Alexander Siddig, Ciarán Hinds, Hiam Abbass

"The Nativity Story" portrays a chronicle of the perilous journey of a young couple, Mary and Joseph, who must travel from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem, Joseph's ancestral home, to register for...( read more  read more... ) a census ordered by King Herod. It is a journey of over 100 miles, through treacherous terrain, made much more difficult by the fact that Mary is nine months pregnant

Flixster Users

75% liked it

78,103 ratings

Critics

38% liked it

125 critics

PG, 1 hr. 40 min.

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke

Release Date: December 1, 2006

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DVD Release Date: March 20, 2007

Stats: 3,583 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,583)


  • July 25, 2009
    A very good production, high quality stuff. Datz all i can say about this.
  • March 8, 2009
    this film has not been well recieved, but it was powerful. there were a few small inaccuracies as far as consitency to Scripture, but the film was well made and well played. I'll watch this every Christmas from now on.
  • January 31, 2008
    This was kind of slow starting but I soon found myself engrossed in it.
  • December 29, 2007
    This is a well developed film, flows along nicely and the cinematography is interesting. It's about average for the story of Christ's birth. The characters do seem more real than has been portrayed in many films of this type. Makes for a neat little film to add to your Christm...( read more)as viewing...
  • November 20, 2007
    Well, if you have ever sat through a Christmas play, you know the story already. The movie was OK - nothing earth-shattering. I didn't realize the middle east was as dry as this movie portrays it.
  • November 23, 2009
    One of my fav Christmas movies that I watch anytime of the year.






    One of my fav Christmas movies that I watch anytime of the year.






    Very well done. I loved it.
  • November 16, 2009
    The Nativity

    I just purchased and watched The Nativity Story movie. While I understand its significance and its message, the movie it?s self leaves a lot to be desired. The dialog is somewhat monotonous, soft, and at times hard to understand. Each character recites his li...( read more)ne like it is the most important one in the move. The characters all seem to have a dirty film over them. There are a few bright spots. I love the image of Bethlehem as Mary and Joseph arrive. I can image that this might actually be the way it looked 2000 years ago. I also liked the image of the star (or three stars together, as the movie suggests) and the arrival of the three wise men. The actual birth of Christ is interesting too. It seems there is no umbilical cord, maybe suggesting his only need was the spiritual like to his Heavenly Father.
    I would have to think that this movie is historically accurate. And to some extent, it plays like a background documentary that you would see on the Discovery Channel. While this story is significant to Christianity, the last years of Christ are much more important that the first. I think this is a great holiday movie, even though the animated version is just as interesting, and a lot shorter. This is by no means a must see. If the birth and early life are of interest to you, this movie is certainly worthy of your attention.
  • November 15, 2009
    "The Nativity Story" chronicles the journey the is undertaken by Mary and Joseph. It defines the history-making, miracle birth of Jesus Christ. Keisha Castle-Hughes gives another wonderful performance as Mary. Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit....( read more) This was a difficult fact for people to accept. The locals are harsh and cold toward Mary. Adultery is assumed though Mary stands by her word that she is a virgin. She had to explain to her family and most importantly, her husband. She had to explain something that she herself did not understand. All that Mary could tell anyone was that she was told that she would give birth to the son of God. Fortunately, Mary's husband Joseph believes in her after he is visited in a dream by and angel who confirms Mary's story. The two must embark upon a long journey from Nazareth where they lived to Bethlehem, Joseph's birthplace where he must take part in a census. Joseph promised to care for Mary and her unborn child. By the end of the trip, Mary is very much near the end of her pregnancy. She goes into labor when they reach a town that can not offer an inn with any room. Mary is forced to give birth to her child in a stable. At the moment of his birth, a bright star shines bright in the sky inviting many to come pay respects to the child. This film relates strongly to world religions because it is the birth of a religion. The basis of Christianity is in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Without the virgin birth, Jesus would not have existed in the Christian faith. This film recognizes the beginning of a religion.
  • November 15, 2009
    The Nativity Story is a story of the birth of Christ. In the beginning the movie starts off quoting Jeremiah 23:5-6, how God promised David that his descendants would always rule Israel. A good king would replace the poor kings, who were to be the Messiah. A young Mary that?s to...( read more) marry Joseph was told by God one day that she was to have a child and to call his name Jesus. Mary requested to do the will of God, when she was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary went away to stay with Elizabeth the wife of Zachariah who was with child, although Elizabeth was past her child bearing years. Soon after Elizabeth gave birth to her child Mary returned home to be with Joseph. Joseph and Mary?s parents were amazed and disgraced to see a pregnant Mary return. Yet once Joseph was visited by an angle in a dream, the confirmation came to him that Mary had not conceived a child through fornication.

    Joseph was force to return to his birth place through the orders of the King. So he and Mary took to endure a lengthy trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Through the trip Joseph and Mary endured hunger, thieves, and people who set out to help along the way. However, upon their arrival to Bethlehem, Jesus was born. The star of Bethlehem led the three Wise Men to the birth place of the Messiah, where they lavished him with gifts and gold. The story ended with Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus on a new journey to Egypt to escape the danger of the King who set forth his people to kill every young boy in Bethlehem.

