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Poster for The Nativity Story

The Nativity Story

Seen it?

2006 | 101 min | Drama

Weeknight Watch

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With middling reviews (37% on Rotten Tomatoes) and soft box office, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. If you loved The Apartment or The Lion in Winter, start here.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 41 min.
What might put you off
Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.

Mary and Joseph make the hard journey to Bethlehem for a blessed event in this retelling of the Nativity story. This meticulously researched and visually lush adaptation of the biblical tale follows the pair on their arduous path to their arrival in a small village, where they find shelter in a quiet manger and Jesus is born.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsBelow par

    37% on Rotten Tomatoes, 52 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.0 out of 10

  • AwardsWeak

    0 wins and 2 nominations from smaller awards and festivals

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $46 million worldwide on a $35 million budget

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 64K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke

  • Keisha Castle-HughesMary
  • Oscar IsaacJoseph
  • Hiam AbbassAnna
  • Shaun ToubJoachim
  • Ciarán HindsHerod
  • Shohreh AghdashlooElisabeth
  • Stanley TownsendZechariah
  • Alexander SiddigThe Angel Gabriel
  • Nadim SawalhaMelchior
  • Ériq EbouaneyBalthasar