Nativity musical has humor, faith, hope; some peril.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
King Herod is a murderous leader who orders a strict census, has people arrested and tortured, and threatens others with weapons (blades, swords). Herod orders his son to find and eliminate the unwed pregnant woman carrying the prophesied baby (even if that means killing every pregnant woman and newborn in Bethlehem). Herod's soldiers are about to arrest Mary and Joseph (and baby Jesus) until Antipater protects them. Joseph and Mary must hide under the hay of a barn. Joseph's conflict about what to do about his possible marriage is represented by a vision of two versions of him who fight each other. The donkey pushes a couple of people out of Mary's way. A woman humorously slaps a man with a bouquet of flowers.
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Joseph and Mary hold hands, embrace, kiss on the cheek, and, in one scene, briefly kiss on the lips. Flirting. Oblique references to virginity and what it means if Mary is "with child" out of wedlock and lying about the circumstances. Both Mary and Joseph's families feel worried, shamed, and distrustful at first after Mary's news.
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Jokey reference to a donkey's other name ("ass"). Bathroom humor: One of the wise men mentions "sheep dung" several times and later says he's having "hygiene" problems.
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The movie's messages are rooted in Christian faith and are mostly about believing in and following God's plan and focusing on the Nativity story and Jesus' birth as the reason to celebrate Christmas. There are also general themes about compassion, empathy, teamwork, and perseverance.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Mary is brave, compassionate, and willing to have faith in God and her pregnancy. Joseph is understandably conflicted about the news of Mary's pregnancy but is ultimately faithful to her, their engagement, and his place by her side. The three wise men come from different places and backgrounds but work together to follow the star to Bethlehem. The Romans and Rome-supported Herod are represented as a negative force.
Diverse Representations
very little
Ancient Middle Eastern people are portrayed mostly by White European and American actors. Only a few characters are played by people of color: two of the wise men and one of Mary's sisters. Mary and other women (her sisters, mother, cousin Elizabeth) all have more agency and opinions than is usually shown in depictions of women from the ancient era.
The movie is educational in mostly faith-based ways, retelling the story of the Nativity. In secular ways, the movie shows aspects of the historical era, including Herod's reign, how people of the time dressed and lived.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Journey to Bethlehem is a musical retelling of the biblical story of Jesus' birth. Combining classic Christmas songs and original modern pop fare, the film weaves together the perspectives of brave young Mary (Fiona Palomo); her compassionate betrothed, Joseph (Milo Manheim); the jealous and vindictive King Herod (Antonio Banderas); and Herod's conflicted son, Antipater (Joel Smallbone). There's some peril and violence, as well as brief moments of shame, betrayal, and confusion over Mary's pregnancy. Joseph and Mary flirt, hold hands, embrace, kiss on the cheek, and, in one scene, briefly kiss on the lips. In one musical number, two versions of Joseph fight each other. Herod instructs his son to track down all the pregnant women and newborn babies in Bethlehem and kill them if he can't find the prophesied future king. Herod's soldiers threaten and arrest citizens, and he's known to torture them. The king also drinks wine, and there's a jokey reference to a donkey's other name ("ass"). While the movie has themes of compassion, empathy, teamwork, and perseverance, it falls a bit short on the representation front, with ancient Middle Eastern people largely portrayed by White European and American actors. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Hollywood got it wrong once again! (go figure)
This film IS NOT something you want to go see, let alone take children to, please don’t!
Warning: It’s a musical….nuff said! 🙄
Oh, and it tries to come across as a comedy as well! I personally didn’t think any of it was funny! Borderline Blasphemy in my opinion. We should of walked out in the beginning (We actually thought about it) but wanted to get a clear picture as to warn others.
Hollywood portrays Mary as a defiant, head strong, whiney, rebellious and disrespectful little girl who doesn’t want to get married.
The Bible portrays her as the opposite.
Hollywood portrays Joseph as a young, out of work dreamer who is a bit of a womanizer even though he was betrothed to Mary, but the Bible calls him an older and just man. Joseph calls himself an inventor but the Bible says he’s a Carpenter.
Hollywood portrayed Joseph as the weaker one of the two and Mary as the stronger one, Joseph even cooked a meal and Mary said he could do it all the time, Jewish tradition would never allow that. The Hollywood agenda of degrading men lives on!
Hollywood portrayed them both as children ruled by their parents and when Mary was pregnant her father basically told her to leave.
The Bible says Mary went to her Cousin Elizabeth and returned to Joseph 3 months later. Hollywood had a confused Joseph come running to Mary begging for her forgiveness for not coming with her and believing her in the first place that she was with child yet still a virgin.
Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel according to the Bible but Hollywood made Gabriel a bumbling, clumsy fool with glowing green eyes that talks to himself.
The Bible says Gabriel visited Joseph to tell him to go to Mary but Hollywood had Joseph fighting his self with a good guy (dressed In white) and a bad guy (dressed in black) routine, singing a song dancing around with Roman soldiers!
Hollywood had the wise men portrayed by fools constantly arguing with themselves instead of Wise Kings.
