The Nativity Story

This movie is a good portrayal of the Christmas story. I showed it to my 6th graders in religion class (private school) & they enjoyed it. Good cinematography.

I wanted to spend time watching a movie with my family during the Christmas holidays that wasn't either dated, branded, or frivolous. After checking several other contenders on parent-review websites, we gave this one a try (although I'm not Catholic, this choice received an additional plus that it premiered at the Vatican). The Nativity Story tells the story of the human struggle of those most directly affected by Mary's pregnancy (Mary, her parents, her husband, and her cousin, Elizabeth, in like circumstances). It was a warm retelling that stayed true to the source material while taking historical fiction license for dialogue and believable responses from Mary's and Joseph's skeptical friends. The three wise men brought diversity (i.e., a king for all), gravitas, and humor in addition to the three well-known gifts. The introduction of the shepherds on the path to the census made their arrival at the creche more meaningful. The depiction of the angel was understated, not so awe-inspiring as to shock the visited but clearly supernatural. There are tense scenes of true-to-life struggle against poverty, tyranny, doubt, pain, and exclusion. And there are strong examples of generosity, faith, and perseverance. I'm glad my family watched this movie together, and I recommend it to those interested in a modern yet faithful retelling of the birth of Jesus, those curious about the Herodian period, and anyone looking for a well-told story.

My family loved this movie

A beautiful adaptation of one of the most famous stories ever! Insightful. Leaves you with a feeling of hope.

This movie does a terrific job of presenting the characters around the Nativity as real people. It may get some of the details wrong - the wise men were not at the manger but saw the "child" in the "house", Herod's killing of children also came later - but these are minor compared to the overall beauty of telling the story from the perspective of Mary and Joseph. And it still presents the beauty of the feeling around the events leading up to and including the birth of the baby Jesus. I really like this movie and the feeling behind it.

I bought this for my dad. I have a copy of my own. No problems for me, but my dad said he had trouble hearing it well. It's possible the tone is in a range that he had a hard picking out the actual words. Disappointing but it may not be a problem for the average person.

This dvd’s image online was in English, leading us to believe that the dvd was also in English, with an option for French. It arrived in a French dvd case, with French writing all over it, leading us to believe that the dvd received was actually in French. I originally gave this item a low rating because it was not in the language advertised, and now had to be returned. Instead of returning it though, we took a chance and opened it up. Even though the case is in French, the movie inside IS ACTUALLY in English. Movie itself is very good.

We watch this movie every year at Christmas and Easter to celebrate both the birth of Christ and the death of Christ and it does explain very well

A beautiful and believable story of the Nativity - very realistic and well cast. We used sections of this at our school with upper juniors, to help children consider more deeply about who Mary was and her role as the mother of Jesus. Prior to the teaching, children had no idea what Mary and Joseph's journey entailed, what Bethlehem might have looked like at that time or even what the three wise men were all about. Now thanks to good teaching and the support of sections of this DVD as a really useful resource, we gained some fabulous discussions and very thoughtful views from the children. Would recommend for all ages.

As we approach yet another Christmas, I dust off my collection of the films I play to celebrate it. The story of Christ has been told in copious productions that have sought to capture the humility and humble atmosphere that surrounded His birth. Watching the lavish Hollywood spectaculars, they follow Christ's life through to His crucifixion, and I have been touched by the inherent character portrayals in them. But, this DVD, The Nativity Story, is a must for those who celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. For me, few of the past magnificent productions have focused so completely on the lead up to, and moment of Christ's birth. This film takes us on a humble journey that portrays lives that embraced poverty under Herod and the oppressive Roman Empire. Keisha Castle-Hughes' and Oscar Isaac's portrayal of Mary and Joseph is nothing short of stunning, capturing the meagre existence and struggle Mary and Joseph suffered while dodging the impending tyranny during those times. The appearances of the angel envoy as a bird is intriguing, blending in with the spectacular scenery in the film. For me, this adaptation, of the familiar story of the Nativity, stands alone by the way it leads us through simple lifestyles up to Christ's birth. Finally, accompanied by the angelic music of Mychael Danna the film reaches a moving, emotional climax, bringing together the wealthy Kings and the humble shepherds in a moment of true humility. I can whole-heartedly recommend this film to those of us who desire to afford a little time to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

We've watched this production a few times on TV and are so glad we bought the DVD. There were very few Nativity stories to see on TV this year for some reason so it's perfect to own this and watch whenever we want. It's beautifully filmed and sensitive storytelling. The cast are well chosen and it moves at a gentle pace. One of the very best Nativity films ever produced we think.

I loved this film. My only quibble was that Mary was presented as not expecting what happened, larking with the village lads, whereas my belief is that Mary was being prepared for her role since the time of her conception, and her parents while doubtless perplexed, would not have been utterly shocked at the news of the baby.But what a good film. There were so many occasions when the gospel account was amplified, without seriously deviating from the text. I loved the treatment of the Magi, and Mary's relationship with Elizabeth, and the wickedness of Herod, and the scenes of village life.

I was hesitating to watch this for a long time as most of the film makers misuse the creative license while making the spiritual and faith based movies. But I am glad that the director of this movie used the license very effectively without deviating from the true biblical account and the message is very well picturised. Highly recommended to those who are looking for a true faith based biblical movie without any unnecessary additions and distractions. This movie is added to my biblical movie collection and I advise you to consider few of these epic movies in blu-ray as "Jesus of Nazareth", "The Ten Commandments", "Ben-Hur", "The Robe", "Quo Vadis", "The Passion of Christ", "The Bible:In the beginning".