The Nativity Story: Review

[cappie]

The Nativity Story is precisely that - a year in the life of Mary which culminates in the birth of Jesus. The screenplay is well grounded in both the heritage of the Old Testament as well as the text and spirit of the Gospel infancy narratives, giving the film an advantage over narratives which rely on piety traditions for visual presentation - Fr Peter Malone.

[url="http://www.catholic.org.au/filmreviews/viewreview.asp?fid=784"]http://www.catholic.org.au/filmreviews/vie...iew.asp?fid=784[/url]

[Tindomiel]

Steven D. Greydanus from the National Catholic Register also has a quite good prelimenary review here:

[url="http://www.decentfilms.com/sections/articles/nativitystory_junket.html"]http://www.decentfilms.com/sections/articl...ory_junket.html[/url]

[Sojourner]

[b]Using the "Passion Playbook"[/b]
This column was syndicated by Scripps Howard News Service on 11/22/2006

The players in studio power offices call it the "Passion Playbook."

At least, that's what the Variety -- holy writ in Hollywood -- calls the
slate of commandments that insiders are supposed to be following in order
to reach the $612 million audience that backed "The Passion of the
Christ." Or was it the $744 million audience that embraced "The Chronicles
of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"?

Whether or not a savvy consultant has produced an actual "Passion
Playbook" doesn't matter. Everyone knows that studio executives are
becoming more interested in the "Christian market," even if admitting it
still gives many of them sweaty palms.

The latest high-profile test case is "The Nativity Story," a reverent epic
from New Line Cinema that premieres this Sunday (Nov. 26) at the Vatican.

"The success of the Passion ... made this film possible on a studio level.
I definitely think that from a studio and a financier standpoint, you look
at that and you go, 'Well the nativity story -- at Christmas -- could work
for us,' " said producer Wyck Godfrey, whose past projects included
standard studio projects like "I, Robot," "When a Stranger Calls" and
"Alien vs. Predator."

Nevertheless, he added, "I don't think anyone knows anything when it comes
to this stuff in terms of how to, exactly, get to this market."

Still, Godfrey said it made sense to take strategic steps to ensure that
the "core audience" of believers heard about this movie and that what they
heard was positive. It was crucial to follow the "Passion Playbook" even if
its contents are not perfect -- yet. And what are some of the guidelines?

* Seek the input of historians, theologians and clergy early and often and
try, try, try to nail the details. Most of all, find out how to avoid
making mistakes that will offend ecclesiastical shepherds whose opinions
fiddler out -- through print, radio and television -- to their flocks. It's
impossible to make everyone happy, but it helps to try.

* Make the story the star. In the case of the Passion, it helped that
director Mel Gibson was an A-list superstar who -- while already
controversial in Hollywood -- had made numerous films that were popular in
middle America. Still, he did not cast familiar faces and, with his daring
decision to use ancient languages and subtitles, put the focus on his
images and the story itself.

"The Nativity Story" features a cast drawn from eight or nine different
nations and the only familiar face is 16-year-old actress Keisha
Castle-Hughes of New Zealand, previously nominated for an Academy Award
for "Whale Rider."

"The stars of our movie are Mary and Joseph," said co-producer Marty
Bowen. "You have to be careful when it comes to casting something like
this, particularly with very iconic characters. If Tom Cruise is playing
Joseph, that's probably going to take a lot of people out of the movie."

* Court the core Christian audience to create buzz that will reach pulpits
and pews. Let test audiences in strategic Bible Belt markets see early
versions of the film and listen to the feedback. Hire publicists who
understand what sings in the parallel universe of Christian media and know
how to produce promotional materials that work in church sanctuaries and
Sunday school classrooms.

* It helps if the creative team includes Hollywood professionals who are
sincerely motivated to reach the "faith-based audience." In this case,
screenwriter Mike Rich is an articulate Christian known for writing
"Finding Forrester" and "The Rookie." Godfrey and Bowen grew up in strong
Christian homes before heading to Hollywood and both recently decided to
make major changes -- spiritual changes, even -- in their lives and
careers.

