Journey to Bethlehem

I am a huge fan of musicals. I grew up listening to and watching classics from the past, such as “The Sound of Music,” then graduated to Broadway shows as a teenager… and “Journey to Bethlehem” fits squarely into the latter category, with its catchy songs, likable characters, and meaningful character arcs. It’s a film made more for unbelievers who might use this story to launch their interest in faith than purely for Christian audiences, but as a believer and a musical fan, I enjoyed it.

When a star appears in the heavens, the three wise men rouse themselves to travel to Judea in search of a prophesied future king, to be born of a humble virgin. As they make their way hundreds of miles, the audience is transported to meet Mary (Fiona Palamo), a hopeful would-be teacher who is disappointed to learn her father has chosen a husband for her, a man she has never met named Joseph (Milo Manheim), who has just moved to Nazareth from the little town of Bethlehem. After an adorable cute meet between them, the two hit it off on the wrong foot at their betrothal ceremony, but decide to try and make their marriage work, for the sake of their families (and, let’s face it, they like each other).

Then an angel appears to Mary in the middle of the night and tells her she has been chosen to carry the future Messiah. People don’t believe her when she tells them this, and Joseph feels torn over what to do about it, to reject her quietly or marry her anyway to provide a home and protection for her unborn child.

While he deliberates on this, King Herod (Antonio Banderas) suffers from sleepless nights and nightmares that coincide with the return of his eldest son, Antipater (Joel Smallbone). And when he learns they may be tied to a future king about to be born in his realm… well, he smirks at the wise men, they should find this baby so all four kings can worship him together.

Making a successful musical is a whole different ball of wax than your typical film; music is a powerful medium that reaches into your soul, and you can express ten times as much character development in a three minute song than you can in an hour of dialog, and that’s what this film does best. Its terrific numbers show us the internal wrestling (sometimes literally) of its characters.

Mary has to ponder how she can be the mother of a divine child, when she feels as if she needs God to carry her instead. Joseph goes to battle against his own doubts, as he argues back and forth over whether to believe in her incredible story. And Antipater has perhaps the most profound, touching song, as he deliberates within himself whether having his father’s blood in him condemns him to be evil, or if he has a choice. (This song also speaks to every child who has ever tried to please a father who did not deserve their admiration.)

There are other songs as well, some of them preppy and fun (the initial “get married” song, and the “Three Wise Guys”), and others more serious and contemplative; Banderas’ number tells you in two minutes that Herod is a psychopath and a narcissist, who thinks he is God (“Mine is the power… Mine is the glory…”).

All of the music is so catchy, I’ve been replaying it and singing it ever since seeing the film (which I watched twice in twenty-four hours, I enjoyed it so much).

The production is top-notch; the director/producer said a lot of prayer went into each day of filming, and he felt a spiritual pushback that made the entire process challenging but also deepened his own faith.

An array of talent is involved, with incredible singing voices, but the standout performances belong to Palomo and Manheim as the charismatic young couple at the center of the drama, and Banderas, who smirks and simpers and glowers his way through a prime role as King Herod. You can tell how much fun he had being deranged.

The costumes are all lovely, and it’s a colorful experience from start to finish, with bits of humor thrown into the mix. I’ve seen it compared to a “Christian version of The Greatest Showman” and there’s some truth to that, in its larger-than-life approach to storytelling.

Issues of Concern

But this movie doesn’t come without some caveats; where is the problem with it, from a believer’s perspective rather than just as a musical fan? It’s not Scripture and doesn’t try to be. The characters are modernized and given arcs to overcome; Mary wants a career rather than a husband at first, but becomes wholly devoted to taking care of this child. She is a strong female who reminds Joseph he was also “Chosen” for this task, giving him the courage to step up and protect her when it counts.

Things are left out that could have been included (I expected Elizabeth to give some sign that “her child leapt within her womb” when Mary approached).

It deviates from Scripture in omitting certain conversations and details, and rearranging other events. It adds humor (Gabriel practices his speech before he wakes Mary, and even bonks his head into a low beam, to show he isn’t used to having a human-like form) and uses the three wise men as comic relief. They are not as funny as the script tries to make them be, and at times their dialog is cringe.

It’s not a reverent take on these events, but a “musical” take, which means a lot of comedy, romance, and angst. Beyond that, the ending is a little contrived (I can think of a better way to do it, but given the history of Antipater, I know why they made the creative choices they did, and it makes it bittersweet if you know anything about what happened to him later).

I saw it with three other people over the Christmas holidays; one of them felt concerned that it deviated so much from scripture, and wished it had not made so many changes, but the rest of us enjoyed it.

It’s a film to make up your own mind about, based on what you feel comfortable with and what is appropriate for your personal faith. If you do not like anything “added to or taken away from” the nativity story, this isn’t the movie for you; but if you are looking for a musical with songs that stick in your head for days as an escape from most of the filth Hollywood churns out these days, or a film to share with your unbeliever friends that might pique their interest in the greatest story ever told, give it a chance.

• Violence: Minor
• Drugs/Alcohol: Minor
• Wokeism: Mild
• Profane language: None
• Vulgar/Crude language: None
• Nudity: None
• Sex: None
• Occult: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

• Positive
• Neutral
• Negative