Black Nativity (2013) Online

Going in I knew this was a movie with music and that's what it is, versus a "musical" like Les Miserables, where there's singing throughout opera-style.

The good

All the actors stand out and do their characterizations well. Especially Jennifer Hundson as Naima, the single mom raising a boy-child on her own without help and estranged from her parents. Especially Tyrese who really shows his gentle side as Tyson. His body and face marked with scars, he looks like a thug but has a worldly view as he tries to steer young Langston to the right side of life. Especially Forrest Whitaker who characterizes the Reverend Cobb. Stern, unyielding but with a soft side. Especially the music that soars and transforms the screen into a gospel show near the end. Director Kasi Lemmons ("Eve's Bayou") integrates stage show with movie set ala "Rent". The story of a young boy struggling to find answers and being pulled toward wrongful ways is simplified and strikes just the right tone with spirituality and religiousness.

The bad

Near the end the drama is laid on thick.

See it! This is the only "live" action musical of the year and while it is based on a little known play written by Langston Hughes, it's a triumphant interpretation on film.

I really would have given it a higher rating but I wasn't 100% crazy about all of the singing. I loved the story line and the cast was phenomenal. Overall everyone did a really good job with the acting and singing. So many of my favorites in one film is really a treat. I will be telling everyone I know about this movie.It should be watched by all who value family and faith. This situation plagues many minority homes. Holding on to the anger, hurt of misunderstandings for years when it can be fixed with communication, respect, honesty and forgiveness.I wasn't sure about whether it would be good in the beginning but very pleased I stuck it out and even got my hubby-to-be to watch it with me and he liked it also.

First things first, I have never read the play this film is based on, but with so many top quality actors in the movie, as well as a mix of newcomers to film, I was interested. Unfortunately though, in my mind I was picturing a Sister Act type movie in which well-known songs were given a gospel spin, like how the trailer uses As by Stevie Wonder, but all the songs in fact are original or inspired by Christmas songs. Thus, making Black Nativity an urban gospel musical, of which I sort wished I waited to, or didn't, see.

Characters & Story

The film stars Jacob Latimore as Langston Cobbs, a young man who is very much a momma's boy, but probably only because she seems to be all he has had for a long time. Said mother, Naima (played by Jennifer Hudson), is a single mother who faces financial struggles due to the city laying her off and, due to that, her home in foreclosure. So, with her being put out around Christmas, she sends her son off to her estranged parents: Reverend Cornell Cobbs (played by Forest Whitaker) and Angela Cobbs (played by Angela Bassett). On his way, he runs into a man named Tyson (played by Tyrese Gibson), a local hoodlum who, when Langston is at a fork in the road, presents the option of no return as opposed to the way of his grandparents.

As a whole though, the story is about the struggles that come from living. Be it struggling to pay bills, struggling to keep your family safe, and hopefully together, and how hope and faith are sometimes the only thing you may have during the quest to survive. So, needless to say, this film is heavy with the concept of faith, and especially Christianity.

Praise

When it comes to praise, I must admit I do find it slightly hard to find something concrete to compliment. When the movie first started, I liked the music, but as time goes on it gets more and more faith/ gospel sounding, and then I got turned off. And not necessarily because it was gospel sounding period, but it was the calm sounding gospel which doesn't kick your spirit in gear, but instead reminds you of the boring parts of going to church. Then, moving on to the church aspect, with Whitaker as a pastor, I wasn't feeling his performance, but what he said did get to me and had me wanting to shout an "Amen!" And raise up my hand in praise here and there. The last thing I found worth noting were the characters of Jo-Jo (played by Luke James) and Maria (played by Grace Gibson), who have a small role in the film, but from the little I saw, I felt there was an interesting story which unfortunately was left untold.

Criticism

And really, that is the key issue of this movie, you don't feel like anyone's story is truly told. In total, the film is 93 minutes and during that time outside of Naima's financial troubles and why she doesn't speak with her parents, nothing else got developed. We, as viewers, don't learn anything about anyone unless what they say deals with said conflicts. You see names like Mary J. Blige and Nas, but they seemingly are there solely to lend their name to the movie, and to do some verses. Neither are given characters, what so ever. Even the aforementioned Jo-Jo and Maria, all we learn is that they are homeless and Maria is pregnant. Why are they homeless? Well that isn't what the story is about, so unless it is time for them to sing, or to portray Mary and Joseph, they are put in the background.

