Journey to Bethlehem: A lively but lighter musical take on the Nativity story

Do music, dancing, humor, and Gospel stories mix on the big screen? Godspell provided a touching and entertaining take on the Gospel of St. Matthew, assuming one could get past the modern but sparse sets, hippyesque clothing, and the image of Jesus as a clownlike figure in a Superman shirt. Jesus Christ Superstar turned the Christ story into a rock opera, which either hit or missed with viewers. The Star, an animated nonmusical offering from 2017, managed to use humor fairly effectively and still get the heart of the story right.

Enter Journey to Bethlehem, a live-action musical now in theaters that takes viewers from Mary’s pre-Annunciation home life to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. It’s lively, well-staged, and well-acted, with song-and-dance sequences ranging in style from typical musical theater to praise-and-worship and even a touch of R&B. There are liberties and embellishments that stray from the Gospel narratives, but that’s only to be expected when Hollywood does the Bible. Overall, it’s a solid presentation worth viewing.

That’s not to say it couldn’t have been better. Mary comes off as a slightly rebellious daughter with something of a feminist streak; Joseph seems a bit of a doofus, at least in the beginning stages of their relationship. The script entirely omits even a decent paraphrase of Mary’s acceptance of God’s will at the Annunciation, Elizabeth’s greeting at the Visitation, and Mary’s Magnificat. The attempts at humor, while often successful, sometimes come off as irreverent parody, as in Gabriel’s fumbling with words before his greeting to Mary. And as always, some of the elements “added” to the scriptural accounts appear contrived. (Text during the outro ahead of the closing credits acknowledges that the film takes liberties with the Gospel narratives and subtly asks for viewer understanding.)

Despite its imperfections, there is much to enjoy in Journey to Bethlehem. And it is safe for viewing with the entire family — a rarity among new releases these days that is worthy of appreciation.