Hollywood had the 3 wise men on a journey to find Mary, Joseph and Jesus and had them with Jesus the night of his birth.
The Bible clearly states that the wise men showed up when Jesus was approximately 2 years of age. (Yes, every single manger scene with wise men in them is wrong)
The Bible says an angel appeared to the Shepards to announce the arrival of Jesus birth, but Hollywood decided to toss in the 3 wise men as well! 🙄
Hollywood portrayed Herod as a bumbling fool that was seemingly worried his son would take his crown. The Bible doesn’t mention a son in the 4 Gospels.
Hollywood had Herod’s son looking for Jesus and actually finding him, only to let him go in an act of defiance against his father King Herod and also the fact that Mary insisted he let them go. It was implied that Herod’s son might of turned into a believer, but that’s doubtful. Also: they had Herod’s son warn Joseph and Mary about Herod when the Bible clearly says it was an Angel that warned them.
The Bible says that Herod had all infants 2 years and younger killed in hopes one of them would be Jesus. Hollywood had Herod’s son try to stop him.
There are numerous more things that Hollywood got wrong but that’s typical of these types of movies. My fear is that some people will accept this as truth without ever really knowing the truth.
Every single song in the movie were new scores that if you actually looked at the words I’m sure you could pick apart the “theology” (for lack of a better word) in them.
This movie IS NOT about the Greatest Story Ever Told, it’s about Hollywood pushing the Hollywood agenda and making money in doing so. God is not glorified in this movie at all.
Bottom line:
Biblical Truth - 0 out of 5 popcorn bags.
Comedic Relief - 0 out of 5 popcorn bags.
Musical Score - 0 out of 5 popcorn bags.
Value - 0 out of 5 popcorn bags.
This movie is not a holy depiction of the Holy Family!!! It is offensive to Catholics. It portrays Our Lady as selfish and St. Joseph as a man that would try to pick up a woman after he was betrothed! Our family of 9 left the theater in disbelief after the betrothal scene (20 minutes after the start)! I am so surprised that the makers of this movie did not consider the beliefs of fellow Christians like Catholics. This further divides the Church! I am sure that was not their intent, but if you practice your Catholic faith, you will be deeply offended at how they betray Our Lady and St. Joseph! I do not recommend this for anyone at any age!
What's the Story?
JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM is a musical that tells the story of teen Nazarene Mary (Fiona Palomo), whose family informs her that she's been betrothed. Before she meets her intended, she crosses paths and flirts with a young man in the market. He turns out to be Joseph (Milo Manheim), the man to whom she's been engaged. But before their wedding, Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel (Lacrea), who informs her that she's been blessed with a miraculous pregnancy and that her unborn child will be the son of God. Naturally, this causes a stir, as Joseph must decide whether to continue with the marriage plans or shun her. Meanwhile, King Herod (Antonio Banderas), spurred by visions and news from the three wise men -- Melchior (Omid Djalili), Gaspar (Rizwan Manji), and Balthazar (Geno Segers) -- in search of a baby who will become king of the Jews, decides to take a census to find any pregnant woman or newborn boy who might threaten his reign. Herod commands his son, Antipater (Joel Smallbone), to track down the mystery mother and newborn. As a pregnant Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem for the census, they face obstacles but are secure in the miracle that's about to unfold.
This is a heartfelt, charming musical twist on the classic nativity story. Director/co-writer Adam Anders (Glee, Rock of Ages) blends traditional Christmas music (like "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel") with new songs to retell the familiar story of the Nativity. The result is part coming-of-age tale (Mary and Joseph), part comedic buddy road trip (the three wise men), and part dynastic family drama (King Herod and Antipater). Palomo and Manheim are dynamic young performers, and Banderas' scenery-chewing portrayal is outsized but manages not to tip too far into camp. Contemporary Christian singer Smallbone is also notable as Antipater, and the three wise men are useful comic relief amid the otherwise more serious proceedings. The ensemble also includes other Christian singers, including Moriah (who's also Smallbone's wife) and Grammy-winning rapper Lacrea, who stands out as the angel Gabriel. There's even a trusty donkey named Fig that doesn't speak but is sure to delight younger viewers.
The musical works well as a pop counterpoint to the rock-opera musical Jesus Christ Superstar, which focuses on Jesus' ministry and death. The songs are earnest and catchy, ranging from upbeat to pensive to funny. And renowned Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman teamed up with We the Kingdom for the end-credits song, "Brand New Life." But this isn't just for families of faith: Journey to Bethlehem is a surprisingly effective musical that should appeal to all families who appreciate holiday movies.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Journey to Bethlehem and how the movie's musical elements are used to present the Nativity story. Can you think of other musicals that deal with Bible stories?
How does viewing the story of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus' birth through music impact your connection to the story?
How realistic do you think the movie's portrayal of biblical times is? Which performance(s) stood out most?
Mary, Joseph, Herod, and Antipater each have moments of self-reflection. What do they each learn about themselves, and how do they respond to the extraordinary circumstances they're in?
Do you think this movie is aimed only at Christians, or can other audiences still enjoy the film? Why, or why not?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
