| Based on the 1972 novel of the same name, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has a Christian director and based on a very Christian story of a town hosting a Christmas pageant of the traditional Christmas story of Jesus’ birth. While I was concerned it might get too preachy or religious, it won me over because its only message is kindness and having an open-mind, which most of the Christian characters within the movie are unable to practice. | | 2024
Directed by: Dallas Jenkins
Screenplay by: Platte Clark, Darin McDaniel, Ryan Swanson and Dallas Jenkins
Based on the novel by Barbara Robinson
Starring: Judy Greer, Molly Belle Wright
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The main character is Beth (Molly Belle Wright), a 10-year-old girl who prays, goes to church and tries to keep herself out of trouble. She's a great lead because shes quiet, she observes others and the actress has really expressive eyes. Her family is an average family, a dad who struggles to put up the Christmas tree, a mom who’s tired of trying to keep up with the other church-going PTA moms, and a younger brother who accidentally starts all the trouble. Not thinking they would actually listen to him, Charlie tells the Herdman kids how great church is because they serve desserts every week.
Narrated by adult Beth (Lauren Graham), she tells us how terrible the Herdman kids are. And they are exactly as horrible as the movie makes them out to be, relentless bullies who steal, lie and cause trouble everywhere. The Herdman kids are bad enough to fit the moniker as ‘worst children in the world’ (an alternate title of the novel) but also within reason that you can actually imagine that these kids exist.
Mom, Grace (Judy Greer), gets roped into directing the Sunday School’s performance of the nativity. And unexpectedly, the Herdman kids believed Charlie’s tales, show up at the church and bully everyone into giving them the lead roles. This leads directly to my two favourite parts of the movie, which is the bulk of the movie, and why it ends up working as well as it does.
The church is supposed to welcome everyone, right? Obviously in real life, nope. And even in fictional life, the Christians show off their hypocrisy. The rest of the town wants the Herdmans kicked out. I liked that there is no rose-coloured washing of Christianity. Most of the Christians in the movie are not good people, they’re selfish, egotistical hypocrites (I’m slightly exaggerating, but they fit the real world). Our lead family are the good ones, they are nice normal people who want to see the best in others, even if it seems like a bad idea.
Meanwhile the Herdmans are learning the Christmas story for the very first time. Watching kids try to wrap their heads around the story of Joseph and pregnant Mary, and an innkeeper forcing them into a barn, and then wise men bringing them gifts of frankincense and myrrh (“What even is that??!”), is very funny and absolutely delightful. With trouble always right around the corner, the movie remains fun.
Ultimately The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is about kindness, understanding and acceptance. It is extremely cheesy and very wholesome (it is a Christian story with Christian filmmakers after all), perhaps too wholesome, but it did win me over.
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