Diana Jackson

It is not primarily a drama about the Christmas story. It is a collection of performances by contemporary Christian artists and monologues, interspersed with a brief dramatic recreation of the birth of Jesus and of Mary, years after Jesus’ death, dictating the Magnificat for Luke. The dialogue is awful (there is a five-minute conversation about whether Mary should get down from the donkey and walk) and the acting is mediocre at best. There were a number of historical inaccuracies, which for a program that bills itself as “authentic,” is surprising. Frankly, I find Linus’ speech in a Charlie Brown Christmas far more moving than this movie.