* Remember that religious consumers like quality entertainment, but prefer
not to be offended when they grab their popcorn. When seeking studio
support, noted Godfrey, he kept repeating this mantra: "Christians watch
'Lost.' " They also watch "Battlestar Galactica," Pixar movies, "Pirates
of the Caribbean" and many other hit shows.

Some people in Hollywood hear the words "Christian audience," said Bowen,
and they "immediately start thinking about micro-budgeted niche films that
cater to some specific group within Christianity as a whole. But our
argument to New Line was that 200 million Americans shouldn't be
considered a niche."

NEXT WEEK: Walking in Joseph's sandals.


Terry Mattingly (www.tmatt.net) directs the Washington Journalism Center
at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. He writes this
weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service

[scardella]

Thanks! I was looking for a review!

[Tindomiel]

I looks pretty interesting. Maybe not as huge as the Passion, or anything like that, but I definitely would like to see it. Hopefully it will actually [i] come[/i] to Central Maine movie theaters.....

[DemonSlayer]

There's also article about the movie at the National Catholic Register which looks at the film's theological aspects, [url="http://ncregister.com/site/article/719"]"At Last, a ‘Shepherds and Wise Men’ Feature"[/url].
[quote]While Mary’s perpetual virginity and Immaculate Conception aren’t affirmed, they aren’t contradicted either. It’s fair to say that the movie’s driving religious sensibility is more Protestant than Catholic, but nothing here need be a serious obstacle for Catholic viewers.

There are a few unfortunate flourishes, such as “Favored one” rather than “Full of grace” in the greeting of Gabriel (Alexander Siddig) to Mary, a rather limp translation. But there is much to praise about The Nativity Story.[/quote][quote]The film’s faults, such as they are, tend to be of omission rather than commission. At the Annunciation, we have Mary’s words “Let it be done to me according to your word” — but not “I am the Lord’s handmaid.” Such omissions are all the odder precisely because the whole challenge with these scenes is the paucity of source material.

Alas, Mary’s Magnificat, originally omitted altogether, is treated only briefly and in part, in a voiceover at the end of the film. The move itself actually makes sense — yet why omit the magnificent opening line from which the prayer takes its name (“My soul magnifies the Lord…”)? Why include “The Lord has done great things” and omit “for me”? [/quote]

[melikalani]

I just got back from watching the film and it's quite beautiful!

The portrayal of Saint Joseph was the highlight of the film for me and the actor did a wonderful job! His eyes are so expressive and you could really see the absolute love and dedication Saint Joseph has for Our Lady. If anything, the film strengthened my love for Saint Joseph. They showed his relationship with Our Lady as so real and so sweet.

The Magi are quite good and funny, too! One of the best scenes is when the Magi arrive and present their gifts. The one presenting the gold said his gift was for the 'King of Kings' and the one with the frankincense said his gift was for the 'Priest of Priests' (that part went over well with the four priests I went with!).

The actress playing Mamma Mary could have been better. She didn't have much personality, in my opinion. One of the priests thought that it was a quite protestant portrayal of Our Lady. He didn't like that they showed Our Lady having labor pains. Saints Anne and Joachim didn't come off as I expected either?

Overall, it's a very good film, but there are weaknesses. It would be good for a young crowd, especially one that doesn't know the story very well.

[scardella]

Saw it last night.

I have to echo melikalani's sentiments. St. Joseph was great. Mary, not so much. I liked a lot of the symbolism they threw in, even if some of it was rather blunt. (I'm speaking here of the attack by the snake, the old shepherd w/ the lamb, etc.)

Overall, it seemed like this wierd mix of stuff that worked amazingly well, and stuff that came across as almost contrived to fit the scriptures.

Plus, you gotta love Gabriel's ha-fro.

[goldbug16]

It sounds pretty good. I would like to se it.

