Christmas is a time filled with various movies that bring joy and warmth. From Santa Claus and his elves to magical creatures like Rudolph and Frosty, these films charm and delight us. There are also those that focus on family crises, such as "Home Alone" and "Christmas Vacation". These are wonderful films with heartwarming messages about the true meaning of Christmas.

Faith and Christmas

Christmas is not only about fun movies but also about the birth of Jesus Christ, one of the most important holy days in the Christian faith. There are many films about the birth of Christ, although faith-based films have often struggled to reach a wider audience. The most recent one is "Journey To Bethlehem", which was released theatrically in November 2023 and is now available on Netflix. It is a musical with newcomer Fiona Palomo as Mary and Antonio Banderas as Herod the Great. The film takes a humorous and goofy tone with bright and lively songs and over-the-top performances.

The Different Approach

This year, a new faith-based Christmas nativity movie called "Mary dropped on Netflix" was released. It tells a similar story to "Journey To Bethlehem" but takes a very different approach. Newcomer Noa Cohen stars as Mary, and Anthony Hopkins takes on the role of King Herod. Most of the cast is Israeli, with director D.J. Caruso emphasizing the importance of authenticity by selecting the cast from Israel. This decision led to some backlash on social media, but considering Mary and Joseph were Jewish, the choice makes perfect sense.In an age where authenticity is crucial, the controversy seems rather silly. The story follows Mary and her parents Anne and Joachim in Nazareth. Mary is presented at the temple and prepares for her marriage to Joseph. After the immaculate conception, she is forced into hiding. When Herod orders the Massacre of the Innocents, Mary and Joseph flee to Egypt.

The Trailer and Expectations

Here is the trailer: "Love will cost you dearly. It will pierce your heart. But in the end, love will save the world." Generally, faith-based films can be overly sweet in their messaging and have low budgets with overly ambitious plans. However, this movie looks promising. Anthony Hopkins is an exceptional actor, and you can feel his talent in just the trailer. It is easy to get caught up in the consumerism of the season, but Christmas movies, both secular and religious, remind us that there is more to this time than just shopping and presents. Whether "Mary" will be biblically accurate remains to be seen.

Other Suggestions

If you are looking for a third nativity movie this Christmas, check out "The Nativity Story" which stars a young Oscar Isaac before he became famous. Finally, the big hit faith-based movie of the year, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever", is set to make its streaming debut on December 10th for $24.99. There is no word yet on when or where it will be available for free streaming.