    This is a movie that shows of the beginning of Christian religion through the birth of Jesus who sent messages to his people and performed miracles.
  • November 15, 2009
    S. Das
    World Religion
    Ms.Quick
    Movie Review:
    In the movie named ?the Nativity story? , we got to see the mysterious birth of Jesus. The feature flim took us to many, many years back to the city of Nazareth, where an angelic messenger appears before a teenage girl who finds...( read more) the courage to believe with the strength of her husband and her along with her family. The little girl was nobody else but Mother Mary and Her husband Joseph, the father of Lord Jesus. The characters in the movie and the history of the people who lived through the miracles and mysteries surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. The was very successful to have a good match with the text book, where it literally took its audience to the era of Jesus? birth and give it a look from the very real Jewish lens. The language of the movie was almost like a different spoken language although it was spoken in English. Mary?s innocent question was very touchy, when she asked her Mom that why did God chose her for the bearer of the child birth! It was such an era that the Messiah had to come anyway as the Savior. This a well researched movie based on the scriptural account.

Critic Reviews


December 1, 2006
Pete Hammond, Maxim

Tailor made for future Sunday school classes everywhere, this by-the-numbers account adds nothing new to the story but has lots of pretty pictures full review

December 1, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

I have to hand it to Hardwicke: I was a lot less bored by The Nativity Story than I feared I'd be. full review

December 1, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

It's not exactly the dullest story ever told, but it's certainly not the greatest. full review

December 1, 2006
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

The Nativity Story has a quiet sincerity to it that's sometimes quite moving, and sometimes just too quiet. full review

December 1, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

One of the incidental points of the film, particularly powerful, is that doing the right thing isn't easy, even in the face of divine assurance. full review

December 1, 2006
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

It might not hook nonbelievers, but the choir might sing hosannas. full review

December 1, 2006
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

At the very least, it's refreshing to see a holiday film that doesn't involve Tim Allen wearing 80 pounds of rubber padding. full review

November 30, 2006
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

... The Nativity Story sticks to the familiar details of the narrative and dramatizes them with sincerity and good taste.

November 30, 2006
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

The Nativity Story is refreshingly original, an inspiring version for our age and, maybe, for the ages. full review

View more The Nativity Story reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • CarbonDating
    September 29, 2007
    i love this movie!!! it's one of the best movies taken from the Bibile. i love mary and joseph's love story. watch it. it's good...fantastic..awesome...!
  • Jesusloving17
    August 22, 2007
    All I can say is I am short of words to express my true love for this movie and I just want to say if you have not seen it watch it; it is true my friend's.
  • GodsPrincess1992
    May 8, 2007
    This is a really good movie.It's pretty close to the Bible.
  • codyllover2007
    April 10, 2007
    I luv this movie. this movie was so realistic. Osscar Issac and Keisha Castle-Hughes acted so realistic. I will watch this movie over and over again.
  • dulceangeleyes
    February 12, 2007
    i luv this movie! it waz very beautiful and it showed another side to christmas. it mad eme really look at it and it made me get more interested in christmas. i even read the bible at home, jus to make sure, and yea, it waz all der. i really liked how mary and joseph's relationship grew, how much joseph loved mary, and how brave mary waz to take such a responsibility of bein the mother of God. very beautiful and im hopin to get the dvd!:)
  • justinjr22
    February 6, 2007
    im very eager to see that movie........
    coz, i don't have to watch that movie....

    huhuhuhuh....
  • Hanny132
    January 7, 2007
    i loved The Nativity Story, it gave out such a message and you actually saw what the lives of Mary and Joseph might have been like.
    I thought it would be realy cheesy but it surprised me.
    The angel on the hill made me laugh and i was a bit let down that they missed the whole group of angels singing and i thought there would be more shepards in the field,
    but the rest of it really touched me and i loved it.
  • dalemason1993
    December 29, 2006
    'it was absoulutely blarty! i'd give it a 5 star i think
    jesus should have came down and beat the sh*t out of king herod'
  • auzziibabe
    December 19, 2006
    it was awesome i was afraid it was gonna put a really holywood spin on the story of christs birth but it told the story really really well... i went with a few people from my church n me n one of the other girls cried most of the time just out of pure happiness that we know what was on screen was the truth... awesome movie
  • zeekaku
    December 12, 2006
    hmmm mite be interesting... just to see keisha again. What makes it the most intersting is that she plays the virgin mary in this film and she is now pregnant in real life...

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The Nativity Story Trivia


  • Which movie stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Mary the mother of Jesus?  Answer »
  • Under the time of King Herod, a young woman and her fiancee's faith were put to the test, on their way to a journey of hope and discovery. What is the name of this movie that stars Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Issac?  Answer »
  • The director of "The Nativity Story (2006)" was  Answer »

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