• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Phil Gons

Bible & Tech

  • About
  • Contact
  • Categories
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Deals
    • Exegesis
    • Meditations
    • Miscellany
    • Reviews
    • Technology
    • Theology
    • Videos
  • Resources
    • Bibliographies
    • Book Reviews
    • Files
    • Messages
    • Other Works
    • Publications
    • Union with Christ

The Nativity Story (2006)

December 28, 2007 by Phil Gons

The Nativity StoryI bought The Nativity Story for my parents for Christmas (along with Planet Earth and Blue Planet) and remembered that I had never posted about it here. Shanna and I watched it last spring when it first came out on DVD. It’s not fresh on my mind, so I can’t give a detailed review, but I do remember enough to know that I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

It was very faithful to the biblical accounts. While I wasn’t convinced that all of the ways they acted out the story were the best, those issues were minor and their interpretations were generally within the bounds of viable options. I was initially disappointed with how abruptly the movie came to an end, but then I remembered that it was a movie about Jesus’ birth, not His life. Though The Nativity Story isn’t my favorite biblical movie, it is one that I would recommend and will probably watch again.

Other Reviews:

  • Peter T. Chattaway’s review at ChristianityToday.com
  • Al Mohler’s review at AlbertMohler.com
  • David DiCerto’s review at CatholicNews.com
  • Dale Mason’s review at AnswersinGenesis.org
  • Steven Isaac’s review at PluggedinOnline.com

Share:

  • Tweet

Related

Filed Under: Reviews, Videos Tagged With: Christmas, Jesus

The New Logos

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tim Ashcraft says

    December 28, 2007 at 6:28 am

    I, too, thought the movie was good; not perfect, but very good. It struck me as being sensitive to the scriptural account, not going overboard with artistic license to fill out the details of the story. I would have changed a few things, mainly a chronological detail at the end to allow for the temple visit and Simeon’s prophecy before the flight into Egypt. They did a good job portraying Herod as paranoid and Joseph as righteous. The portrayal of the magi and the star were plausible and interesting. The portrayal of the birth was thrilling and the slaughter of the innocents tragic without being graphic. The soundtrack music was wonderful, combining renaissance-era melodies and chants with rhythmic music that might have been from first century Judea. It was a good mix of familiar and unfamiliar tunes to make it seem authentic and still be enjoyable for western viewers.

    I watched it when it first came out on DVD last spring and hadn’t seen it since until watching it with my wife as part of our Christmas week observance. I think I enjoyed it more the second time; maybe there’s just something about seeing it this time of year. I recommend it.

  2. Chris Anderson says

    December 28, 2007 at 10:47 am

    Hi, Phil.

    We watched it a few nights ago with my in-laws, and I enjoyed it. I thought it was reverent and generally accurate, and it made me consider facets of the account which I hadn’t heretofore: the difficulty of the journey, the ferocity of Herod and the slaying of the innocents, the suffering of the Jews, the embarrassment of both Mary and Joseph, etc. It took the star to be essentially a natural phenomena vs. a miraculous guide, and it had some unfortunate omissions, including the “Glory to God in the highest” of the angels and the divine warning of the Magi to depart another way (which the movie presented more as a “hunch” on their part). Generally, though, I was pleased.

  3. Samuel Sutter says

    December 28, 2007 at 11:21 pm

    once you’ve gone “Hollywood”… it’s hard to go back.

  4. Phil Gons says

    December 29, 2007 at 12:07 am

    Thanks for sharing your two cents, Chris. You’re right that seeing things often have a greater effect than simply reading them. I remember being deeply moved at the scene when Jesus was born. I was struck in a fresh way with the realization that God become a human! I agree that they could have done better in some ways, but generally it was better than I expected.

Footer

Popular Posts

  • One God in Three Persons: Unity of Essence, Distinction of Persons, Implications for Life
  • Rob Bell and Andrew Wilson Discuss Homosexuality and the Bible
  • Did John Use Bad Grammar to Teach the Holy Spirit’s Personality?
  • Free Download of R. C. Sproul’s The Truth of the Cross
  • The Doctrine of the Trinity in Five Theses
  • Warfield, Vos, and Van Til: Is God One Person?
  • John Murray on Union with Christ
  • Is Google Keep Better Than Evernote?
  • The Best Google Reader Replacement

About Me

I’m a Christ-follower and the Chief Product Officer at Logos. I’m happily married to my best friend and the father of five wonderful children. I enjoy studying the Bible and playing outside with my kids. More about me . . .

Subscribe

Receive posts via email

Join 3,932 other subscribers

Random Posts

  • Resources on the Doctrine of Union with Christ
  • RapidShare
  • My First Attempt at Building a Computer
  • Packer on the History and Theology of the Puritans
  • Writing Standards for the Web
  • Theo-Logic by Hans Urs von Balthasar for $27
  • Moulton on 1 Corinthians 15:28
  • The Pronunciation of “Propitiation”: The Mystery Solved
  • 16 Tips to Raise Kids Who Love to Read

Copyright © 2025 · Infinity Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in