[kujo]

I didn't like it very much. They made Our Lady seem like an aloof, emo-airhead who spent most of the movie with a glazed look in her eyes. And what was with the Angel Gabriel? He looked like a strung-out hippie (who was obviously of Middle Eastern descent...). I think the film makers should've taken a page out of the movie "Jesus of Nazareth" where they don't attempt to recreate what an angel would look or sound like, opting instead to let the viewer figure it out themselves (if you haven't seen that movie, you REALLY SHOULD).

I dunno. It just seemed like a made-for-TV movie that you'd see on CBS or something. The only redeeming factor of the movie was the portrayal of St. Joseph. He came off as the patient, loving, humble man of God that I always envisioned him as.

All in all, I'd give it 2 stars out of 5, most of which coming from St. Joseph.

[DangerBoy]

I saw it and thought it was great. It was Nativitastic!!

[zealousrap]

I definately have a deeper love of St. Joseph...I kept thinking that this was what true manhood is all about. I agree in hindsight that Mary was definately aloof and could have been portrayed with more of the virtues that she has. I was very intrigued to see Mary and Joseph discuss Christ, and when he would get to the point where he would not be just a boy anymore...I believe she pondered on whether she would be able to see it in his eye, or if it might be indicated another way. Joseph wondering if he would even be able to teach him anything...

I apologise for revealing this, but I am wondering about this

Makes me muse on their reaction to Christ when they found him at the temple after looking for him...

[jmjtina]

I did expect Mary to be portrayed a bit more virtuous and prayerful.

and St. Joseph? You know my favorite scene was probably when Mary cleans his feet.

Gosh, he was such a great actor.

[fisher_man2]

[quote name='jmjtina' post='1138996' date='Dec 9 2006, 09:30 PM']
I did expect Mary to be portrayed a bit more virtuous and prayerful.

and St. Joseph? You know my favorite scene was probably when Mary cleans his feet.

Gosh, he was such a great actor.
[/quote]

It was so Cool!!!!

[Guest Rick777]

Just got back from the theaters. I have really mixed ideas about the film. I have to say at the beginning of the movie I almost wanted to walk out. Mary was portrayed as some stubborn, defiant, little girl. *Warning spoliers*-When she walked out on St. Joseph and her parents I almost laughed, I hardly think the future Mother of God would act like that. The whole..."Why am I being forced to marry a stranger?" thing was pretty dumb as well. As for the hippie angel...that's already been mentioned. I guess alot of little things sorta ruined what would have been a very good movie. I did come around towards the end of the movie though. It had it's nice little moments. St. Joseph was awesome, I think that was a big part of the movies "appeal". The movies nothing to rave about though.

[Lil Red]

i really enjoyed the film!
[quote name='Sojourner' post='1129646' date='Nov 28 2006, 12:43 AM']* Remember that religious consumers like quality entertainment, but prefer not to be offended when they grab their popcorn. [/quote]exactly! i don't want some crappy show that's got a good message. i want a quality show with a quality message.
[quote name='melikalani' post='1130610' date='Nov 29 2006, 12:50 AM']The portrayal of Saint Joseph was the highlight of the film for me and the actor did a wonderful job! His eyes are so expressive and you could really see the absolute love and dedication Saint Joseph has for Our Lady. If anything, the film strengthened my love for Saint Joseph. They showed his relationship with Our Lady as so real and so sweet. [/quote]totally agreed! he did such a good job!
[quote name='melikalani' post='1130610' date='Nov 29 2006, 12:50 AM']The Magi are quite good and funny, too! One of the best scenes is when the Magi arrive and present their gifts. The one presenting the gold said his gift was for the 'King of Kings' and the one with the frankincense said his gift was for the 'Priest of Priests' (that part went over well with the four priests I went with!). [/quote]the Magi were wonderful! and funny too
[quote name='melikalani' post='1130610' date='Nov 29 2006, 12:50 AM']Saints Anne and Joachim didn't come off as I expected either? [/quote]yeah, that's what i was thinking.
[quote name='melikalani' post='1130610' date='Nov 29 2006, 12:50 AM']Overall, it's a very good film, but there are weaknesses. It would be good for a young crowd, especially one that doesn't know the story very well.[/quote]now see i don't agree about that. me and another youth minister got together with some of our youth group kids and i would say that this movie is more for high school students and older, not for junior high students. most of the junior high students were fidgety through the whole movie.
[quote name='scardella' post='1134082' date='Dec 3 2006, 12:23 PM']Plus, you gotta love Gabriel's ha-fro.[/quote]that made me laugh so hard!
[quote name='jmjtina' post='1138996' date='Dec 9 2006, 06:30 PM']and St. Joseph? You know my favorite scene was probably when Mary cleans his feet. [/quote]yeah, that was pretty awesome.

