Teen Mary: A Very Unique Christmas Prequel
For those who tire of the deluge of Christmas movies right now, why not balance them with Teen Mary? Director/writer Ali Rosenthal and producer Tori Ichikowitz have undertaken the precarious task of creating a film which challenges one of the most enduring origin stories of all time. This is not a subject matter that modern-day Christians might eagerly embrace but then, how does one truly know that their beliefs are firm unless they’ve been challenged? The filmmakers have presented the story of the immaculate conception in a more practical and less metaphysical setting; the result being a unique perspective that displays comedy and teen compulsions battling religious oversight. A host of awards from events including the Sonoma International Film Festival, Ashland Independent Film Festival, Bend Film Festival, and others proclaim the extraordinary qualities of this film. Teen Mary’s recognizable cast includes John Rothman (of the Oscar Award Winning Film Bombshell, Primetime Emmy Award Winning TV series The Blacklist), John Pope (Primetime Emmy Award Winning Series Star Trek: Picard), Maggie Wheeler (of such iconic TV series as Friends and The X-Files), and stars Isabella Tagliati as Mary, and Tarek Ziad as Joseph. Not since the days of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life has there been a take as on religion communicated with such wit and reasoning.
It’s not easy to tell such a familiar story in such a different light. The skill of the filmmakers behind Teen Mary is exceptional. They have constructed a prism which refracts virtually everything we know about the couple who brought the corporal form of Jesus of Nazareth into the world. In the early days of this film’s conception, Ichikowitz and Rosenthal had a varied target demographic. The producer informs, “For younger viewers, especially Gen Z, we expected the film to resonate as a bold reclamation of agency. This generation is already fluent in satire, already adept at questioning inherited norms, and already unafraid to critique institutions with humor. For them, Teen Mary would feel like a familiar cultural language, a story that validates their instinct to challenge double standards with sharp wit rather than quiet compliance. They would likely see Mary as a mirror held up to their own negotiations with shame, sexuality, and identity. For women of all ages, we hoped the film would strike a deeper chord. Many have internalized, often unknowingly, the archetype of Mary as a blueprint for goodness. Even in secular contexts, the expectation to be pure, selfless, gentle, and morally spotless persists. Our Mary refuses to fit that mold, and her refusal was designed to be cathartic. We wanted women to watch her stumble, lie, desire, make mistakes, and still remain worthy of love and autonomy. That undoing of the purity narrative is at the emotional center of the film, and we knew it would resonate with audiences who have lived under its shadow.”
An open mind which delights in debate and humor is beneficial in entering the world of this film. Sixteen-your-old Mary is a normal teen in ancient Nazareth; meaning she is impulsive, horny, and human rather than the overwhelmingly pious girl spoken about in scripture. When she finds herself pregnant, a capital offense during this time and culture, she hatches a plan with her gay friend Joseph to avoid the death penalty. As the government and religious leaders become involved, the plot escalates. The comparisons to modern-day America are blatant. Teen Mary is irreverent, joyfully subversive, and certainly not for those who share more in common with the oppressor rather than the oppressed.
Teen Mary feels different than any other film about this story and that’s a direct result of the approach of the filmmakers. The difference began before a single person stepped onto the set. Producer Tori Tori Ichikowitz describes, “I am drawn to narratives that center characters who have been flattened, silenced, or idealized in ways that are not human. Placing these characters at the center already challenges who is usually granted complexity on screen. It’s also important how those stories are told. Tone matters. Comedy, satire, and genre are not escape routes from reality. They are tools that let us approach difficult topics sideways, with a sense of play and openness. When people are laughing and entertained, they are more willing to engage with themes that might otherwise feel heavy or didactic. Craft becomes a kind of Trojan horse. Finally, I adamantly believe that the environment I help create behind the camera is profoundly felt on-camera. Change is not only what appears on-screen. It is also how we treat people on set, who is hired, whose voices are included in the process, and how we negotiate power. If we are making films about empowerment while reproducing harmful dynamics behind the scenes, then the intent does not match the practice. I take seriously the responsibility to nurture safe, collaborative, and inclusive spaces. That is its own form of change. I see my work as aiming to create change, or to propose questions. Honestly, both. I do not believe you can meaningfully separate them. Questions are often the first step toward change. Change without reflection becomes dogma. My intent is to open doors in people, not to drag them through. If someone leaves the film feeling a little less alone, or a little less certain that the old narratives are the only possible ones, that is already a shift. I do not make films as instructions for how the world should be. I make them as invitations. Invitations to question, to feel, to laugh, to reconsider, to see holiness and humanity in places where people have been told they do not belong. If that process contributes to change, then I am doing the kind of work I want to be doing for a very long time.”
Writer : Winston Scott