Nativity (film series)

Nativity (film series)
Directed by Debbie Isitt
Produced by Nick Jones
Music by Nicky Ager
Debbie Isitt
Edited by Nicky Ager
Production
company
Mirrorball Films
BBC Films(1)
Screen WM(1)
Moviehouse(2)
Media Pro Six(2)
Premiere Picture(2)
Distributed by Entertainment One
Release dates
1: 27 November 2009
2: 23 November 2012
3: 14 November 2014
Running time
319 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $6.1 million
Box office $34.2 million

The Nativity film series is a British trilogy of family Christmas films

Films

Nativity! (2009)

Main article: Nativity! (film)

Paul Maddens is teacher who once had ambitions of being successful as an actor, producer or director. Every year St Bernadette's Catholic school in Coventry, where he teaches, competes with a local Protestant private school (Oakmoor) to see who can produce the best nativity play. Paul hates Christmas because his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Lore, who attended drama school with him, left him at Christmas before he could propose to her. Despite this, the St Bernadette's headteacher Mrs Bevans tasks him with running their nativity play this year, and gives him a new class teaching assistant called Mr Poppy, who turns out to be as much of a child as the rest of Paul's class. As every year, it is one of Paul's other friends from drama school, Gordon Shakespeare, who runs the nativity plays at rival school Oakmoor. Determined not to be seen as a failure by his old rival, Paul lies to Shakespeare about how a Hollywood producer—their old friend Jennifer—will be turning his production into a Hollywood film, though he hasn't even spoken to her in five years. Mr Poppy accidentally overhears this and is so excited that he has to spread the rumour. Soon Paul finds his lie is out of control, and all he can do is go along with it as media attention mounts and the children get more and more excited, so Paul has to try to get Hollywood turn their production to a film.

Danger in the Manger (2012)

Donald Peterson is an anxious teacher who has just moved to a new house with his pregnant wife Sarah. He accepts a teaching job at St. Bernadette's primary school, taking over the class formerly taught by Mr. Maddens, who by this point has left for America. In the interim, the enthusiastic and child-like teaching assistant Mr. Poppy has been teaching the class unaided.

The class wants to enter in a competition called "A Song for Christmas", in which each school produces a Christmas song, with the winning song earning its school £10,000 and the chance at being a Christmas #1. However, headteacher Mrs. Bevan refuses the class permission to enter without a qualified teacher, and worries that Mr. Poppy's behaviour is so inappropriate that no teacher will stay in the job.

When Mr. Poppy decides St Bernadette's should enter the National 'Song for Christmas' competition, he persuades Donald to sign the entry forms, later kidnapping him for an impromptu road trip to Gastell Llawen ("Merry Castle", not a real place) in Wales, where the competition is being held.

Dude, Where's My Donkey? (2014)

US and Australian remakes

Nick revealed that they had so far “politely declined” offers to make US and Australian remakes.[1]

Cast

Mr Maddens' Class Mr Shakespeare's Class
Alexandra Allen as Cleo Aidofe McLeod as Grace
Ben Wilby as Bob Anna Price as Ellen
Bernard Mensah as TJ Arun Nahar as Jake
Brandon McDonald as Oli Bessie Cursons as Christy
Cadi Mullane as Crystal Bethany Carter as Daisy
Caitlin Cronin as Lucy Charlie Dixon as Thomas
Dominic McKernan as Dan Cherie Ng as Nicola
Ellie Coldicutt as Beth Eleanor Bonas as Rachel
Faye Dolan as Jade Francesca York as Caroline
James Warner as Buddy Freddie Watkins as Sebastian
Jake Pratt as Alfie Georgina Owen as Emily
Joe Lane as Edward Hannah Ciotknowski as Elizabeth
Joshan Patel as Bill Harriet Kilner as Charlotte
Krista Hyatt as Becky Hayley Downing as Victoria
Maeve Dolan as Sam Imogen Stern as Phoebe
Michael McAuley as William Katie Maguire as Megan
Milly Webb as Neve Katie Stafford as Molly
Morgan Brennan as Charlotte Lauren Downing as Joanne
Rebecca Maguire as Saffron Lily-Rose Sharry as Lynette
Reece Stowe as Fraser Michael Brown as Charles
Rhyannon Jones as Alice Molly Burton as Catherine
Sam Tott as Matt Mi Tuulikki Kelly as Lorna
Sydney Isitt-Ager as Sadie Safiya Asharia as Sophie
Thomas McGaritty as Zack Salim Zayyan as Percival
Oscar Steer as Auditionee Taylor Drew as Harry
Harvey Flanagan as Tyrese Chris Reynolds as Freddy

Reception

Box office performance

Film Release date Box office gross Budget Ref(s)
UK Other territories Worldwide
Nativity November 27, 2009 $8,412,353 $82,081 $8,494,434 $2,443,493 [4]
Danger in the Manger November 23, 2012 $14,433,981 $14,433,981 $3,657,136 [5]
Dude, Where's My Donkey? November 11, 2014 $11,283,866 $11,283,866 [6]
Total $34,130,200 $82,081 $34,212,281 $6,100,629
List indicator(s)
  • A dark grey cell indicates the information is not available for the film.

Critical response

Film Rotten Tomatoes
Nativity 48% (25 reviews)[7]
Danger in the Manger 36% (22 reviews)[8]
Dude, Where's My Donkey? 16% (19 reviews)[9]
Average 33.3%

References

  1. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/coventry-director-debbie-isitt-starts-6533334
  2. 1 2 3 "Principal photography commences on Debbie Isitt's Nativity". BBC. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
  3. McMullen, Marion (17 September 2008). "Alan Carr and Martin Freeman put Coventry on movie map". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
  4. "Nativity (2009) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  5. "Danger in the Manger(2012) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  6. "Dude, Where's My Donkey? (2014) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  7. "Nativity (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  8. "Danger in the Manger (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  9. "Dude, Where's My Donkey?". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
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