In a story of profound faith revered by much of humanity, one young woman struggles with the destiny for which she is chosen–to give birth to the Son of God and to become the object of salvation for billions of souls–a deeply moving journey told in A Nativity Story. The Academy Award-nominated star of Whale Rider, Keisha Castle-Hughes, portrays Mary, a young wife and soon-to-be mother upon whom a seemingly impossible burden will be placed. Over the two years before the birth of Jesus, as Mary realizes that she will bear a child fated to change the world, she discovers the inner strength, faith and grace that have earned her the veneration of billions of people for two thousand years.
“The Nativity Story” sticks to the familiar details of the narrative and dramatizes them with sincerity and good taste. There are no flights of actorly or cinematic bravura — though all of the performances are credible, and some better than that — and very few big, showy, epic gestures. Rather than trying to reinterpret or modernize a well-known, cherished story, the filmmakers have rendered it with a quiet, unassuming professionalism. Mary’s stubbornness (played by Keisha Castle-Hughes) and her honesty make her entirely believable, and the film’s most subtle and lively dramatic thread concerns her maturation from an ordinary Nazareth teenager into a wife and expectant mother. – New York Times
Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Issac, Hiam Abbass, Shaun Toub, Alexander Siddig.
You may also be interested in [Jesus of Nazareth (1977)](http://amzn.to/1XQFnqi) (TV Mini-Series) Franco Zeffirelli creates an unforgettable portrait in his legendary interpretation of the life of Jesus. James Mason, Anthony Quinn and Anne Bancroft are included in the all-star cast.