Before finals week began, a few friends and I went to watch "The Star" at the movies. I had not previously heard of it, or seen any previews about it, so I had no clue what I was going to see. When I arrived at the theater, I realized that it was an animated movie and that it was themed around the birth of Christ.

Honestly, I was a bit surprised that the newest kids' movie was about the Son of God. In our generation, it is just really rare to find mainstream things circled around Jesus.

Once the movie started, I went from thinking, "okay, wait, this is really cute," to actually crying in the theater (I am still choosing to blame my emotions on finals.) Immediately after it was over, I called my mom and texted several of my friends to tell them they had to go see it. All this to say - if you are looking for a great holiday movie to watch with your friends or family, I highly suggest seeing The Star and this is why:

1. The Soundtrack

I am a sucker for Christmas music, and The Star is full of holiday jams. Mariah Carey, Fifth Harmony, A Great Big World, and Pentatonix - just to name a few - are featured in the movie. With artists like that, it has to be a good movie, am I right? I have listed to the album soundtrack on loop these past couple of weeks; I think it is definitely worth a listen. For those curious, yes, the soundtrack is on Spotify.

2. You will laugh.

The characters are hilarious. The wise men and their camels will have you laughing out loud. Bo, the donkey, and his best friend Dave, the dove, are two peas in a pod and constantly getting into some kind of trouble that will make you chuckle. It's just good, clean humor that leaves you feeling 10/10 afterward.

3. You will cry.

Okay, maybe you won't, but my friends and I did. There is something so beautiful about seeing the story of Jesus' birth explained from a child's perspective. It is such an innocent movie, and I found myself tearing up as Mary grew tired on her journey, or Joseph became frustrated with God's plans for them. It was a reminder that they felt a lot of the same emotions we all feel from day-to-day. Not to mention, when they are traveling from inn to inn, and there's no room for Mary to sleep anywhere, even though she's heavily pregnant. What can I say? It just really got to us all.

4. It is biblical.

By no means am I declaring myself a religion major or a Biblical scholar, but to my knowledge, it was extremely similar to the story I have grown up reading and hearing in church. Of course, there were little things added for laughter and for children's' purposes, but I think that the movie hit all the main points of the story of Jesus' birth. Overall, I think the filmmakers did a really great job of making it easy to explain to young viewers.

5. It is something you can watch with everyone.

Yes, it is the perfect movie to take your younger kids to, but I really believe that it is a film that the whole family would enjoy. It's got a little bit of romance, comedy, and action incorporated throughout the film. Take your kids, younger (and older) siblings, parents, grandparents, friends - anyone and everyone.

If you are looking for a good family movie to watch this holiday season, this is my suggestion to you. I wish I could get everyone of my friends to go watch this with me. I will be buying it once it comes out on DVD. I can't put my finger on it, but there is jsut something really special about this movie. I guess you'll have to go see it yourself to understand where I am coming from.

Wishing you all the best this holiday season!!!!