The biggest travesty though is that this lack of development even extends to our leads. Langston is a boy who grew up in Baltimore, loves his mother dearly, and pretty much that is all that defines him. Naima is a woman who fell in love with a bad boy, had a son, escaped her parents and lives in Baltimore. Again, that is all we pretty much learn about her character. Then with Bassett's character, she never is anything more than the reverend's wife and Naima's mother.

But perhaps the biggest disappointment was Forest Whitaker. Now, I'll admit I was hoping for more from Bassett, but once we was told she was the preacher's wife, it was clear her role would be as a meek woman who did nothing but support the pastor. And unfortunately, while Whitaker may have his lines down, he does not have the soul to preach. To me, whoever wrote the sermon, or testimony, in the film, they had something on their heart that even Whitaker's sad performance couldn't dilute. Yet, at the same time, considering Whitaker's performance in The Butler and then for this to come out, it makes you wonder if his heart was in this film, or if he was just looking to keep his name out there?

Overall: Skip It

Black Nativity to me is a disappointment and suffers greatly from lack of character development, and having established actors and musicians who, I feel, were underutilized. That is why I say to skip it. Black Nativity feels like it was rushed so that it could be released during the holiday season. And overall the film, to me, will be a forgotten part of the filmography of all those involved and really, outside of a handful of the songs, so will the soundtrack be a forgotten part of the discography of the singers who lent their voices.

"Proof of God's grace is all around you, you just have to open your eyes." After struggling single mom Naima (Hudson) is faced with foreclosure and homelessness right before Christmas she decides to send her son Langston to live with his grandparents. Her father Reverend Cobbs (Whitaker) and his wife gladly take him in even though none of them know each other. Langston wants nothing more then to get back home to his mother and will do anything to make that happen. When a stranger offers to help his life is changed. Even though the cast for this movie is good I was not thrilled about watching this. After watching it my preconceptions were pretty much right on. It wasn't terrible but it was just so over-the-top cheesy that it made it a little hard to get into and enjoy. If this was a made-for-TV movie it would have been OK but the fact that this was a theater release really makes you wonder why this got that kind of distribution when there are so many other more deserving movies that don't get the wide release this one did. Overall, cheesy and nothing amazing. It is a Christmas movie though so that has to be taken into account. I give this a C+.

This is almost a musical, in several cases characters break out in song where we would normally expect dialog. But it isn't excessive and it works well.

I saw this on DVD, now I wish I had seen it during the Christmas season for its message. A teenage boy in Baltimore with an unavailable dad and a single mom unable to pay the bills. So he is sent to stay with his grandparents in New York (Harlem). His grandfather happens to be a charismatic preacher, but with issues of his own.

I became interested in seeing this for the superb cast, mostly actors I have seen and enjoyed in a number of roles. Forest Whitaker is the grandfather, Reverend Cornell Cobbs. His prize possession is a gold pocket watch with an inscription, a gift from MLK. The grandmother is Angela Bassett as Aretha Cobbs.

But my favorite is Jennifer Hudson as the single mom, pregnant at 15. Naima is working at a couple of jobs but needs to come up with $5000 to avoid eviction, and has no way to get it legally. Her acting is spot-on and her singing superb as always.

The 15-yr-old son is played well by 16-yr-old Jacob Latimore as Langston. The movie's title refers to a Christmastime Black Nativity presentation at grandpa's church. The ending and reconciliations work a bit too easily at the end, but the message of family and forgiveness is clear.

Good movie, better then its IMDb rating (4.0 right now) would indicate. But it has a religious theme so people who object to that will not like it.

SPOILERS: When Naimi became pregnant she became a family outcast, and the Reverend paid the dad $5000 to agree to never see her or the baby again. All this alienation ended up with Naimi in Baltimore and not speaking to her parents. At the end of the movie the Reverend confessed his "sin" to the whole congregation and his family, they forgave each other.

Very well told story based on the widely performed Langston Hughes play, Black Nativity. The music, acting and story captured me in a way I wouldn't have expected. I loved Jennifer Hudson's singing and Jacob Latimore's acting. He's one to watch in the future. And where did Grace Gibson come from? Fantastic acting from Forest Whitaker, Angela Basset and Mary Blige. The story line is intentionally unreal but beautifully matches the spirit of the season.

As an upper middle class white Jewish guy, with nothing directly in common with these characters, I was moved and completely absorbed by this movie. I'd recommend it for every one of all ages. Take your kids, you'll have something good to talk about.

For one I can't believe such racial titles and movies are even allowed these days. Secondly - the same cast/crew that did this movies past movies have bombed beyond belief so - WHY is everyone shocked?

