RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Nativity Story
The Nativity Story

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Nativity Story (2006)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
38 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:125

Fresh:47

Rotten:78

Average Rating:5.3/10

Consensus: The Nativity Story is a dull retelling of a well-worn tale with the look and feel of a high-school production.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some violent content.

Runtime: 2 hrs 41 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:08-12-2006

Synopsis: A cinematic journey into the heart of history's greatest story, The Nativity Story is poised to come to the big screen for the first time in a major motion picture event. New Line Cinema's The... A cinematic journey into the heart of history's greatest story, The Nativity Story is poised to come to the big screen for the first time in a major motion picture event. New Line Cinema's The Nativity Story chronicles the arduous journey of two people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous pregnancy, and the history-defining birth of Jesus. The dramatic and compelling film traces the perilous journey of a young couple who must travel from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem, Joseph's ancestral home, to register for 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. A New Line Cinema Presentation of a Temple Hill Production, The Nativity Story stars Academy Award® nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) as Mary, Oscar Isaac (upcoming Guerrilla) as Joseph and Academy Award® nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog) as Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. The international cast also includes Hiam Abbass (Munich, Paradise Now), Shaun Toub (Crash), Alexander Siddig (Syrianna), Nadim Sawalha (Syrianna), Eriq Ebouaney, Stefan Kalipha, Said Amadis, Stanley Townsend and Ciarán Hinds (Munich). The film is directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown) from a screenplay written by Mike Rich (The Rookie, Finding Forrester). The producers are Wyck Godfrey (I, Robot) and Marty Bowen.The executive producers are Toby Emmerich, Cale Boyter, Tim Van Rellim, Mike Rich and Catherine Hardwicke. The co-executive producers are Judd Funk and Michael Disco. The film also features an outstanding production team which includes cinematographer Elliot Davis (White Oleander, I Am Sam, Out of Sight), Production Designer Stefano Maria Ortolani (Art Director on Gangs of New York and The Talented Mr. Ripley), Film Editors Robert K. Lambert, A.C.E. (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees, Ask the Dust) and Stuart Levy, A.C.E (Any Given Sunday, Jesus' Son), Costume Designer Maurizio Millenotti (The Passion of the Christ, Tristan and Isolde, Immortal Beloved) and composer Mychael Danna (Little Miss Sunshine, Capote, The Ice Storm). New Line Cinema will release The Nativity Story (rated PG by the M.P.A.A. for "some violent content") in theaters nationwide on December 1st, 2006. -- © New Line Cinema [More]

Starring: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Eriq Ebouaney, Ciaran Hinds

Starring: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Eriq Ebouaney, Ciaran Hinds, Alexander Siddig, Shaun Toub, Tim Van Rellim, Oscar Isaac, Stanley Townsend, Star, Stefan Kalipha, Farida Ouchani, Alessando Giugglioli, Said Amadis

Director: Catherine Hardwicke

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Producer: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey
Composer: Mychael Danna
Studio: New Line Cinema

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Catherine Hardwicke
    >
    Oscar Issac
    >
    Shohreh Aghdashloo
    >
1 - 4 of 4

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for The Nativity Story

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

True believers deserve better than this lazy lump of holiday coal.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
12/01/06
Connie Ogle
Connie Ogle
Miami Herald

Nativity Story is a thoughtful addition to the Christmas movie canon. It tries to locate the spiritual in the everyday, and it has an open, welcoming heart. You don't have to buy anyone's creed to know that that's good.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
12/01/06
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

For this viewer it felt a bit too much like a made-for-TV special.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
12/01/06
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

Catherine Hardwicke's original Christmas film is not the greatest story ever told. It is plodding, drab and boring.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
12/01/06
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

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

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
12/01/06
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

Don't expect a Caravaggio, but if your taste turns to Hallmark, this is a good bet -- a straight-up Nativity story as safe as death and taxes.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
12/01/06
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail

Not entirely disconnected from Hardwicke's previous work: It's the tale of an unwed pregnant teen whose parents worry about her getting stoned. The difference here is that the pregnant teen is a virgin, and we're talking about actual stones.

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
12/01/06
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Hardwicke and her cast and crew do remind us that the birth of Jesus is one of the most lyrical and emotionally resonant stories in all of religious literature.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
12/01/06
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

The Nativity Story is certainly not the greatest movie ever made. If anything, it's a competent but only sporadically interesting biblical tale.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
12/01/06
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

I'd call the results of Hardwicke's efforts mixed.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
12/01/06
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

The movie itself is not a miracle. But it's working with pretty good material.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
12/01/06
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post

For families looking for a Christmas outing, it should not disappoint.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
12/01/06
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin
Dallas Morning News

Despite some admirably realistic casting, this is a dutiful and traditional film. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Full Review Source: Contra Costa Times | comment Comment
12/01/06
Mary F. Pols
Mary F. Pols
Contra Costa Times

It’s a dreary, depressing slog until finally there's a tiny, tiny hint that the world could possibly contain joy, love and peace, instead of a wealth of evil.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
12/01/06
Bridget Byrne
Bridget Byrne
Boxoffice Magazine

A refreshingly unadorned example of straightforward storytelling.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
12/01/06
Bill Zwecker
Bill Zwecker
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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 Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
12/01/06
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

Stretching this biblical tale to 90-plus minutes requires a lot of padding.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
12/01/06
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

The pacing is so slow and the religious undertones so heavy that only Jesus himself could rise above the draining weight.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment 2 Comments
12/01/06
Tyler Hanley
Tyler Hanley
Palo Alto Weekly

Because Nativity is so traditional, it doesn't bring anything new to the table, but it does offer a beautifully shot and terrifically acted Bible story that should last for generations.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
12/01/06
Forrest Hartman
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal

The film has moving moments, but it's also timid and tentative.

Full Review Source: Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) | comment Comment
12/01/06
John Wirt
John Wirt
Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Nativity Story

November 29, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Mr. Skywalker and Ms. Storm in New Thriller
Only one new film ventures into wide release. Studios typically avoid opening worthwhile pics during the weekend after the Thanksgiving frame since moviegoing subsides and... More...

November 30, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Nativity" Is Too Safe; "Turistas" Not Worth Trip
This week at the movies, we've got a new take on the first Noel ("The Nativity Story," starring Keisha Castle-Hughes), endangered Americans in Brazil... More...

November 30, 2006: Box Office Guru Preview: "Nativity" Leads Trio of New Releases
The post-turkey blues will kick in as the North American box office should slump this weekend following a busy Thanksgiving holiday frame. More...

November 10, 2006: The Weekly Ketchup: "Borat" Great Success, A New Sarah Connor, "Transformers" Travails, And More!
In this week's Ketchup, "Borat" blows away the box office competition, a new Sarah Connor is set for the small screen "Terminator," and Shia LaBoeuf... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
67% 67% Public Enemies
75% 75% Julie & Julia
95% 95% The Cove
85% 85% World's Greatest Dad

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Exclusive: The World of Where the Wild Things Are
6
  • Peter Jackson Talks Hobbit, LotR Blu-ray Source: Collider.com
11
  • Woman Jailed for Filming New Moon Screening Source: Chicago Sun-Times
13
  • McG Has Plans for Fifth and Sixth Terminator Movies Source: Gizmodo
102
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
22
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
80
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
56
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
50
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
46
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
41
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
37
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
28
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: The Blind Side Takes the Lead
25
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Harry Potter, and more!
24
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
30
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Nativity Story at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Nativity Story at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.