The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

by Mike McGranaghan

Just about every year, Hollywood gives us a Christmas movie that in no way captures the magic or depth of the holiday. Some are wacky yuletide comedies, others CGI-heavy action-adventure flicks, still others sentimental romances. Sure, a few of them are entertaining, but will anyone really be watching Candy Cane Lane, Spirited, or Last Christmas on an annual basis 50 years from now, like many people do with It’s a Wonderful Life? Will they be shown on a 24-hour loop the way A Christmas Story is? If any recent Christmas picture will have that kind of enduring appeal, it’s certainly The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a wonderful, warm-hearted, and frequently hilarious family film.

The nostalgic story takes place in a small town, the kind that absolutely glows when there’s snow on the trees and Christmas lights strung everywhere. Each year, the local church puts on a great big pageant telling the story of Jesus’ birth. When the fastidious woman who usually runs it is sidelined, the inexperienced but eager Grace (Judy Greer) volunteers to oversee the production, to the amusement of husband Bob (Pete Holmes) and the horror of daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright).

In an unexpected twist, the six most unruly children in town decide that they want to be the stars of the show. Led by eldest Imogene (Beatrice Schneider), the Herdman siblings are known for stealing, smoking cigars, and generally being without parental supervision. They terrify everyone, which is exactly what allows them to hijack the pageant. Grace has to figure out if/how they can be sufficiently wrangled to prevent disaster.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever finds huge laughs in the idea of the Herdman children wreaking havoc. They’ve never set foot in a church, much less read the Bible, so they’re constantly questioning why things happen as they do. (One gets hung up on why King Harrod wanting to kill baby Jesus isn’t included in the pageant.) Comedy also comes from clashing their ill-tempered manners with those of the uptight church folk who clearly look down on them. The “Can we pull this show off?” plot has been done before. It’s done especially well here, though, avoiding unnecessary broadness in favor of humor you can identify with.

Underneath that, the story works on a second level. Nobody wants the Herdmans to be part of the pageant, and that only makes Grace more determined to keep them there. There’s a whole subplot about her realizing the kids are not unlike Mary and Joseph – poor, looking for a place to go, etc. Several scenes focus on Imogene’s motivation for wanting to be in the play. It’s very touching, as is the bond that slowly develops between Imogene and Beth. These qualities build to a finale that speaks thoughtfully on the spirit of Christmas.

I was very much reminded of A Christmas Story while watching The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Both have a sweet sense of nostalgia. More importantly, both jab at that sweetness with occasional edgy jokes. The film isn’t afraid to poke fun at people who are so rigid about their religion that they forget to embrace its actual meaning. In fact, that’s a key part of the story’s message. The more pious you become, the more un-pious you risk becoming.

Judy Greer is excellent in the lead role, bringing her trademark charm and relatability to Grace. She deftly demonstrates the character’s desire to make this year’s pageant different. The other standout is Beatrice Schneider. Playing a tough kid with inner vulnerability in a realistic manner is difficult. The young actress absolutely nails that dynamic, making sure we care about Imogene even when she’s at her worst, behavior-wise.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a film that will please all ages, thanks to its good cheer and sincere embrace of the holiday’s true meaning.

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