The poster for the 2019 limited reissue.
THE STAR - Back In Theaters December 7 and 8
The Star (produced under the title The Lamb) is an American 3D computer-animated Christian comedy film directed by Timothy Reckart. It was released on November 17, 2017, by Columbia Pictures through Sony Pictures Releasing.
Synopsis[]
The film opens in Nine Months, B.C. in Nazareth where Mary is praying. An angel descends from Heaven and tells her that she is to bear the son of God. A pygmy mouse named Abby sees the whole thing and spreads the word to the other animals in the town. They look up in the sky and see a bright star.
We meet a young donkey who must work in a wheat mill with his father. His dove friend, Dave, flies in. They dream of escaping their dull lives and joining the Royal Caravan so that they can ride with the big horses and be adored by crowds, but the his father scoffs at their dream. He is confident that he will get out.
Six months later, the donkey is still trapped. When his father realizes how miserable he is and that he has resigned himself to the same fate he has, he loosens his collar and knocks out the miller to allow him to escape. He runs out into the street where Dave catches up with him. The miller chases after him and nearly catches him, but he manages to hide elsewhere.
Mary is about to celebrate her wedding feast with Joseph, but she hasn't told him that she is pregnant. She then finds the donkey hiding under a table, believing him to belong to Joseph. He denies that the donkey is his, and Mary notices his leg is injured. After showing him kindness, he takes a liking to her. She decides to name him Boaz, or Bo for short. Joseph then notices her belly, and she comes clean that the baby is meant to be the messiah. Joseph is stunned and confused, but after looking to God for guidance, he promises to help her.
Six months later, the Three Wise Men are riding their camels, Felix, Cyrus, and Deborah, to the home of King Herod. They argue over what their trip is for - Felix thinks it's a birthday party, Cyrus says it's a baby shower, but Deborah says they are going to meet the messiah. Felix and Cyrus think she is crazy. Upon arriving at Herod's home, he thinks the Wise Men's gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh are for him, but one of them says it is for the new king. Feeling threatened, Herod invites (or forces) the Wise Men and their camels to stay as guests while he sends his hunter and two dogs, Thaddeus and Rufus, to get rid of this new king.
Thaddeus and Rufus overhear Abby telling the story of Mary to the other mice, and they threaten to eat her until she gives up all the information she knows.
Mary and Joseph leave Nazareth in anticipation of the baby's birth, while Bo and Dave stay behind. The hunter, Thaddeus, and Rufus break into their home while Bo tries to hide. Dave tries to create a diversion for him to escape, but Thaddeus and Rufus spot him. Bo thinks they were sent by the miller, but he accidentally lets it slip that he was being cared for by Mary. He and Dave escape Thaddeus and Rufus and run to save her.
On their run, Bo stumbles down a cliff. He is helped by a sheep named Ruth, who has abandoned her flock. She joins Bo and Dave as they catch up to Mary and Joseph. Unfortunately, the hunter, Thaddeus and Rufus have found them. Bo pulls Mary toward a market for them to hide. She goes by a well to get water, and the hunter approaches her for the kill. Thinking quickly, Bo pushes a cart down the hill to stop him, but it hits another one and then causes a chain reaction that destroys most of the market but knocks the hunter down the well. The villagers are angry at Bo, and Joseph scolds him for what he's done.
Bo decides to go off on his own to try and find the Royal Caravan. Dave follows, and together, they do find it. However, Bo realizes he enjoyed being with Mary and he wants to go back to her, saying Dave can join them himself. While he is displeased at the outcome, he tells Bo that he would have only done it with his best friend. They head back to help Mary.
Mary and Joseph's cart breaks down, leading them both to confront their fears and doubts over the situation. They resolve to get through it together. Bo returns and picks up all their belongings. Mary then starts to experience contractions and figures that the baby is on his way. Joseph takes all the belongings while Bo carries Mary.
The group arrives in Bethlehem and tries to find shelter, but everywhere is full. The miller sees Bo, captures him, and throws him in a manger. There, he meets a goat named Zach, a cow named Edith, and a horse named Leah. They mention not being able to sleep because the light from the star shines brightly through the manger. Bo figures this is where the baby is meant to be born. Zach, Edith, and Leah help him escape to go get Mary and Joseph to there.
