in the film. (I think it was a Lanners, but maybe a kestrel -- does anyone know for sure?). One of the things that impressed me more the 2nd time was the score. Yes, it's Christmas carols, but how interestingly they are used! And they used Anonymous Four for the vocals! How great is that! I loved the movie -- I think it's very intelligent, beautifully photographed and acted, and not at all boring. Of course, your mileage may vary (and I won't mind!).… Expand

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TomasD.

Dec 15, 2006

I Loved this touching Story of The Birth of Jesus and the rich Background into the times of his life. A must see!

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ellab

Dec 3, 2006

Grace is a quiet poetry that Catherine Hardwicke puts into pictures. The surprise is in the tremendously nuanced portrayals by Castle-Hughes and Issac (Mary and Joseph). To portray holier-than-thou icons with humanity and vulnerability is a brave and remarkable choice. Perhaps bolder than Grace is a quiet poetry that Catherine Hardwicke puts into pictures. The surprise is in the tremendously nuanced portrayals by Castle-Hughes and Issac (Mary and Joseph). To portray holier-than-thou icons with humanity and vulnerability is a brave and remarkable choice. Perhaps bolder than the Passion, where doubt is absent and the cinematic draw of epic violence over the emotional accessibility of the every-man leap of faith that we forget that we are all capable of each day in our choices of who we love, how we parent, how we choose to conduct ourselves each day. Kudos to the filmmakers for not selling out for a Hollywood high-octane version of a story that has its grace and its power in the daring of humble, real people with humor and fear to make a choice based on their faith, and not on glory. I hope that the subtlety of what a powerful choice the respect for the characters bravery and not cinematic spectacle is not lost on the audience. In my afternoon screening, I saw men and women look to the screen with tears in their eyes, and I hope the film inspires many to trust the quiet srength of the individual that is all but lost in our lives barraged with violence and information. It is an island of peace and hope in an ocean of self-doubt and self-obsession. See for yourself.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

JaredB.

Dec 22, 2006

How can anyone, who has seen this film, give it a less than glowing review? I just returned from seeing it, and I found it to be one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. My only complaint is in regards to the way the wise men were portrayed. while I don't doubt that they may have How can anyone, who has seen this film, give it a less than glowing review? I just returned from seeing it, and I found it to be one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. My only complaint is in regards to the way the wise men were portrayed. while I don't doubt that they may have had senses of humor, this movie portrayed them as clowns. Other than this, The Nativity Story is an amazing film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

gzayas91

Jul 26, 2018

Pretty solid. A solid origin story of birth not only of Jesus, but of Christmas. Totally worth watching it every year.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AndrewB.

Dec 9, 2006

Film was Ok but oh so rushed at the end. I can't see how people think it was Biblically accurate. Surely the Wise Men saw the star and then moved to investigate, asking Herod "where is He", because presumably by the time they arrived the star had gone. They would arrive long after the Film was Ok but oh so rushed at the end. I can't see how people think it was Biblically accurate. Surely the Wise Men saw the star and then moved to investigate, asking Herod "where is He", because presumably by the time they arrived the star had gone. They would arrive long after the birth, by which time the shepherds would have returned to their sheep and Joseph would have found somewhere to stay other than the stable/cave where the birth took place. Where was the presentation of Christ in the Temple and his circumcision? Why have the Holy family rushing off to Egypt? Why kill all infants under two years if you know the Child was born just the other day? And why didn't the Romans build roads in Palestine - they built good roads everywhere else in the Roman empire! Why be so lazy in Palestine? The other interesting thing about the film was that we saw this the day after its UK release and only two other people were there to watch it. Just as well Christ wasn't born today, because if any angels had come to tell people "go see! A Saviour is born!" they'd have replied "wha? I'm watching the telly, too busy mate...does he save goals mate?" A sad indictment of the spiritual health of UK.… Expand

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JoeyL.

Dec 4, 2006

This film was awfully boring. Why doesn't someone come up with an original idea anymore? If the makers had argued that Joseph really impregnated Mary, then maybe I'd have paid attention. As it was, I fell asleep three to four times during the screening. I had a dream in which This film was awfully boring. Why doesn't someone come up with an original idea anymore? If the makers had argued that Joseph really impregnated Mary, then maybe I'd have paid attention. As it was, I fell asleep three to four times during the screening. I had a dream in which someone created an interesting movie about Jesus. Then I woke up and had to watch this drivel.… Expand

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