Everything That's On My Mind

First the good. The movie is fairly faithful to the biblical account. Most of the key passages of Matthew and Luke are included in some form. Zechariah's Song is missing, and the Magnificat is displaced, but I didn't have any major quibbles. The theological and supernatural aspects of the story were certainly not downplayed in any way. The cinematography is beautiful; there are some very stunning shots throughout the movie. From an acting standpoint, Shohreh Aghdashloo is particularly effective as Elizabeth. Despite the challenges of playing such an iconic character, Keisha Castle-Hughes is able to give Mary both innocence and gravitas, which is no small feat.

The movie really is Mary's story, and that is where it finds its strength. We're pulled into Mary's world and clearly shown the struggles faced by her community. The tyranny of Herod and Rome, the poverty and hopelessness, and the hope for a savior are clearly in view. We see the shame and scandal of Mary's unexpected pregnancy, the ramifications she and Joseph must endure. We see the perils of the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Catherine Hardwicke does a really good job of transporting the audience into first century (or more accurately, last century) Palestine. The script, however, is uneven. Switching from Hebrew to "biblical" English to modern English is disorienting. I wish they would have picked one and stuck with it.

The last act is where the movie seems to lose its footing, falling into Hollywood cliches. Bringing the Magi in on the night of the birth provides the visual of a traditional nativity scene, but it just didn't work for me. Maybe I'm getting too technical here, but that's just me. Making the Magi the most theologically aware characters in the movie, however, really put me over the edge. Having these pagan astrologers spouting Pauline theology took a good movie back to the realm of a bad Christmas pageant. The same is true for the decision to have the Bethlehem massacre happen on the night of the birth. It did nothing except provide the nice Hollywood climax with the "exciting" narrow escape.

Despite its flaws, The Nativity Story is a decent movie. It's just not a great movie. It does a good job illustrating the daunting challenges faced by Mary and Joseph and the great faith they displayed. Most Christians will enjoy this movie, and gain a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. For that alone, I can recommend this movie, even if it isn't Oscar material.