[semjeff]

Here's a full review on my blog:
[url="http://homepage.mac.com/geerlingguy/blog/archives/11-01-2006_11-30-2006.html#404"]http://homepage.mac.com/geerlingguy/blog/a...0-2006.html#404[/url]

Overall, I give it a 9/10, if only because they could've made Mary a little better (IMO - she was a little whiny).

One thing many people don't mention much is the excellent soundtrack with the movie! I bought it on iTunes, and it includes some great Latin chant Christmas hymns, with some great orchestral pieces, too!

[Resurrexi]

[url="http://www.airmaria.com/vlog/stnd/stnd0001Revw.asp"]http://www.airmaria.com/vlog/stnd/stnd0001Revw.asp[/url]

The Nativity Story Not on Par with The Passion of Christ

By Fr. Angelo Mary Geiger, FI

On November 27th, I attended a prescreening of New Line Cinema’s The Nativity Story, after having read and participated in several blog discussions concerning the Virgin Birth. Going into the theater, my expectations were low, due to the amount of confusion expressed by Catholics who were discussing a depiction of Mary in the throes of the pain of childbirth. In all fairness, however, I have to report that I found the movie, in general, to be a pious and reverential presentation of the Christmas mystery, albeit one from a clearly Protestant tradition. But for that reason, not only does the movie get the Virgin Birth wrong, it thoroughly Protestantizes its portrayal of Our Lady.

Today, one must commend any sincere attempt to put Christ back into Christmas, and this film is certainly one of them. Unfortunately, we now often find ourselves defending the Christmas mystery, both from the secularists, and from the demythologizing scripture “scholars,” who casually explain away the whole infancy narrative, from the apparitions of the angels to the very event of the Incarnation itself. Happily, no such agenda is apparent in this film. Present are all the angelic apparitions, the miraculous star, and the Magi actually called by their given names from Catholic tradition: Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar. In fact, in this movie, it is Melchior who drives home the essential truth of Christmas, by quoting the prologue of St. John, calling the newborn Jesus “the Word made flesh.”

Producer Wyck Godfrey, writer Mike Rich and director Catherine Hardwicke, have created a film that seems to consciously follow in the footsteps of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Recognizing the public’s desire for Gibson to produce a Christmas story, they took up the torch, so to speak, when Gibson showed no interest in the project. The connection with Gibson’s movie can be seen in the similarities of the promotional material, the shoot location in Matera, Italy, and even in the opening shot, tilting from the sky downward and through the clouds. According to one report, a fake olive tree built in Matera for The Passion of the Christ is even used on the set for Nazareth.

However, the contrasts between the movies are even more striking. The Passion is a fundamentally Catholic film, while The Nativity is clearly a Protestant one. While scriptural blanks exist in both cases, Gibson provided the necessary details through the help of Catholic mystics, ultimately yielding a multi-layered, contemplative, and wholly reverential film. In stark contrast, Hardwicke, a Presbyterian, directs a much more “ecumenical” Nativity, one in which the filmmakers consulted “as many historians and theologians as possible,” yielding a film that is predictably muddled.

Consensus theology generally renders an ecumenism of the lowest common denominator. As such, this portrayal of the Nativity manifests this tendency where one would expect it to, in regard to the character of Mary.

Mary in The Nativity lacks depth and stature, and becomes the subject of a treatment on teenage psychology. According to Godfrey, Hardwicke was chosen to direct because “[s]he has had great success at really capturing the lives of young people in particular, and the conflict, crisis, and pain of growing up.” In fact, Hardwicke co-wrote and directed Thirteen, a hard-edged, R-rated story about teen rebellion. Unfortunately, the Mary of The Nativity seems to have been spattered with the same brush that Hardwicke used for the earlier film.

