It’s not often that the story of Jesus’ birth gets any cinema time. The Nativity Film in 2006 was a serious take on Mary and Joseph’s perilous journey to Bethlehem to bring the Son of God into the world, so serious in fact that it was the first feature film to premiere at the Vatican. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Confetti director Debbie Isitt’s fun-filled family movie, Nativity!
The posters advertising the film’s release on November 27 show a gaggle of kids wearing brightly coloured clothing and cheeky grins so you could be forgiven for writing Nativity! off as a shallow comedy that’s only going to skirt around Christianity and no doubt take some cheap shots. But that would be a real pity, because amid all the hilarity Nativity! addresses some really worthwhile themes like redemption, reconciliation and hope against the backdrop of the story of Jesus’ birth.
Martin Freeman is wonderful as the angry, frustrated Mr Maddens who teaches at a not so special Roman Catholic primary school. He’s there not because he wants to be but because his acting career didn’t quite take off and souring his mood even further is his suppressed heartache over Jennifer (Ashley Jensen), the girlfriend who left him five Christmases ago for a new life in Hollywood. Not to mention the arrival of Mr Poppy (Marc Wootton) as his new classroom assistant, who is as much a kid as the real kids are.
When Maddens is asked to put on the school’s nativity play it brings to the surface a longstanding rivalry with Gordon Shakespeare (Jason Watkins), who produces the Christmas productions at the privileged Oakmoor School nearby and consistently wins five star reviews from the snobby local drama critic (Alan Carr). In a moment of frustration brought on by Mr Shakespeare’s boasting, Maddens lies to him that Jennifer is coming with a Hollywood crew to film his school’s production. He is overheard by Mr Poppy, who soon has the whole school and town buzzing with the news. Cue lots of adorable kids, sheep, donkeys, camels, singing, dancing and an angel abseiling off Coventry Cathedral.
