The reason for the season comes to network television!
Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas comes to ABC television on Tuesday, December 9, at 8 pm. This special show, which will air on Hulu after the network debut, is a gem of storytelling from the moment Academy Award-winning writer, director, and actor Kevin Costner appears on screen. He weaves a story of what Christmas means to him personally, beginning with his acting debut as an angel in a Christmas play at age four.
Costner’s voice, however, is not the only one we hear. Contributing to the story of the child in the manger, are numerous experts in Jewish studies, Scripture scholarship, history, and theology. The interviews are woven together beautifully with filmmaking that brings the story to cinematic life.
This telling of the story, however, might evoke feelings not usually associated with Christmas films. Historically, Jesus was born into troubled times and this film does not shy away from the darkness. The region was fraught with violence, especially because of the madness of King Herod (played by Anthony Barclay). The future of the Jewish people was uncertain. Roman occupation caused unrest among faithful Jews waiting for the Messiah, and Herod, a puppet king appointed by Rome, cared more about expanding his own wealth and power than anything else. Any perceived threat to his rule was brutally squashed, even to the murder of his own family members.
In this social and political climate, two teenagers, Mary (Gia Rose Patel) and Joseph (Ethan Thorne) were chosen by God to be the guardians of God’s breaking into the world as a tiny child. Well-known elements of the story are portrayed side-by-side with lesser-known historical aspects. All paint a picture of what the first Christmas might have looked like.
As a Catholic reviewer, I noted that the show, purposely designed to appeal to a wide audience, stopped short of giving Mary the title Mother of God, although it refers to Mary and Joseph as the parents of the Son of God. This didn’t trouble me for two reasons. First, Catholics already understand that Mary is the Mother of God. Second, making a show like this accessible and appealing to a wide audience becomes a genuine moment of evangelization. It gently reminds viewers—especially in a culture that can easily slip into the materialism of Christmas—that the day ultimately celebrates God’s saving action: the sending of his Son into our world as a child, who would give his life for the salvation of all.
At a time when it has become socially awkward and sometimes even socially unacceptable to proclaim one’s belief in Christ openly, Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas, reminds us that without Jesus, there would be no Christmas. By proclaiming his own faith in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, Costner might just make it a little easier for faithful Christians everywhere to not be afraid to do the same at Christmastime and always.