Hardwicke explains her rationale in an interview:

We wanted her [Mary] to feel accessible to a young teenager, so she wouldn't seem so far away from their life that it had no meaning for them. I wanted them to see Mary as a girl, as a teenager at first, not perfectly pious from the very first moment. So you see Mary going through stuff with her parents where they say, "You're going to marry this guy, and these are the rules you have to follow." Her father is telling her that she's not to have sex with Joseph for a year—and Joseph is standing right there. That's very personal and startling, and you can imagine how that would make a person feel.

So much for the Immaculate Conception, the joint predestination of Mary with Christ (Pius IX, Pius XII), Her perfect and effective cooperation in God's plan, and the Perpetual Virginity. Ignoring these doctrinal truths results in a virtual coup against Catholic Mariology. In fairness to Hardwicke, this was hardly her intention. In her mind, this movie is about “the most famous teenager in history.” The Nativity itself is just the setting for a story about growing up.

This mindset leads to a general observation regarding the difference between the Catholic approach of The Passion of the Christ and the Protestant one of The Nativity Story. It is roughly equivalent to the vast differences seen in the style, scope and substance in the works of the likes of a Mary of Agreda and that of a Max Lucado. Whatever attempt was made by the Catholic mystics to represent the psychology of the Incarnate Son of God or the Immaculate Conception was done from a decidedly doctrinal point of view, characterized by humility and reverence. Whereas, the more Protestant and humanistic approach relies almost entirely upon complete character identification. The reader or viewer must be able to see themselves in the place of the main characters. This usually involves creating scenarios in the experience of these characters similar to our own, irrespective of a received tradition. Perhaps the most universal scenario portrayed both in literature and drama is the human experience of the Fall. Certainly, the Catholic contemplative tradition has always sought identification with Christ, and Our Lady, but this in no way involves a meditation on the Fall. In The Passion of the Christ we find plenty to identify with, but Our Lord and Our Lady are never seen as anything less than heroic. The difference between the Mary of The Passion of the Christ and that of The Nativity Story is the difference between being raised up by the sacred truth we contemplate or being dragged down by the debasement of the mystery through a failed effort to understand it. The Mary of the The Nativity Story is definitely and decidedly fallen.

Thus, it is rather disconcerting to see Our Blessed Mother portrayed with “attitude;” asserting herself in a rather anachronistic rebellion against an arranged marriage, choosing her words carefully with her parents, and posing meaningful silences toward those who do not understand her. All this, of course, changes with the Annunciation. A pregnancy she cannot explain is the crisis that transforms her. It is understandable that a Protestant mindset toward Our Lady wouldn’t resist the temptation to novelize her, for the purpose of character identification, or to capitalize on such an opportunity for dramatic tension.

Likewise, the artist’s hand hones in on the climax of the story, the birth itself, with mixed results. Hardwicke creates dramatic tension by conjoining the frantic efforts of St. Joseph to find shelter with the supposed labor pains of Mary. The light of the star arrives at the manger cave and shines in through a hole just as St. Joseph, clearly awestruck, delivers the Holy Child. Here, dramatically speaking, Hardwicke succeeds. The reverent intentions of the filmmaker are clear enough, but confusion on the part of Catholics is inevitable.

Following the premier of the film at the Vatican on Sunday, heated discussions about the “painlessness” of the Virgin Birth immediately erupted. However, many of the comments in the blogosphere miss the point entirely. The essential truth of the Virgin Birth, as taught continually by the Fathers and defined by the Church, does not concern the presence or absence of pain during Jesus’ birth. The central truth of the Virgin Birth is that Christ was born of Mary miraculously, as a sign and confirmation of His divinity. The Virgin Birth has always been distinguished from the Virginal Conception, because it was a separate and distinct miraculous event. It was not a natural birth, nor is it explainable by natural causes. Our Lady’s physical virginity, with all that it implies, remained integral and intact before, during and after the birth of Jesus. St. Bernard, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure and the Catechism of the Council of Trent all teach the painlessness of the birth as a logical consequence of its miraculous nature.

