But they recognize that, as the still-uneasy relationship between evangelicals and Hollywood matures, Christian audiences may snub the film if they see it as a patronizing money-grab rather than a sincere effort to illuminate a beloved Bible story.įor that reason, New Line worked hard to gain evangelical street credibility. Can kids watch passion of the christ movie#The filmmakers hope The Nativity Story becomes the go-to movie for the holiday season. They represented the poorest of the poor, and what a remarkable gift from God these individuals received on that day. “I wanted to show that there were no bit parts. “We’re going to see a story that has a lot of layers and emotional depth a lot of times when the Nativity story is played, the Magi and shepherds are looked at as bit parts. “We’re going to see a side to a lot of these characters that maybe hasn’t been showcased much before,” Rich says. The story also delves into the minds and motivations of the Magi and shepherds. “All roads, from a storytelling standpoint, lead to that one moment on screen that shows what we put on our fireplace mantle every December,” Rich says. The Nativity Story, scheduled to release December 1, stars Academy Award-nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) as Mary and takes audiences inside Mary and Joseph’s journey of faith, culminating with the birth of Jesus. But will Christians like what Hollywood is offering? In the wake of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, which pulled in $610 million in worldwide box office receipts, Hollywood is rushing to make Christian-friendly movies. Maybe we’ll look back and say, ‘This is a miracle that this movie passed all thresholds to be made.'” … There is an element of it feeling like providence. “But every time there was an obstacle it got cleared. “When the studio read it in February and wanted to make it for December I said: ‘That won’t happen. “I’ve never had a project go this fast,” says Nativity producer Wyck Godfrey, whose producing credits include Daddy Day Care I, Robot and Behind Enemy Lines. New Line Cinema was more enthusiastic, buying Rich’s Nativity Story script within weeks of its completion in early 2006 and rushing it into production for release in December 2006-an almost unheard-of schedule for a major motion picture. Godspeed.’ There’s a natural inclination to wonder if you’ve bitten off more than you could chew.” The Passion of the Christ earlier that year had served as a trailblazer and opened doors for this kind of movie.”īut when he ran the idea by his pastor, “There was a bit of a raised eyebrow when I first told him I was going to pursue this particular story,” says Rich, laughing. “It struck me that the Nativity had always been presented as an event-based story and was rarely looked at as a character story,” says Rich, a member of Southwest Bible Church in Beaverton, Oregon. The author of The Rookie, Radio and Finding Forrester found inspiration on the covers of Time and Newsweek, which were trumpeting the “secrets” of the Nativity. In December 2004, screenwriter Mike Rich was restless to break out of writing sports-related films. It’s a gamble, but Hollywood is betting that Christians will flock to theaters to see this year’s most Bible-friendly film, The Nativity Story.
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