Analysis Of Nativity Story By Catherine Hardwicke

A Theological and Historical Endeavor into the “Nativity Story” The stars, the magi, the manger, and the savior; all necessary components of a complete Christmas celebration. However, theatrical elements, while adding emotionally stirring content, are almost continuously overused to create a popularized and inherently false doctrine. In another light, others would consider these elements capable of garnering an emotional response that, when based in historical truth, become the foundation for strong convictions. It is this tactful union of historicity and creativity that director Catherine Hardwicke uses in “The Nativity Story” to paint a unique theological picture of Jesus and the virgin birth that entices viewers to explore their theological

At the beginning of the movie, Mary is essentially engaged to Joseph which is a critical detail from the book of Matthew; a surprising detail, inserted by the movie, is Mary’s apparent unwillingness to marry Joseph. When she becomes pregnant, the angel of the Lord, Gabriel, appears to Mary and informs her that she will be carrying the son of God. Mary uses her encounter with an angel of God, a detail from the book of Luke, in an attempt to scare her fiancé, Joseph away. Joseph, only later, according to both the movie and to the book of Matthew, having received a dream from God, decides that he will endure the social scrutiny in order to support his fiancé. Regardless if Mary actually used her conception as a tool against her courtship is definitely up for historical questioning, but later in the movie, the filmmakers use it as a strengthening device in the young couple’s relationship. While this may not be in accordance with biblical truth, it gives viewers a sense of the cultural anomalies, such as arranged marriages, practiced during biblical times. It should also be noted that this scene, and many others, are also enhanced by emotional accounts based upon historical assumption that is used solely for enhancing the entertainment value of the movie. Adele Reinhartz addresses this idea and consequentially labels these types of additions as a mark of a “bio-pic” film (519). In other words, these films choose to stick to widely accepted historic events but “freely invent narrative, characters, and dialogue” to fit the agenda behind the film (Reinhartz 519). While the movie definitely dramatizes many aspects, it also pulls directly from scripture as an attempt keep the movie grounded in truth. By using scripture as a primary source