The Virgin Birth is an essential part of the dogma of the Perpetual Virginity, and in addition to its value as a sign of Christ’s divinity, its miraculous nature just further underscores Our Lady’s unique, grace-filled and exalted place in God’s plan. It inspires us to praise Her, admire Her and love Her for Her glorious Virginal Maternity. And while one might expect a Protestant filmmaker to get this wrong, it at least opens up the discussion which can help correct a real doctrinal error believed by many Catholics.

Other aspects of the movie enjoy only mixed success. While individual scenes are visually beautiful, the total effect of The Nativity’s filmmaking is one-dimensional and rarely moving. The overall seriousness and reverence with which the subject matter is treated is broken by the rather awkward comic relief provided by the Magi, an unnecessarily disturbing scene of a young Jewish girl being abducted by the Romans, and an overly graphic scene of St. Elizabeth giving birth to John the Baptist. (The slaughter of the innocents, shown in two sequences, is a relatively mild presentation.) While the scenes of the Magi may indeed appeal to children, the presentation of the two births, especially Elizabeth’s, are just not suitable, in my opionion, for young children to view. The portrayal of St. Joseph is refreshingly masculine and virile. His character is well-developed as a just man, and his honor becomes a central theme of the story. Unfortunately, this is juxtaposed by the aforementioned rather flat and disappointing portrayal of Mary.

It is also worthy to note that there is at least one cinematic and spiritual triumph in The Nativity Story, namely, the Visitation of Mary to St. Elizabeth. Although the Magnificat is relegated to a kind of epilogue at the movie’s end, the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth is otherwise faithful to the scriptures and quite poignant. In a separate scene, the two women experience the concurrent movement of their children in utero and share deeply in each other’s joy. I can’t think of another piece of celluloid that illustrates the dignity of the unborn child better than this.

The Nativity Story in no way compares to the masterpiece which is The Passion of the Christ, but it is at least sincere, untainted by cynicism, and a worthy effort by Hollywood to end the prejudice against Christianity in the public square. Whether considered in light of its virtues or its flaws, the movie provides an opportunity to catechize people about the true meaning of Christmas, about the real gift that is Jesus, and about His Holy, Ever Virgin Mother, Mary.

The subject matter of The Nativity Story lends itself so well to the promotion of true devotion to Mary. Unfortunately, the way in which it was treated will only confuse the ignorant and confirm them in Marian minimalism. Perhaps there is some hope that the likes of a Gibson will one day match the sublime Marian art of The Passion of the Christ with a Nativity story truly worthy of Our Lady.

Ave Maria!

Edited December 27, 2006 by StThomasMore

[DemonSlayer]

I saw it last week, it was just okay, for some reason theatres don't seem to want to show it much..

[SinginForHim]

[quote name='melikalani' post='1130610' date='Nov 29 2006, 03:50 AM']

Saints Anne and Joachim didn't come off as I expected either?

[/quote]

Guess I'm not exactly up to snuff on my saints -- who are Saints Anne and Joachim? Please don't grab your pitchforks or anything.

Anywho, I saw the movie opening weekend, and I thought it was incredibly beautiful. As many say, the music often makes a movie, and I, being the crazed music enthusiast that I am, really enjoyed the music selections, particularly that all of the songs were in Latin. My choir at school actually performed a few of them at our Winter Concert ("Infant King" and "Of the Father's Love Begotten") so to hear them in the movie really enhanced it. For me, I express myself in prayer most effectively through song, whereas spoken prayer isn't exactly my strongpoint. "Those who sing pray twice!" :
Anyways...I thought the overall casting was very well done, and I truly enjoyed every aspect of the film.
And I will say I'm quite glad the Wisemen were primarily used as comic relief -- the moment when they are all talking about leaving was very amusing ("But what about the food I am accustomed to??" Hehe).

This movie is definitely worth seeing!

God Bless