Joy of Christmas

“With the release of ‘The Nativity Story,’ Hollywood is finally putting Jesus Christ back into Christmas,” Dr. Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, said. The film, which has been called a prequel to “The Passion of the Christ,” heads to more than 3,000 of the nation’s movie theaters on Dec. 1. [The Nativity Story - A Novel]

“Hollywood has recognized there’s a gigantic part of the population that goes to church each week,” Baehr said. “Go see ‘The Nativity Story’ and tell your family and friends to do the same.”

From New Line Cinema, “The Nativity Story” has been called the best movie about the birth of Jesus since nativity movies were first produced in the 1890s. The movie tells the story of the birth of Jesus “in a compelling, captivating, entertaining and inspiring matter that shatters expectations,” according to Baehr, who has reviewed the film. “ ‘The Nativity Story’ is refreshingly dramatic, so much so that the movie will elicit tears at points,” he wrote.

Baehr, a renowned critic, educator, lecturer and media pundit, is the founder and publisher of Movieguide (www.movieguide.org).

Baehr’s assessment of changes in Hollywood track with similar trends in America. After years of “holidays” being used to describe the Christmas season, some cracks in the politically correct dam have begun to open, as retailers like Wal-Mart, Kohl’s Corp. and Macy’s are beginning to use the term “Merry Christmas.”

The movie responds to mounting criticism from religious groups that staged boycotts against Wal-Mart and other merchants after they eliminated or de-emphasized “Christmas” in their advertising.

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