Written by Langston Hughes and first performed in 1961, Black Nativity is a retelling of the classic Christmas story featuring gospel music and an all-black cast. Forest Whitaker leads the charge as the pastor and patriarch, with a luminous Angela Bassett as his wife. Jennifer Hudson plays the prodigal daughter with a vanity-free earthiness and a humongous voice. And Mary J. Blige plays some semimystical angel figure in a hilarious white Afro wig. The result is essentially a full-length Christmas music video about the power of love and forgiveness, but the star-packed cast makes it all float by like a dream. (DAVID SCHMADER)