`NATIVITY STORY' A THOUGHTFUL TREATMENT OF JESUS' BIRTH.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

Believe it or not, ``The Nativity Story'' isn't just for Bible-believing Christians.

They are, of course, the film's targeted audience. And they'll probably be the most likely to forgive the trespasses -- manifested in humorless performances and clunky scripting, mostly -- ``Nativity'' shares with most religious movies that have been made since time immemorial.

But the film has many virtues that it would be a sin to dismiss.

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, the seemingly unlikely talent behind such teens-gone-wild affairs as ``Thirteen'' and ``Lords of Dogtown,'' the movie nicely zeroes in on the emotional toll immaculate conception must have had on the very young Mary (``Whale Rider'' star Keisha Castle-Hughes) and her betrothed Joseph (Oscar Isaac). Hardwicke also persuasively captures quotidian life in end-of-B.C. Judea. And unlike that last major Jesus movie, which Mel Gibson shot in the same region of Italy Hardwicke uses, this one generally respects Jews and at times even celebrates their faith and culture as heartily as it does the Messiah's birth.

The fact that several iconic roles are played by Iranian and Arab actors may annoy some, but their inclusion in a multinational cast can, and should, much more charitably be viewed as the film's way of acknowledging that Jesus came for all mankind.

Quite touching, that, whatever your beliefs, or if you believe in nothing at all.

And let's face it, it's called the greatest story ever told for a good reason. Some stiff acting and banal dialogue can't really diminish the tale's uplifting power.

You can still wish it were otherwise, though. Castle-Hughes, now famously pregnant out of wedlock herself, lavishes Mary with two basic expressions: pained and perturbed. That's understandable. She resents being arranged-

engaged to this older guy she doesn't love, and while perfectly willing to follow angel Gabriel's (``Syriana's'' Alexander Siddig, nicely playing the heavenly host as humanly as he can) orders, she doesn't like being ostracized by her Nazarene neighbors one bit.

Still, she's supposed to be the mother of the savior. How about showing a little more joy, Keisha?

Shohreh Aghdashloo goes too far in the other direction as Mary's much older cousin Elizabeth. She's carrying a divine offspring, too -- the future John the Baptist -- and the formerly barren matron just can't wipe the silly blissed-out smile off of her face.

Isaac actually gives the film's most dimensional performance as the conflicted Joseph, who proves to be one heck of a mensch once he accepts that Mary hasn't been fooling around with another mortal. Their growing love, during the arduous trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem, is the film's dramatic ballast, and beautifully shot against harsh Saharan majesty in Morocco.

Like most of the movie, Jesus' birth is staged with relative naturalism, celestial phenomenon, Gregorian soundtrack and three marginally comic Magi notwithstanding. The sense of holiness is palpable without being overemphasized, and that's another refreshing aspect of this down-to-earth faith film.

So is the fact that ``Passion's'' graphic brutality is nowhere to be seen, yet Hardwicke gets the extent of Roman oppression across just fine, thank you. Ciaran Hinds' puppet ruler, Herod, is pretty much just there to be hissed at. But the vast majority of evildoing is perpetrated by guys wearing legionnaire uniforms, which historically is pretty much how it should be.

All in all, despite its flaws, ``Nativity Story'' is a thoughtful addition to the Christmas movie canon. It tries to locate the spiritual in the everyday, and it has an open, welcoming heart. You don't have to buy anyone's creed to know that that's good.

Bob Strauss, [phone]

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THE NATIVITY STORY - Three stars

(PG: violence, adult situations)

Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Hiam Abbass, Shaun Toub, Ciaran Hinds, Shohreh Aghdashloo.

Director: Catherine Hardwicke.

Running time: 1 hr. 33 min.

Playing: In wide release.

In a nutshell: Relatively down-to-earth dramatization of Jesus' birth focuses on Mary and Joseph before the big night. Matter-of-fact staging, good-to-goofy acting.

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Photo:

A pregnant Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), center; her mother, Anna (Hiam Abbass); and husband, Joseph (Oscar Isaac); prepare for the birth of Jesus in ``The Nativity Story.''