Ruth encounters her flock and tries to convince them to help her, but they're still mad at her for abandoning them. The angel then comes down to tell the shepherds that the messiah is coming, and Ruth's flock suddenly believes her. Meanwhile, Dave encounters the camels after they tried to escape Herod's home but are now tied to a pole. At the same time, the hunter, Thaddeus, and Rufus have found Mary and go to kill her. All the animals come together to stop them and knock them over a cliff. The hunter hangs on while Bo tries to save Thaddeus and Rufus. The hunter coldly drops them, but Bo saves them. The hunter pulls himself up with his sword, but it causes the cliff to break off and send him falling to his death.
The animals go to the manger where Mary has given birth to Jesus. They're all in awe. Even Thaddeus and Rufus are so amazed that they resolve to be good dogs. Deborah says this will be a story to be celebrated for thousands of years to come, but Felix and Cyrus still think she's crazy. Mary then invites Bo to come and see Jesus. He smiles as he rests beside her.
Songs[]
The original score was composed by John Paesano, supervised by Ron Fair and conducted/orchestrated by musicians Jason and Nolan Livesay.
| Title | Performed by |
|---|---|
| "Carol of the Bells" | Pentatonix |
| "Ave Maria: Meditation on the First Prelude in C Major of J.S. Bach" | |
| "Children Go Where I Send You" | Kelsea Ballerini |
| "What Child is This?" | Jake Owen |
| "We Three Kings" | Kirk Franklin |
| "Amen" | Take 6 |
| "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" | |
| "The Little Drummer Boy" | |
| "His Eye is on the Sparrow" | Casting Crowns |
| "Mary Did You Know?" | Zara Larsson |
| "The Star" | Mariah Carey |
| "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)" | Jessie James Decker |
| "O Holy Night" | Yolanda Adams |
| "Life is Good" | A Great Big World |
| "Can You See" | Fifth Harmony |
Home media releases[]
Early 2018
Early 2018
Cast[]
| Voice actor/actress | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Steven Yeun | Bo |
| Keegan-Michael Key | Dave |
| Aidy Bryant | Ruth |
| Gina Rodriguez | Mary |
| Zachary Levi | Joseph |
| Christopher Plummer | Herod |
| Ving Rhames | Thaddeus |
| Gabriel Iglesias | Rufus |
| Kelly Clarkson | Leah |
| Anthony Anderson | Zach |
| Patricia Heaton | Edith |
| Kris Kristofferson | Old Donkey |
| Kristin Chenoweth | Abby |
| Mariah Carey | Rebecca |
| Oprah Winfrey | Deborah |
| Tyler Perry | Cyrus |
| Tracy Morgan | Felix |
| Joel Osteen | Gaspar |
| Melissa Disney | ADR Loop Group |
| Delilah | Elizabeth |
| Joel McCrary | Angel Zechariah |
| Phil Morris | Balthazar Miller |
| Fred Tatasciore | Melchoir Innkeeper #1 Pottery Vendor |
| Lex Lang | Hunter |
| Roger Craig Smith | Chamberlain Innkeeper #5 |
| Joe Whyte | Scribe Innkeeper #2 |
| William Townsend | Horse Goat |
| Gregg Berger | Innkeeper #3 |
| Melissa Sturm | Innkeeper #4 |
| Stephen F. Apostolina Kirk Baily David Cowgill June Christopher Eddie Frierson Grant George Jackie Gonneau Kerry Gutierrez Bridget Hoffman Rif Hutton Mona Marshall Caitlin McKenna Scott Menville Juan Pacheco Devika Parikh Ashley Peldon Jessica Pennington Moira Quirk Matthew Rhode (uncredited) Michelle Ruff Joseph Sanfelippo Justin Shenkarow Dennis Singletary Warren Sroka Pepper Sweeney Shane Sweet Kari Wahlgren Lynnanne Zager |
Additional characters |
External links[]
- The Star at the Internet Movie Database
- The Star at the Movie Database
- The Star at Behind the Voice Actors
| Sony Pictures |
| Movies | |
| Columbia Pictures | 1941 • Christmas with the Kranks • The Holiday • Arthur Christmas • Paul Blart: Mall Cop • The Night Before • The Star |
| Screen Gems | This Christmas |
| Direct-to-Video | Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night • The Nuttiest Nutcracker • The Swan Princess Christmas |