An Advance showing of "The Nativity Story"

Garhett won a "family 4 pack" of tickets from the FISH to see the advance screening of the New Line Cinema's "The Nativity Story".

Our whole family trucked out to the Irvine Spectrum to see the movie tonight. We went to dinner at Red Robin first, then went to get our passes and enter the theatre - the PACKED theatre. Apparently when they do advance screenings they over sell the theater (to make it look full). So we had to sit separate (Ash & Dawn sat together and Garhett & I). Other than that, the experience was great.

The movie is definately worth seeing. Very little 'license' was taken. We found ourselves chuckling at the fact the movie opens with the same scripture Pastor Dave spoke on this past Sunday - of course the visual of Zachariah being struck mute was quite the opposite of the one Dave displayed at church - but the message was the same nonetheless.

What I really enjoyed about the movie is that there weren't any typical Hollywood types made up to look the part - these folks really made you feel the struggles that went on at the time. The cinematography was striking and the story was pretty spot on. Of course there are humorous parts. However, I was a bit dumbfounded at some of the parts people were laughing at - - they weren't meant to be funny - - yet our society found the truth of scripture humorous... hmmm... puzzling!

Yes, of course there were tears. I found myself wanting to stand on my seat and yell, "That's Jesus being born people. Savior, Lord, King of Kings! That's Jesus people". From that point on in the movie emotions were spewing all over the place... Joy, with the Magi presenting their gifts; Anger, with Herod thinking he could just end the prophecy; Frustration that no one would open their doors for pregnant Mary. Oh, this is a good movie. Everyone should see it.

View the trailer here.

OH, BTW - 24 fans.... The woman who plays Elizabeth is Shohreh Aghdashloo - of Dina Araz!