A Word of Caution about Journey to Bethlehem (2023)

Although on the surface it looks like an ever-rarer wholesome family film, Catholics should exercise prudence about taking the family to this movie on opening weekend

There’s a new Christmas film coming out next weekend (Friday, November 10) from Affirm Films: Journey to Bethlehem, a new retelling of the Nativity story. If you visit popular Catholic websites or listen to Catholic radio, you may have come across one of their advertisements. On the surface, it looks like a wholesome family Christmas movie, something that you can go see with your kids and extended family just in time for Thanksgiving. Lord knows that sort of movie is becoming a rare breed these days, so many Catholic families may be excited to have a fun holiday outing to see this film. However, after viewing the promotional material, including trailers, music, and movie scenes released online, I believe Catholics should be very cautious about supporting this film and Catholic parents especially should do some research and perhaps preview the film before taking their kids to see it.

*Disclaimer: I have not seen the full movie Journey to Bethlehem (2023). The opinions expressed in this piece were formed based on the promotional material put out by the studio before the film’s release. Catholics should look for Catholic reviews starting next weekend from people who have actually seen the film, including the one that will be posted on this blog, before making their final judgement about seeing it.*

There are several red flags that I see in the promotional materials for this film that should make Catholics think twice about seeing it and especially about taking the family.

First, Journey to Bethlehem does not seem to accurately portray the Blessed Virgin Mary. This film was created by and for Evangelical Protestants, who do not share many of our beliefs about Mary, including her Immaculate Conception and Perpetual Virginity. The Mary portrayed in their songs and trailers is flawed and perhaps even sinful. At the beginning of the film, she seems to be ambitious, quirky, and impatient with her cultural surroundings. She complains about the expectation that she get married and dreads “giving up her dreams” for the perceived drudgery of family life. She seems to have more akin with a 90s-era Disney princess than the patient and humble Theotokos (more on the Disney connection later). It would be a terrible tragedy if a young Catholic’s first memorable impression of the Blessed Virgin were to come from “Mary’s Getting Married” or “Can We Make This Work”.

Second, and building from that, Catholics will shudder at this depiction of the Holy Family, and especially the relationship between Mary and Joseph. The film indeed seems to be mostly a romantic comedy, with the “I-don’t-need-no-man” Mary slowly falling in love with a smitten Joseph. The have a couple of romantic love ballads together, suggesting a future romantic marital relationship completely contrary to Catholic teaching about Our Lady’s perpetual virginity and the chaste, celibate love shared by the Holy Family. The trailers stop short of actually showing Mary and Joseph kissing; I won’t know until I see it whether this restraint carries over into the film. St. Joseph’s character is as foreign to traditional Catholic sensibilities as Mary’s; he looks like a lovelorn clutz, a charming doofus with little of the strength, courage, and manliness inherent in the Joseph of ancient Christian tradition. The relationship between Mary and Joseph (and indeed, their characterization in general) seems more inspired by High School Musical than that long-standing and beautiful tradition.

Finally, Journey to Bethlehem continues the recent tradition of blurring the lines between the sacred and profane. For centuries, Christian art maintained strict boundaries for acceptable sacred art. The line between sacred and profane was very clear, and although the sacred could (and often did) cross over to sanctify the profane, Christian artists were very careful not to vulgarize the sacred. This tradition has lived on to this day in many circles; even Veggietales had strict rules against showing Jesus Christ as a cartoon vegetable. However, since the mid-twentieth century some American Christian and (sadly) even Catholic artists have been blurring the lines between sacred and profane almost to the point of non-existence, and this film seems to be a further encroachment of “pop culture” on the central mysteries of the Christian faith. The writer of this film is Peter Barsocchini, the same man who wrote all three High School Musical films for the Disney Channel; the director, Adam Anders, produced much of the music for the hit Fox TV show Glee. Their previous work does not necessarily preclude them from creating profound Christian art, but they do not seem to have changed their style from the bubblegum pop musicals they have worked on in the past. Those musicals have their place and can be quite enjoyable; however, this does not seem to be the proper medium to communicate the Greatest Story Ever Told. Telling the Nativity story by means of a pop musical waters down the mysteries of the faith and makes them frivolous, to say nothing of forcing Mary and Joseph into the romantic lead roles demanded by such stories.

Overall, I would strongly caution Catholics against blindly going into this film or taking their families without doing some research and considering whether it is compatible with a Catholic understanding of the Nativity. Exercise prudence, do some research, read some trusted Catholic reviews once the film comes out, and then make your decision. I don’t think it would be sinful to see it by any means, and I even think it’s probably going to be harmless for the well-catechized. However, we should be cautious about blindly supporting Protestant media purely out of Christian solidarity, and I think we should demand better Christian art especially when it touches on Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Do your research, exercise prudence, and look forward to our full review next week!