Black Nativity is a great addition to your movie-going plans this holiday season! It is a family-friendly film with something for everyone to enjoy. The film is a contemporary adaptation of the original Black Nativity play written by acclaimed poet, Langston Hughes.
Black Nativity is a story that centers around Langston Cobbs (Jacob Latimore), a rambunctious teenager who is sent from Baltimore to New York to visit his grandparents, Reverend Cornell (Forest Whitaker) and Aretha Cobbs (Angela Bassett) for Christmas, after he and his mother Naima (Jennifer Hudson) face some financial hardships.
Angela Bassett brings a familiarity to her role that we’ve all come to love her for and Forest Whitaker is convincing as a stuck-in-his-ways pastor. Their performances are balanced out by a mix of supporting characters, played by Tyrese, Nas, Mary J. Blige, and Vondie Curtis Hall.
Ralphael Saadiq produced and scored the music for the film and he did a great job! The music is what helped bring this holiday drama to life. The blend of traditional gospel, R&B, and hip hop gave the story depth and created touching connections with the characters. And can we talk about Jennifer Hudson and that voice?! I never wanted her to stop singing! New artist Luke James vocal performance was a standout as well.
The crux of the film relies upon the uncovering of Langston’s childhood and his discovery of the truth behind the estranged relationship between his grandparents and his mother. As the plot unfolds, themes of love, healing, and forgiveness rise to the surface through the dialogue and through song.
My favorite part of the movie features a sequence with a “Color Purple-esque” moment of love and reconciliation that truly moved me. Black Nativity offers a stirring reminder of the power of forgiveness and the importance of family. This film is full of heart, faith and inspiration — just in time for the holiday season!
BMWK – Are you looking forward to seeing Black Nativity? Tell us in the comments and if you’d like to share, please tell us how walking in a spirit of forgiveness has improved your life!