IGN.com|AskMen.com|Rotten Tomatoes|GameSpy|FilePlanet|TeamXbox|CheatsCodesGuides|GameStats|Direct2Drive
RottenTomatoes.com
Register | Log In | What is RT?
Home Movies DVD Celebrities News Critics Trailers & Pictures The Vine Forums
Box Office | Best Of | Certified Fresh | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
 
Movies / On DVD / The Nativity Story
The Nativity Story

Rate This Movie

Write a Review
See Pictures
Share This Movie
Add to List
Buy Poster

Bookmark and Share

The Nativity Story (2006)

39%
43%
59%
N/A
N/A
N/A
39 %
Reviews Counted: 123 Fresh: 48  Rotten:75 Average Rating: 5.4/10
 
Consensus: The Nativity Story is a dull retelling of a well-worn tale with the look and feel of a high-school production.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Rated: PG

Runtime: 2 hrs 41 mins

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 Nativity Story chronicles the arduous journey of two people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous... 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]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ciaran Hinds, Alexander Siddig, Shaun Toub

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Producer: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey
Composer: Mychael Danna

DVD Info

Release:

Aug 3, 2008

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Full Frame & Widescreen - 2.35

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English
  • Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo - English
  • Subtitles - English, Spanish

Additional Release Material:

  • Theatrical Trailer

Reviews

 
T-Meter Critics
 
 
Top Critics
 
 
RT Community
 
 
My Critics
 
 
My Friends
 
 
DVD
 
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By: Name | Fresh | Rotten | Date | Source
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/02/07
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3/5

Catherine Hardwicke (Lords of Dogtown, Thirteen) may seem like an unusual choice for a Biblical epic, but she proves an inspired choice, choosing to focus on the authenticity of the story, primarily through Mary.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
4/5

With a fresh approach to the birth of Jesus, Hardwicke (Thirteen) tells the biblical story with energy and spark, adding layers of meaning that give the film a bit of a kick.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/30/06
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
2/5

Surprisingly sedate telling of the rather well-known tale from Catherine Hardwicke.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/29/06
Ian Freer
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
N/A

If nothing else, it is refreshing to see a Christmas movie that actually has something to do with Christmas!

Full Review | comment Comment
07/10/07
Felix Gonzalez Jr.
DVD Review
Ratings Image
N/A

Of course there is nothing inherently wrong with preaching to the converted -- secular Hollywood does it all the time. But I confess I wish the movie had some of the passion of The Passion of the Christ.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/09/07
Tom Charity
CNN.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
N/A

A perfectly good cast is undone by a mish-mash of thick accents that are at moments impenetrable.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/01/07
Frank Lovece
Film Journal International
Ratings Image
1/6

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
02/03/07
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out New York
Ratings Image
C

In essence, the film is exactly what one comes to expect in the telling of the story. Hardwicke brings absolutely nothing to the table, except for a colorless palette. The actors struggle to invest what are essentially plaster saints with some verve, but

Full Review | comment Comment
01/11/07
Ted Murphy
Murphy's Movie Reviews
Ratings Image
2/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
7/10

The road to Bethlehem is long and hard in this dramatization of the birth of Jesus.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/22/06
Jeff Otto
cinemaobsession.com
Ratings Image
2.5/4

may well be the greatest story ever told, but it leaves a lot to be desired on a purely cinematic level.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/17/06
Sean McBride
Sean the Movie Guy
Ratings Image
2/5

El Nacimiento es el equivalente cinematográfico de una tarjeta postal de Navidad, o de un inocente pesebre viviente. Es tan prolija como fría e impersonal.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/13/06
Enrique Buchichio
Uruguay Total
Ratings Image
2/5

They've made a lovely, respectful movie... but it's a Biblical snooze.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/11/06
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
2/4

For a film about the birth of Jesus, there's nothing particularly joyous or inspiring - just dull, disinteresting details that too strongly disconnect from the human frailty and folly that is hinted at in the story.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/08/06
Nick Rogers
State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)
Ratings Image
C

Perhaps this disappointing movie will inspire an up-and-coming filmmaker to sense the true potential of this story, and to deliver the first great film about the nativity.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/07/06
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer
Ratings Image
C+

Just about as perfunctory and old-fashioned as can be.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/06/06
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
See More Topics...

Related Forums

good
by: plajsnip06 1/4


good
by: plajsnip06 1/4


laraemeadows
A white baby Jesus? And it was so good until then.
by: laraemeadows 5/27/07


The Nativity Story Poster
by: The Offbeat Regular 2/12/07


Music The Nativity Story
by: QuestionsfortheWorld 1/5/07
all

Pictures

See More Movie Pictures
Play All

Trailers & Clips

  • >
    Trailer
  • >
    Catherine Hardwicke
  • >
    Oscar Issac
  • >
    Shohreh Aghdashloo
1 of 4
See More Movie Trailers and Clips
all

News

Box Office Guru Preview: Mr. Skywalker and Ms. Storm in New Thriller
posted by Gitesh Pandya November 29, 2007
Only one new film ventures into wide release. Studios typically avoid opening worthwhile pics during the weekend...


Critical Consensus: "Nativity" Is Too Safe; "Turistas" Not Worth Trip
posted by Tim Ryan November 30, 2006
This week at the movies, we've got a new take on the first Noel ("The Nativity Story," starring Keisha...


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


The Weekly Ketchup: "Borat" Great Success, A New Sarah Connor, "Transformers" Travails, And More!
posted by Nick Hershey November 10, 2006
In this week's Ketchup, "Borat" blows away the box office competition, a new Sarah Connor is set for the...

Around the Network

• The Nativity Story at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Nativity Story at IGN
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter

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


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 1998-2008, 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.