The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a charming movie that demonstrates the true meaning of Christmas. The perfect family film to get ready for the holidays.
As soon as Halloween ends (and sometimes before) it is time to start celebrating Christmas. There is nothing quite as nice as the last couple of months of the year being about spreading love and cheer. We all need it. Especially now. That is why I dive into Christmas movies as soon as possible.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a charming choice for families to get in the holiday mood. It focuses on the true meaning of Christmas, and by the end, you might even shed a tear or two (I sure did).
This movie follows Grace (Judy Greer) who volunteers to direct the church’s Christmas pageant, vowing to make it the best ever. This quickly becomes a much bigger feat than she anticipated when the town miscreants, the Herdman kids, decide to join.
Put between a rock and a hard place when the other church members ask Grace to kick them out of the play, she opts to give the children the benefit of the doubt, hoping to teach them about the true meaning of Christmas along the way.
With leads like Judy Greer and Pete Holmes (who plays her husband Bob) it should come as no surprise at just how funny this movie is. Holmes is one of my favorite actors – if you have not yet watched Crashing, you are truly missing out – and I love the charm and humor he brings to this film.
That said, the group of young actors who play the Herdmans really steal the show. They each bring something unique and fun to the table, reminding me a bit of The Loud House. The message behind The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is that you should always lead with grace, no matter what you have heard about someone.
These are children, and for them to be treated the way they are by some of the church members is downright appalling. Grace takes her time with them, even when she is fed up with some of their antics, and is always there for them when they need it. She teaches them. She takes the time to answer their questions. And they are better off for it.
As a parent, this is the part of the movie that truly warms my heart. No kid is perfect – mine certainly aren’t – and I would hate for them to be judged off something they have done and never given the chance to make up for it.
Also, you never know what someone is going through personally, and why they are acting the way they are, unless you take the time to get to know them. To ask them. That is what makes the story here so special.
For those who are worried this movie brings in too much about religion, it really doesn’t. I would not consider myself religious, and I rather enjoyed this movie. Sure, it talks about Jesus, but only when it comes to Christmas and the story the pageant is telling, which is fitting and makes sense. It is not shoving any views down your throat but just suggests that being nice and spreading love is a good thing. Something we could all use more of these days.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is the perfect length, clocking in at just over ninety minutes. The cast is incredible and the story is charming. It is a sweet, fun, and charming movie that is the perfect start to the holiday season.
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About The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
The Herdmans are absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, they steal, they bully… and now they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant.
Directed by Dallas Jenkins (“The Chosen”) and based on the international bestseller by Barbara Robinson, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER follows six siblings who sneak into church searching for snacks and walk away with the lead roles in the town pageant.
Grace (Judy Greer) is directing the performance for the very first time; she and her daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and husband Bob (Pete Holmes) are in over their heads, especially against a town that wants them to kick the Herdmans out. But the play’s mischievous stars might unwittingly teach a community the true meaning of Christmas.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be released In Theaters on November 8th.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a charming movie that demonstrates the true meaning of Christmas. The perfect family film to get ready for the holidays.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.