This is certainly no surprise.

Let's actually take a moment to analyze this...

1) The obviously unnecessary racist title - REALLY guys? The very ones always stating "let the past go", etc is the ones who keep bringing it up and even throwing into the title of a movie - major shock there. Where's Asian Nativity, Caucasian Nativity? Oh that's right, that would be a law suit.

2)Casting - Jennifer Hudson? PUKE!!!! she can't even sing much less act. Mary J? SAME THING hahahaha she has what 2 good songs and trying to act? PUKE AGAIN!!!! and yeah the list goes on and on.

Just reason after reason for disaster on this abomination of a wannabe movie.

Great performances help to enhance this amazing story. After reading some of the negative reviews on here, I just have to say that some people really don't get it. I really wanted to like this film. A street-wise teen from Baltimore who has been raised by a single mother travels to New York City to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged relatives, where he embarks on a surprising and inspirational journey. My only problem with the film was the supporting cast. This is not a great movie, but the cinematography is bare. The only thing that keeps it afloat is the sensitivity of the relationships. So at the end of the day, I give it 7 out of 10.

What can I say of this wonderful piece of cinematic gold? I was hooked from the inaugural bundle of photons emitted from that silver screen which darted across the darkened theater, striking my rods and cones, stimulating my visual cortex into effervescent fits of orgiastic black biblical entertainment.

Not since Tyler Perry's latest classic have I witness such an incredible ensemble of all black Christian-rivisionism, which adheres in no way to Christian theological scholarship.

This film, I'm convinced, along with Tyler Perry's eschatological works, will forever be remembered as the uniting impetus which was portended in the great words of Malcolm X, "There can be no black-white unity until there is first some black unity."

TL;DR - Black science, black "christian" folk customs, tyler perry, malcolm x, fist.

What you see in this movie in terms of acting and character development matter so much less than the story and performances themselves. I think black audiences need movies like this; stories about a complete family, redemption, love and morals. Hollywood does not want black movies made with these ingredients. A good story with respected actors and good music without stereotypes or mellow drama. I think this was overlooked because it was a black cast made and swept under the rug because once people see it they want more stories like this. I watch it every time I catch it on BET.

Feel good movie I reckon - if you are into them and don't mind the dramatic depth ... well you are at the right place. The drama is there, but it really has no quality to it. I don't even bother to rate the quality of the acting, we know some of the people involved are very capable.

If anything that happens here surprises you ... well I almost envy you if this is the case. I don't think you have to have seen a lot of movies to see the direction this is heading. It's predictable to a T. I try to stay away from movies like this, but I did watch it to the "bitter" end. No pun intended and definitely no spoiler given there, not that it would matter

I think that this was well put together but it was not at all what i expected. A lot more singing and the story line could have been explored a bit more. It is sad when my wife who is not an avid movie goer is able to answer all the questions that should be discovered over the entirety of the movie.

Plus:

Great music and top notch singers and performers.Introduction to new artist coming on the scene.

Negative:

Movie never develops a rich story line in my opinion and some of the scenes were hard to follow.

overall:

Great movie for fellow music lovers it was like watching a long music video.

BLACK NATIVITY has a lot of singing. People sing in church, but they also sing on the sidewalk, they sing in the street, and they sing at the bus station. If this movie had scenes in public rest rooms, like many of today's films, someone surely would be singing in there, as well. This flick also jumps around a lot. It goes in and out of dreams, as people nod off in church. One minute Jennifer Hudson's character is in Baltimore; the next, she's in Harlem, with not so much as a clicking of Ruby Red Slippers to explain her transit. Every character here seems Gung Ho for public humiliation. Names are dropped, including Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ, and Langston Hughes, but plugs also are given for specific brands of money-getter guns. The folks in this flick would suffer fewer headaches in someone would drive a pick-up truck on a route everyday--like a newspaper delivery person--but hand out bundles of cash instead of papers. Maybe this sequel could be entitled BANK ACTIVITY.

A youngster is forced to spend Christmas with the grandparents he hardly knows with whom his mum had a massive fallout.

This particular youngster, is forced to grow prematurely and is not keen on leaving his mum when she is on the verge of homelessness. Upon arrival he is bewildered by the comfort in which his grandparents live, yet do not seem to help out his mother who is clearly in distress.

Between trying to figure things out, keen to help his mum even if it means stealing as well as adapting to life with grandparents, can brokenness be restored and will the Christmas spirit transcend human intentions?

