THE PREMISE:

"Nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town's yearly Christmas performance." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for the companies that stand to profit from it anyway. Whether we want to admit it or not, the true meaning of Christmas has gotten lost in translation. It’s not about the presents we give or receive, but rather the presence we share. In Dallas Jenkins’ modern adaptation of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” that idea breaks through for the first time in a long time.

Based on Barbara Robinson’s novel of the same name the film tells the story of six misfit siblings who volunteer to star in their town's Sunday school Christmas pageant, and end up teaching the town the true meaning of the holiday.

The film begins with a brief history of just how ill-mannered the children, known collectively as the Herdmans, are. Through a brief montage we see just how rabid they are. They fight, they steal, and they cuss - all because they can, and because they have no parental guidance. Over the course of the film, we never see or meet their mother. And through a sad yet telling admission from the story’s narrator, it’s widely believed that the kids were so bad that they drove their father away. 

No one wants anything to do with these children. In fact, one could say that the small community at the heart of the story has already given up on them. So when they show up and seemingly hijack the show’s annual Christmas pageant, there is a lot of pushback. The gang is able to do so because the woman who usually directs the pageant gets injured. Filling in this particular year is Grace Bradley (played by Judy Greer). Unlike the other moms in town, Grace has a bit more patience and compassion. Despite some pushback from the rest of the town, she lets the Herdmans not just participate but take over all of the lead roles: Mary, Joseph, the angel that visits them and three wise men.

What follows is a one-two punch of both comedy and clarity. As Grace tries to reign in the group amid their continued antics, she also comes to realize how hypocritical her community is. The way in which the pageant continuously devolves into chaos is perfectly reminiscent of the classic SpongeBob SquarePants episode “Band Geeks.” The way in which it all comes together for an awesome and utterly surprising climax will leave viewers just as emotional too. 

Though the cast is rounded out by other talented actors such as Pete Holmes and Lauren Graham, it’s the relatability and growth of Greer’s character that stand out. Though she is not the narrator, her perception of the Herdmans mirrors the audiences. When she starts to realize how innocent they truly are, so do we. While all six of the children that play the Herdmans are great too, it’s their oldest sibling Imogene (played by Beatrice Schneider) who stands out. Aware of how much the town looks down on her family, she seeks a fresh start. Playing Mary in the pageant, and getting to be someone else, is that fresh start.

In terms of cons, the film only has a handful. The first being the aforementioned narrator. Now, the narrator and narration is ripped straight from the source material, so it’s not unwarranted. However, it doesn’t always work for the adaptation. For example, it does help frame the story with that previously mentioned montage. But then by the end, the need for the narrator fizzles out. While there’s an attempt to cap the story by introducing the audience to the narrator, the themes speak so well for themselves that it feels redundant.

Additionally, as hilarious as the Herdmans are, they occupy a surprisingly small amount of the film. That’s not to say they are minor characters, but it feels like the film could have done a little more with them. Not just with their antics, but with their lives outside of school and the pageant. In the moments we do follow them, it’s very apparent there is so much more to their story. The fact that we only get so little is arguably the film’s most major missed opportunity.

Despite its minor shortcomings, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has all the characteristics of a modern classic. Its heart, humor and wholesome message embody everything that the holiday is about, all while proving that the timeless idea that the best gifts come in the most unexpected packaging.