Netflix Christmas movie criticized for mocking Nativity scene, Mary singing about 'keeping' pregnancy
An animated Christmas movie on Netflix has sparked controversy over a scene where children put on a production of the biblical Nativity story that features a song by Madonna, a singer who has argued in the past that Jesus supports abortion.
The movie "That Christmas" is based on a series of children's books by Richard Curtis, the director of the 2003 film "Love Actually." Curtis was also one of the writers for the movie, which is currently available on the streaming platform.
One scene that has generated negative attention features a group of children and a teenager named Bernadette participating in a school production of the Nativity story. The students, who feel the biblical story is not modern enough, decide to rewrite it with a few twists.
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Bernadette opens the production by referring to Jesus as a "cool dude," highlighting his beard and long hair, saying that he is "a hipster basically."
"He wouldn't have wanted us to do the same boring Christmas story year after year, right, parents?" Bernadette asks. "He'd want a strictly vegetarian, multi-cultural fun fest with lots of pop songs and stuff about climate change."
During the production, the shepherds herd vegetables instead of sheep, and the wise men who came to pay homage to the infant Jesus were depicted as three wise women instead. Another part of the production involved the girl playing Mary, the mother of Christ, singing the 1986 Madonna song "Papa Don't Preach."
The song is told from the point of view of a young woman telling her father about an unexpected pregnancy and how she has decided not to have an abortion. At the end of the song, the girl playing Mary holds up a watermelon meant to represent the baby Jesus.
The Nativity production is later ruined after a student accidentally knocks the watermelon out of the girl's hands, which results in the fruit prop falling to the ground and splattering onto the audience.
Later, after the show wraps up, Bernadette speaks with some of the adults, who then provide negative feedback about the program. One of the grown-ups tells the teen, "I don't think Jesus and jokes go together, dear."
Mary-Logan Miske, the Southeast campus formation coordinator at Students for Life of America, shared her reaction to the scene on her social media earlier this month. She declared that the film "crosses the line" by mocking the Nativity story and having Mary sing about "keeping baby Jesus."
In an X post, Blaze contributor Allen Mashburn questioned why parents are still subscribed to Netflix, accusing the streaming service of promoting "woke ideologies." Mashburn described the movie as "an uneasy watch that veers into absurdity from the very beginning."
"The movie also depicts a severe snowstorm as a Climate Catastrophe, repeatedly emphasizing the devastating effects of climate change," Mashburn wrote. "Additionally, the angel cookies are decorated with grotesque monster images, and one cookie even features a moment when the camera focuses on a child biting off the head of an angel cookie."
"Overall, this movie seems to be driven by an agenda, urging viewers to be vigilant, wise, and cautious about the content they consume," he added.
Netflix did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment about the controversial scene.
Throughout her career, Madonna has attracted controversy for her position on abortion and her portrayal of Christianity in some of her songs.
During an interview with Australian talk show host Andrew Denton in 2019, Madonna, who has a Catholic background, expressed a desire to change the Catholic Church's position on abortion.
"Let's talk about Jesus' point of view about women. Let's talk about it," Madonna said. "And don't you think Jesus would agree that a woman has the right to choose what to do with her body?"
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