Whilst it has plenty of emotion to convey, the musical aspect of it was not appreciated as well as the pander on stereotypes. Still, it suffices for a decent time on the big screen.

This is truly an inspirational film and a joy to watch.

Langston, played by Jacob Latimore, has to spend the Christmas holiday in New York City with his grandparents, Reverend Cornell Cobbs played by Forest Whitaker and Aretha Cobbs played by Angela Bassett, who he doesn't really know. While there, he has to go by their rules. He wants to get back home to his mother Naima played by Jennifer Hudson. He goes through some things and discovers the true meaning of faith, family and forgiveness.

This adaptation of Langston Hughes' play is wonderful. I really like the storyline with its great messages and its attention to detail, even down to the Cobb's family brownstone in Harlem. The acting is powerful and intense and, of course, I love the music. Executive music director, Ralph Saadiq shows his musical talent and has created great songs that tell the story in such a way that both the young and old can listen to and enjoy. I especially like the choir scene.

I recommend this film for ages 12 - 17. Of course, I think the whole family will enjoy this movie. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It's truly a musical event to be enjoyed during the holiday season.

Reviewed by Brianna B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

Some critiques of this movie paint it as too cheesy or clichéd. It is those things. But the screenwriter was kind of between a rock and a hard place, as one often is in transcribing the work for one medium into another. It wasn't written as a screenplay, but the screenwriters had to walk the line between a full adaptation to film on the one hand, and staying as true as possible to Langston Hughes's vision on the other. It's a little rough in parts, and any time someone is singing in a bus station you gotta look at them askance... but still, the conveyance of the story, and the coming together of this family, in this very evangelical style (totally agreeing with Roger Ebert here), along with the star performances of these actors and singers, ensures that "its rough aspects are easy to forgive."

Not a great, great film, as films go. But for a theatrical adaptation of a play on screen, with music, and a voyage/story that speaks to many... Very much worth dedicating 90 minutes to.

We've just come in from seeing this movie on Christmas Eve. Tonight was the ideal night to see it. I went with my spouse and both of us enjoyed it. Had read a review but didn't realize there would be quite a bit of singing. It wasn't disruptive though. I read the other reviews and understand that it might depend on your mood as to whether you see this as corny and full of stereotypes or not. It didn't seem that way to me, though a family in front of us laughed through it. On the other hand, the people behind us were sniffling. It was entertaining and, as the name would indicate, a movie with a religious tone. The story has a universal message. Losing your way, rejection, remorse, are a part of this.The setting is contemporary and ventures into dream sequences sometimes. They are the subconscious interpretations of a boy who is at the stage of his life where he is questioning who he is and why his life has been so hard. One highlight of the film is when the man in the pawn shop speaks to the boy with a verse from Langston Hughes. The sets deserve mention, so helpful in putting us in the story. Was it simple? Was it complicated? In the end, sometimes it pays not to over think it. This is a movie after all and there is no sin in a barefaced, "feel good" story. Talented actors can pull it off and they did.

Black Nativity is an adaptation of a stage play by Langston Hughes which itself is the telling of the nativity with an entire black cast.

This film adaptation updates it as a loose parable. Jacob Latimore is Langston Cobbs sent by his mother from Baltimore to live with his grandparents in New York that he knows little about.

Naima (Jennifer Hudson) is struggling financially with her house at risk of being repossessed. She has no option but to send her son off to her estranged parents just before Christmas. When Jacob arrives in New York he immediately loses his money and is then arrested. His grandfather Reverend Cornell Cobbs (Forest Whitaker) takes him home from the police station where he meets his grandmother Angela Cobbs (Angela Bassett.)

Jacob feels uncomfortable at his grandparents. He knows little about them, he has no idea why his mother has little to do with them, he knows nothing about his father. He finds Reverend Cobbs stern and he also has no time for religion.

During his brief stay he has regular run ins with a man called Tyson (Tyrese Gibson) who buys and sells goods outside a pawnbroker.

Also in the neighbourhood is a poor, homeless young pregnant couple.

Things come to a head when the church puts on their annual nativity and Naima returns and Langston finds out the real reason why she left.

The film is a musical drama about faith, struggle and hope. There are people struggling financially, there are people who want reconciliation and redemption. There are people having a crisis of faith.

The songs that are gospel based are not very good. The songs need a hook and be catchy. They are not and get in the way.

The story is only half developed. The characters tended to be stereotyped and two dimensional. Nothing really fits together even during its short running time.

I found the dramatic finale where everything comes together to be anticlimactic and poorly written.