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 | |
| 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)
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
- Martin Freeman as Paul Maddens, a primary school teacher trying to produce and direct a nativity play that will for once outdo a rival school.[2]
- Jason Watkins as Gordon Shakespeare, a private primary school teacher and long-time rival of Paul.[2]
- Ashley Jensen as Jennifer Lore, formerly a Hollywood secretary and Paul's ex-girlfriend.[2]
- Marc Wootton as Desmond Poppy, an immature classroom assistant.
- Alan Carr as Patrick Burns, critic.[3]
- Ricky Tomlinson as The Mayor.
- Pam Ferris as Mrs Patricia Bevan.
- Clarke Peters as Mr Parker a Hollywood director, Jennifer's boss during her time at Hollywood.
- Geoffrey Hutchings as Father Tom.
- Rosie Cavaliero as Miss Rye.
| 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 |
- Jesse Donohoe as Jesse
- Joseph West as Joseph
- Kyle Johnson as Tommy
- Louise Blunt as Little Lucy
- Mason Daw as Mason
- Mason Simpkins as Mason
- Pixie Davies as Pixie
- David Tennant as Donald Peterson/Roderick Peterson, estranged twin brothers
- Jessica Hynes as Angel Matthews
- Ian McNeice as Mr Peterson Snr., Donald and Roderick's father
- Joanna Page as Sarah Peterson, Donald's wife
- Martin Clunes as Jeremy Shepherd
- Catherine Tate as Sophie O'Donnell
- Celia Imrie as Clara Keen
- Stewart Wright as Uncle Henry
- Adam Garcia as Bradley Finch
- Duncan Preston as Mr. O'Donnell
- Susie Blake as Mrs. O'Donnell
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)
| |||||||||
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
- ↑ http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/coventry-director-debbie-isitt-starts-6533334
- 1 2 3 "Principal photography commences on Debbie Isitt's Nativity". BBC. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
- ↑ McMullen, Marion (17 September 2008). "Alan Carr and Martin Freeman put Coventry on movie map". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
- ↑ "Nativity (2009) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ↑ "Danger in the Manger(2012) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ↑ "Dude, Where's My Donkey? (2014) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ↑ "Nativity (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ "Danger in the Manger (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ "Dude, Where's My Donkey?". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-08-23.