The Nativity Story

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The Nativity Story

PG

2006

1h 40m

Holiday

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

37%

Tomatometer

131 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Betrothed to much-older Joseph (Oscar Isaac), Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) must remain a maiden for one year, but she subsequently receives a visit from the angel Gabriel, who tells her of her destiny. When Joseph and now-heavily pregnant Mary journey to Bethlehem for the Roman census, they face a threat from King Herod, whose obsession with an ancient prophecy endangers soon-to-be-born Jesus.

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Critics Consensus

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

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Tom Charity

CNN.com

07/09/2007

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.

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Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

12/04/2006

We just haven't had too many films that concentrate on this story.

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Keith Phipps

AV Club

12/02/2006

C+

...a filmed Sunday-school lesson that favors a dry, by-the-Book approach over even a suggestion of dramatic interpretation. It's more Christmas pageant than movie.

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Michael Clark

Epoch Times

02/14/2024

3.5/5

At a time where embarrassments like “Deck the Halls” and “Christmas with the Kranks” insult our intelligence, “The Nativity Story” comes along to give us a much-needed reality check and refresher course in why we celebrate the event in the first place.

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

06/18/2019

[It] was all really moving and beautiful.

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Mattie Lucas

The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)

06/06/2019

2/4

There are times it comes across more like a Christmas pageant put on by the church down the street than a big-budget Hollywood production.

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Mitchell S

@Mitchstur Dec 25

It's not my favorite biblical movie, but the sets, acting, and of course real-life story make it a worthy Christmas movie.

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C S

@RT33826603 Dec 14

Truly enjoyed! Acting was good and story well done.

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Lewis F

@Lewis31407 Dec 11

A most wonderful telling of the old Christmas story. Not a complicated hard to understand movie without captions like the passion of the Christ, which is highly questionable among certain Protestant circles. But easy to follow just as the King James Bible. I am watching this beautiful movie now 2 weeks before Christmas 2025

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Nov 25

Success in 01 hour, 40 minutes, and 50 seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG for Some Violent Content!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $37,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Nicholas t

@nicktalbert2025 Sep 24

Terrible thing movie

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Lorrie B

@RT16797296 12/25/2024

It’s a simple, yet meaningful reminder of the story of the Nativity. There’s a beauty in the simplicity of the story in an age that focuses on violence, and the wow factor. This is an annual holiday tradition for our family.

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Catherine Hardwicke

Director

Keisha Castle-Hughes

Mary

Oscar Isaac

Joseph

Hiam Abbass

Anna

Shaun Toub

Joaquim

Ciarán Hinds

King Herod

Noel

28%

48%

Noel

Watchlist

Lovely, Still

73%

74%

Lovely, Still

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Believe

33%

69%

Believe

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TRAILER

for Believe

Noëlle

50%

59%

Noëlle

Watchlist

Martian Child

35%

72%

Martian Child

Watchlist

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Synopsis

Betrothed to much-older Joseph (Oscar Isaac), Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) must remain a maiden for one year, but she subsequently receives a visit from the angel Gabriel, who tells her of her destiny. When Joseph and now-heavily pregnant Mary journey to Bethlehem for the Roman census, they face a threat from King Herod, whose obsession with an ancient prophecy endangers soon-to-be-born Jesus.

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Producer: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey
Screenwriter: Mike Rich
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: PG (Some Violent Content)
Genre: Holiday, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 1, 2006, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.6M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)