KANSAS CITY – With October barely in the books, Sony’s Affirm Films jumpstarted this year’s Christmas season with the release of “Journey to Bethlehem” on Nov. 10.
Adam Anders – executive music producer for the comedy show, “Glee” – makes his directing debut with “Journey to Bethlehem,” which bills itself as an epic Christmas musical full of “humor, faith, and new pop songs.” On its website, the film claims to be a “unique new entry in the collection of holiday classic movies.”
Like most nativity films, the story of “Journey to Bethlehem” follows Mary (Fiona Palomo) and Joseph (Milo Manheim) and the struggles they had to overcome in becoming the human parents of the Son of God. Key elements of the biblical narrative provide the story’s framework: Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, the wise men’s journey from the East, Herod’s search for the child, and Jesus’ humble crib – a manger.
However, unlike most nativity films, the story unfolds as a lively musical, sprinkled with peppy tunes, catchy (cringey?) lyrics, and dazzling choreography. While set over 2,000 years in the past, Anders adds a modern flare, incorporating elements of pop music and contemporary humor to keep today’s audiences entertained.
I won’t deny that the concept of a nativity movie-musical is intriguing. Music has a way of enhancing the movie experience by providing an additional dimension of emotional depth. What’s more, the song and dance numbers that characterize musical productions are notoriously catchy, creating unique possibilities for retelling biblical stories in a memorable way. (In the theater, I overheard two men comparing the new release to plays by Sight & Sound Theatres, whose biblical productions have attracted thousands to Lancaster, Pa. and Branson, Mo.).
Indeed, this seemed to be Anders’ purpose – to go where no Christmas movie had gone before, while maintaining the integrity of the biblical narrative.
No Scriptures ‘harmed in the making’
Anders took to social media days before the movie’s release, posting clips from a conversation with Bryan Loritts, executive pastor of teaching and development at The Summit Church in North Carolina. The director captioned the post: “No Scriptures were harmed in the making! Thank you, Pastor Bryan Loritts for a beautiful discussion on faith, love, and my new film.”
Anders hits all the main points we’ve come to expect in a retelling of the Christmas story. The truth is that most of these are traditional elements of the Christmas story because they are clear in the scriptural narrative. But the nativity accounts of Matthew and Luke skip over many details, focusing more closely on the promised Messiah.
In “Journey to Bethlehem,” Anders takes great liberty in filling in those details for us.
Anders’ conversation with Loritts seems to indicate that, while “Journey to Bethlehem” draws much of its inspiration from Scripture, its own story arc is merely parallel, if not tangential.
“There’s not much on Joseph or Mary, frankly. I got a few verses in Matthew and then a few in Luke,” the Grammy-nominated producer explained. “What about the in-betweens? And that’s where I’ve lived in this film, in the in-betweens.”
Although creative license is part of what makes the movie entertaining, Anders’ license at times went beyond enhancing the nativity story, muddling the meaning of Christmas instead.
Disney and Donkeys
I was skeptical about Anders’ rendition as soon I read the short summary: “A young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown.”
Already, “Journey to Bethlehem” felt more like a magical love story than a historical narrative, but I bought tickets hoping that this was simply a marketing tactic. Five minutes into the film, I knew it wasn’t.
Following the film’s introduction, the first two songs – along with the surrounding plot – felt like they were pulled straight out of a Disney movie.
We learn that Mary, who has just been betrothed to Joseph, would rather fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher. In a scene reminiscent of “Belle” from Beauty and the Beast (2017), her friends sing and dance through town with her, trying to convince her that, “Mary, it’s good to marry.”
Just after, a classic meet-cute scene has an awkward Joseph flirting with Mary in the market, without knowing that she was his betrothed.
Even Anders’ depiction of Herod is fanciful, as the king (Antonio Banderas) sings raucously, “It’s good to be king!” accompanied by dancing centurions and his disenchanted son, Antipater (Joel Smallbone).
To make matters worse, the film is chalked full of cheesy humor, which distracts from the message of salvation through Christ. A nervous Gabriel (Lecrae) practices his spiel before waking Mary, the wise men banter and blunder in three-stooges fashion, and the young couple is protected along the way by their guardian-Donkey, Fig.
A Tale of Two Kings
With all of that said, there’s a pair of lines in the movie that I still can’t get over. Toward the beginning of the movie, Herod’s musical refrain – “Mine is the kingdom, mine is the power, mine is the glory forevermore” – made me squirm in my seat, and not just because of Banderas and Smallbone’s impressive harmony. For the rest of the movie, the dissonance of those words resounded through my head: Did Anders really misquote Matthew 6:13 for effect? Is he just going to leave it like that?
It sent chills down my spine when, upon seeing the Savior in a manger, one of the three kings corrected the record: “Thine is the kingdom, thine is the power, thine is the glory forevermore.”
If you can wade through the overpowering humor and see past the secondary storylines, “Journey to Bethlehem” does exalt Christ as the true King and Savior of the world. In his incarnation, he didn’t flaunt his power, as Banderas’ Herod does, but “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even to death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8, CSB).
In the hubbub of the Christmas season, may we look beyond all the entertainment, busyness, and traditions – and may we behold and believe in the sovereign Son of God.
Information about ‘Journey to Bethlehem’ can be found at www.journeytobethlehemmovie.com.