[Frederica-l] Beliefnet: The Nativity Story

[Frederica at aol.com]

I was fortunate to see "The Nativity Story" a few weeks ago, at a screening 
for pastors. I never did get a screening invitation from the PR firm that 
usually arranges them; I don't know if the studio elected not to have one. This is 
happening more and more often, that studios will refuse to give screenings for 
critics, as they put all their hopes on a big opening weekend and try to 
block any negative advance word. 

This is far from a bad movie, however. Christians will find nothing 
objectionable (though a few glimpses of crucifixions may be too much for small 
children), and I expect this film will become an enduring classic for Christian 
community. I had only two complaints: (1) that it seems *too* safe and predictable, 
too much like a 1960's bible epic and (2) that the young actress who plays 
Mary is, unfortunately, hard-faced and inexpressive, so it is a great opportunity 
wasted. But neither is reason enough to keep you from going to see it and 
enjoying it. 

http://www.frederica.com/writings/the-nativity-story.html


The Nativity Story
 
The curiosity of the Christmas season has got to be "The Nativity Story," a 
film which presents the story of the Virgin Mary, her betrothal to Joseph, and 
the birth of Jesus Christ with an utterly straight face. If you thought 
Hollywood was incapable of approaching Christians without a cattle prod, you'll be 
shocked at how circumspect this movie is. 
 
"The Passion of the Christ" had earlier been a shock to Hollywood. Perhaps 
they had envisioned the conservative Christian audience as too tiny or too 
ignorant to fool with; perhaps they had envisioned the Christian-bashing audience 
as including everyone worth including. But the long lines for Mel Gibson's 
strong medicine, back in the spring of 2004, astounded everybody. And it turned 
out that Christian money is just as green as everybody else's. 
 
But is something deeper going on? The film's producers insisted to the New 
York Times that they have had enough of the "cynical, youth-oriented, disposable 
entertainment you saw Friday and forget by Saturday," as Wyck Godrey put it. 
The kind of films he wants to make now will be "about something and stick with 
you." And producer Marty Bowen says he wants to make "movies I'd be proud of 
making. Movies my mother would go to." He adds, "I'd rather be corny than 
cynical. I'd rather make a movie that's patriotic than partisan." 
 
Those are surprising and refreshing words, and they wouldn't have been heard 
a few years ago. But it may take a little longer to discover a way of 
producing films undergirded with such convictions that also have a bit of a spark. 
There is nothing in this film to offend devout Christians (parents note, however, 
a PG rating for some glimpses of crucifixion) -- but solemnity rolls through 
it all like molasses. As the film opens with golden letters scrolling over a 
background of stormy clouds, and an unseen choir sings, "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel," 
you have the distinct feeling that you've traveled back in time. No, not to 
first-century Palestine -- to 1965, and a showing of "The Greatest Story Ever 
Told."  
 
I can't help thinking that a different female lead could have made all the 
difference. Keisha Castle-Hughes starred as a young Maori destined to rule her 
tribe in "Whale Rider" (2002); for that role, she became, at 13, the youngest 
actress ever nominated for an Oscar. Perhaps her sturdy indomitability suited 
that character better than it does this one. Here, she just seems disengaged. 
Some astounding and even terrifying things are happening to Mary, but 
Castle-Hughes looks like her mind is somewhere else.  
 
This results in the unusual situation that the male actors surrounding the 
film's center are more emotionally engaging than the female lead. Newcomer Oscar 
Isaac is very appealing as Joseph, and conveys tenderness and shy young love 
without sacrificing a bit of masculinity. Shaun Toub is wonderful as her 
father Joachim, and Stanley Townsend is eye-catching as a hearty Zacharias. The 
three wise men (Eriq Ebouaney, Nadim Sawalha, and Stefan Kalipha) are lavishly 
arrayed and personable, and their interaction provides a bit of (somewhat 
stretched) comic relief. 
 
A big actor in a small part steals the screen when Mary and Joseph stop for 
rest on their way to Bethlehem. A wind-battered old shepherd (Ted Rusoff) 
invites them to warm themselves by his fire. His lines are kind of hokey - 
something about, his father told him that each person is given a gift. Yes, dads say 
things like that. Particularly dads in the 1980's. But Rusoff is notably alive 
on the screen, and delightful to watch. So there he is on one side, and 
there's beautiful Oscar Isaac on the other, and in the middle sits Keisha 
Castle-Hughes, her face like a hard little pebble. 
 
Later on, the old shepherd comes to see the newborn infant Jesus. He 
approaches with awe, on the brink of tears. You'd think this would be a good moment 
for Mary to smile and reach out toward him, and perhaps with moistened eyes say 
softly, "He is for all mankind. We are each given a gift." But Castle-Hughes 
stares blankly as he hobbles forward - if anything, slightly annoyed -- and 
delivers the line like a mailman. Then she checks her cell for text messages. 
 
Shoreh Aghdashloo is warm and wonderful as Elizabeth, and Hiam Abass is 
effective as Anna. Ciaran Hinds is a bit overcooked as Herod, but maybe it's the 
lighting. (Interesting to see how many nationalities are represented among the 
cast. Much of the world's population, it seems, could pass for Semitic. It's 
blue-eyed blonds who are odd-man-out.) 
 
The strongest character in the movie is under the actors' feet: the Italian 
countryside, standing in for ancient Israel (just as it did in "The Passion of 
the Christ") teaches in a way no words can how very hard life is in a rocky 
desert land. The journey Mary and Joseph make from Nazareth to Bethlehem, one 
hundred miles, begins to look like a superhuman feat. Our European fantasies of 
the Holy Land are corrected, for example, by seeing Jesus born among animals 
sheltering in a cave, not in a cozy wooden stable. 
 
Judging by the quantity of sniffles during closing credits, "The Nativity 
Story" hits a lot of viewers squarely in the heart. It's a respectful and 
historically authentic film, and those two assets are rare enough to promise success, 
both on opening weekend and down the years. If this is the beginning of a 
trend toward movies that are not "cynical" and "disposable," I'm all for it. And 
I hope eventually we'll find a way to do it that is fresh and authentic, and 
not merely safe. 
 



********
Frederica Mathewes-Green
www.frederica.com
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