the smartly marketed film adaptations of the same name had already known. Chiefly, that there exists a largely untapped market of evangelical Christians for whom entertainment can serve as an extension of their religious beliefs, or at least the foundation of such. Into this breach steps The Nativity Story, a placid pass at the titular birthing-of-Jesus tale penned by earnest screenwriter Mike Rich (The Rookie, Finding Forrester) and directed by the unlikely Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown). Despite the very religious roots of its narrative, The Nativity Story is actually equally pitched, tonally, to those who might typically enjoy secular tales of uplift and — that vague, longtime favorite of marketing sloganeers — “the human spirit.” For the full review, from FilmStew, click here.