Of course there is nothing inherently wrong with preaching to the converted -- secular Hollywood does it all the time. But I confess I wish the movie had some of the passion of The Passion of the Christ.

We just haven't had too many films that concentrate on this story.

...a filmed Sunday-school lesson that favors a dry, by-the-Book approach over even a suggestion of dramatic interpretation. It's more Christmas pageant than movie.

At a time where embarrassments like “Deck the Halls” and “Christmas with the Kranks” insult our intelligence, “The Nativity Story” comes along to give us a much-needed reality check and refresher course in why we celebrate the event in the first place.