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Black Nativity

  • 20132013
  • PGPG
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
4.8/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
Black Nativity (2013)
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.
Play trailer1:57
26 Videos
27 Photos
DramaFamilyMusic
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 surprisin... Read allA 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.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.
IMDb RATING
4.8/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Kasi Lemmons
  • Writers
    • Langston Hughes(based on the play by)
    • Kasi Lemmons(written for the screen by)
  • Stars
    • Forest Whitaker
    • Angela Bassett
    • Jennifer Hudson
  • Director
    • Kasi Lemmons
  • Writers
    • Langston Hughes(based on the play by)
    • Kasi Lemmons(written for the screen by)
  • Stars
    • Forest Whitaker
    • Angela Bassett
    • Jennifer Hudson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 22User reviews
    • 42Critic reviews
    • 48Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 5 nominations

    Videos26

    Trailer #2
    Trailer 1:57
    Watch Trailer #2
    Trailer #1
    Trailer 1:41
    Watch Trailer #1
    Black Nativity: Do You Know My Dad?
    Clip 1:00
    Watch Black Nativity: Do You Know My Dad?
    Black Nativity: Evicted
    Clip 0:48
    Watch Black Nativity: Evicted
    Black Nativity: Church
    Clip 0:55
    Watch Black Nativity: Church
    Black Nativity: Manager
    Clip 1:38
    Watch Black Nativity: Manager
    Black Nativity: Dinnertable
    Clip 0:37
    Watch Black Nativity: Dinnertable
    Black Nativity: Grandfather
    Clip 0:51
    Watch Black Nativity: Grandfather
    Black Nativity: Lucy
    Clip 0:32
    Watch Black Nativity: Lucy
    Black Nativity: The Music Behind The Film: Raphael Saadiq (Featurette)
    Featurette 2:49
    Watch Black Nativity: The Music Behind The Film: Raphael Saadiq (Featurette)
    Black Nativity: The Cast (Featurette)
    Featurette 3:49
    Watch Black Nativity: The Cast (Featurette)
    Black Nativity: Angela Bassett
    Featurette 1:07
    Watch Black Nativity: Angela Bassett

    Photos27

    Black Nativity (2013)
    Black Nativity (2013)
    Black Nativity (2013)
    Black Nativity (2013)
    Tyrese Gibson and Jacob Latimore in Black Nativity (2013)
    Angela Bassett and Jacob Latimore in Black Nativity (2013)
    Jennifer Hudson in Black Nativity (2013)
    Jacob Latimore in Black Nativity (2013)
    Forest Whitaker and Jacob Latimore in Black Nativity (2013)
    Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker in Black Nativity (2013)
    Jennifer Hudson and Jacob Latimore in Black Nativity (2013)
    Luke James and Grace Gibson in Black Nativity (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Forest Whitaker
    Forest Whitaker
    • Reverend Cornell Cobbs
    Angela Bassett
    Angela Bassett
    • Aretha Cobbs
    Jennifer Hudson
    Jennifer Hudson
    • Naima
    Mary J. Blige
    Mary J. Blige
    • Angel
    Tyrese Gibson
    Tyrese Gibson
    • Loot…
    Jacob Latimore
    Jacob Latimore
    • Langston
    Nas
    Nas
    • Street Prophet (Isaiah)
    • (as Nasir Jones)
    Vondie Curtis-Hall
    Vondie Curtis-Hall
    • Pawnbroker
    • (as Vondie Curtis Hall)
    Luke James
    Luke James
    • Jo-Jo…
    Grace Gibson
    • Maria…
    Rotimi
    Rotimi
    • Officer Butch McDaniels
    J. Mallory McCree
    J. Mallory McCree
    • Kyle
    Henry Hunter Hall
    Henry Hunter Hall
    • Snoopy
    • (as H. Hunter Hall)
    Michael Dale
    Michael Dale
    • Innkeeper
    Doug Willen
    Doug Willen
    • Chic Man
    Sorika Wolf
    Sorika Wolf
    • Chic Man's Mistress
    • (as Sorika Horng)
    Jason Samuels Smith
    Jason Samuels Smith
    • Hotel Security Guard
    C. Kelly Wright
    C. Kelly Wright
    • Desperate Pawnshop Woman
    • Director
      • Kasi Lemmons
    • Writers
      • Langston Hughes(based on the play by)
      • Kasi Lemmons(written for the screen by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film is one of the rare occasions when Forest Whitaker lends his tenor voice for a film.
    • Quotes

      Aretha Cobbs: The Lord's greatest gift must be to live a life without regrets. But we're so human.

    • Connections
      Featured in Chelsea Lately: Episode #7.179 (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Coldest Town
      Written by Raphael Saadiq, Taura Stinson and Kasi Lemmons

      Performed by Jacob Latimore

      Arranged by Raphael Saadiq, Taura Stinson and Dylan Wiggins

      Additional Vocal Production Taura Stinson

      Additional Programming Joseph "Bedrock" Epperson

    User reviews22

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Good cast and acting but the movie was just too cheesy for me to fully get into. Feels like a made for TV movie.
    "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+.
    helpful•4
    1
    • cosmo_tiger
    • Apr 12, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 27, 2013 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • 黑色誕生
    • Filming locations
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Bob Industries
      • Maven Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $17,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $7,018,189
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,669,530
      • Dec 1, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $7,454,185
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
      • Datasat
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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