The Best Christmas Pageant Ever review by Bobby Blakey
Christmas time brings a plethora of new holiday genre films and every year there are a few that find that special formula to become a classic in rotation for the holidays. Given the nature of the holiday itself there is also a range between the focus on straight up Christmas and the true meaning of the season. The latest looking to balance it all is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever based on the book of the same name from Barbara Robinson starring Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Molly Belle Wright, and Lauren Graham from director Dallas Jenkins. Could this be the next holiday classic or will it fail to deliver the performance for the season?
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 is directing the performance for the very first time; she and her daughter Beth and husband Bob are in over their heads, especially against a town that wants them to kick the Herdman’s out. But the play’s mischievous stars might unwittingly teach a community the true meaning of Christmas.
I headed into this film with A Christmas Story meets Cheaper by the Dozen vibes just from the trailer and promotions. While there is a tonal aspect like Christmas Story and numerous other holiday films there is something more here that I hadn’t expected. As someone who never read the book it was all new to me so getting to experience it fresh was a nice experience. Sure from the title alone you get the idea of where it is no doubt going, but the journey of laughs, heart and emotions was more than you might think.
The story is familiar on its surface, but there is a heartwarming multilayered message underneath the chaos of it all. It is seemingly just about the pageant and these bad kids, but the reality is it serving up more than that. The focus is on the one family trying to deliver the pageant, the kids fighting their way into it and
the church losing its way on the meaning of it all. This helps to balance the story all around in way that lets everyone shine and find their own redemption and success without it ever being preachy or forced that is a issues with some films like this dealing with faith.
The cast are all great with the kids leading the charge and every one of them bringing their own unique voice to the story. As fun as the film is and the performances are I think it’s the subtle moments that pack to the most punch. One specific involves very little dialogue and a painting of Mary that bookends elements of the story and its direction to perfection. As you journey through the pageant and its insanity of trying to wrangle all these characters it’s the final act that reminds you of the message that keeps it to the point and brings the positive energy and likely tears in the beauty of it all.
This isn’t some masterpiece of cinema that is breaking down the walls of the genre, but it is a film that packs a message without you knowing you need it. If you are a person of faith, it will no doubt hit you closer to the soul and your beliefs, but the beauty of it is that if you are not then you can still just enjoy it for the holiday comedy that it is. There are no expectations here from the audience other than to enjoy and take away what you want from it in the end.
Decide for yourself and check out The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in theaters and digital now.