Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Heaton, known for her roles in "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The Middle," is starring in an animated film called "The Star" that gives a fresh taken on the beloved Christmas story.

During the promotional tour for the film, Heaton said that the movie could not have been released at a more ideal time given the "difficult political times" Americans are facing. She said during an interview with Faithwire that the movie will definitely inspire Christians to feel more deeply and reflect about the importance of life.

"Not to get depressing [but] life is short and I think it's important to realize that you have to think beyond just today, just this minute, a vision about the world and your future and what you're contributing to the world," Heaton said. "Our lives here are really brief and the story of the nativity is about all of that and this gift we were given through the birth of Christ and his work on the cross that embues every aspect of our life with meaning."

She added that "every life has meaning," so people have to figure out their "specific gifts" in order to best serve God and make a positive impact in society. "We can all affect the course of history through our actions and wherever God has put us," she said. "And that's very clear in the nativity story — the creator of the universe entered the world through a poor family, in the poorest of circumstances and he changed the world and saved the world."

Meanwhile, songbird Mariah Carey also lent her voice to sing the soundtrack for "The Star." The song, titled after the movie, is Carey's testament to how much she loves the season that celebrates Jesus.

"I've been celebrating Christmas like a huge event my whole life," Carey told ESSENCE. "I just love Christmas. I just wait all year for it. They called me and said there's a movie called 'The Star' and they told me about the incredible cast and the premise of the movie being about the first Christmas ever so I said, 'Of course.'"

"The Star" was released on Nov. 17.