We want to hear from you! Take our brief reader survey now and share your feedback on what you love at Third Coast Review—and what we could be doing better! Plus, everyone who completes the survey will receive a Third Coast Review sticker decal as our thanks for your support.
It seems almost by definition that modern holiday movies are designed to be overly sentimental in their approach, uninspired in their writing, and obvious in their execution. So imagine my surprise watching The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, based on the very popular bestseller by Barbara Robinson (adapted by Ryan Swanson with Platte F. Clark and Darin McDaniel) and directed by Dallas Jenkins (The Resurrection of Gavin Stone).
Hidden amid the film’s story about the staging of a small town’s annual Christmas pageant is a message about inclusion, especially of those most people deem unworthy. In the case of this pageant, we’re talking about the Herdmans, possibly the worst bunch of siblings (six in total, with no parents in sight) the world has ever known who collectively decide they want to be involved in this year’s event because they heard there’s free food courtesy of the local church where the pageant takes place.
Making matters worse, the person in charge of this year’s event is Grace (Judy Greer), who is directing the performance for the first time after the woman who normally does it is sidelined by an accident. Grace's husband Bob (Pete Holmes) and two kids, Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and a son, are supportive, but with the Herdmans' involvement, no one seems particularly optimistic the pageant will be anything but a disaster.
But since this is a Christmas movie about re-creating the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, the filmmakers emphasize the journey of Mary and Joseph as they searched for a room for the night and are rejected everywhere they go. Grace takes this part of the story to heart and refuses to kick the Herdmans out of her play, instead attempting to educate them on the true meaning of Christmas.
There are times during The Best Christmas Pageant Ever where I cringed watching someone as talented as Greer and a funny as Holmes be put through the paces of this movie. However, there were other moments where some of this got to me, especially scenes involving the eldest Herdman, Imogene (Beatrice Schneider), who is her siblings’ de facto leader and has assigned herself the role of Mary (actually, she threatens any other kid who wants to audition for the part with bodily harm). There is something about Schneider’s reluctant embracing of Mary’s story and her refusal to accept some of the things that go on surrounding the birth of Jesus that make the film insightful and funny. Her performance starts out as a generic bully and transitions into a thoughtful young lady curious about her place in the world and the lessons of religion and faith.
Don’t get me wrong, the film doesn’t dig deep into these themes, but as Imogene grows closer to Grace and Beth, she softens just enough to accept the fact that these people are trying to be nice to her and her family, something no one else in the community has ever tried.
The film is, without a doubt, pure cheese with a gooey center, stuffed full of artificial emotions. But something about it works more often than not, even with its hard leanings into all things Jesus. The film never says that the church will save the Herdmans; instead, it makes the case that the community’s embracing of the kids might be their salvation, which is a mildly easier pill to swallow. I don’t watch many Christmas movies in a given year, but I’m certainly glad I caught this one.
The film is now playing in theaters.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!