The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Starring Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Molly Belle, Beatrice Schneider
Directed by Dallas Jenkins
In a small town, the church's Christmas play is the talk of the town, as every year it's something everyone looks forward to. When an accident befalls the director, Grace Bradley (Judy Greer) takes up the task to see the play through, the the chagrin of her young daughter Beth (Molly Belle), who worries that the other women of the church won't like it as much since her mother isn't seen as one of the more "popular" mothers. Things go from bad to worse for Beth when the defiant Herdman children attend church under the false pretense that they have food constantly, and demand to be in the play. The Herdmans are led by the oldest daughter Imogene (Beatrice Schneider), and they're known all over town for doing everything bad - from stealing to smoking to bullying and cursing. Beth is more concerned than ever that the pageant will be a disaster.
Yet as Grace works with the kids, she learns that the Herdmans - and Imogene specifically - want to learn more about the roles they impose themselves to play: Imogene as Mary, her brother Ralph (Mason D. Nelligan) as Joseph, her three younger brothers as the wise men, and youngest sister as the angel of the Lord. They dive headfirst into studying their roles, and Beth notices a change in Imogene, and sees her more than just a bully, but a young girl who's trying desperately to be someone else, someone who's forced to be tough to protect her family since their father is gone and their mother works all the time. Grace also finds hope that the children will work things out, even though the entire town is angry at her for not kicking the kids out of the production - proving to everyone what the true meaning of Christmas is all about.
"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" was directed by Dallas Jenkins, who's best known for creating the mega-hit Christian series "The Chosen," and who has wanted to direct this project for over twenty years. Based on a book by Barbara Robinson, the movie is about a small town who deals with a family of unruly youths and are shocked to learn that they want to star in their most precious Christmas production. It's something that could've come off as heavy-handed in its religious overtones, shoving Biblical truths down audiences' throats while leaving them feeling manipulated and manhandled. Instead, Jenkins takes a nuanced approach to it all, focusing on the themes the Bible tells rather than straight-up preaching. The Bible talks about love, acceptance, welcoming everyone, and of course the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world, who was born in a manger to Mary and Joseph. Churches all over the world put on this production every year, and ultimately the story never changes - just the actors.
It seems that the play is the biggest event the town throws every year, but every year it's the same. Same actors, same emotions, same everything - and honestly it looks rather boring. Yet this really shows how the church is seen by many people: repetitive, mundane, dull, and soulless. The same kids play the same roles year after year, with the coveted Mary going to the snootiest kid of the snootiest mother in the church. So when the Herdmans arrive and throw everyone into a tizzy, it's actually something of a miracle: a clean slate, a way to do things differently. What I appreciate about this film is that it doesn't try to "save" the Herdmans and make them cookie-cutter goodie-goodies that the church could accept. Rather, they're allowed to keep their edge while also investigating for themselves the true meaning of Christmas. It's refreshing to see Jenkins allow the characters to flush out their own stories rather than have it shoved down their throats, and in doing so presents the Christmas story in its most unique - and personal - fashion.
The church is supposed to be a place where all are welcome, but everyone knows that's never the case. The church is flawed and deeply clique-ish, where you have to be someone presentable to be valued. This is shown by the women in the church, who are aghast at the prospect of their holy Christmas play being tarnished by outsiders, who clutch their pearls in fear and anger as they talk negatively about Grace and the Herdmans, and who show in a non-exaggerated form (being someone from the church myself, I can attest that there's many congregants like these women) what it really means not to be a Christian. It's refreshing that Jenkins takes this approach as well, as opposed to showing all churchgoers as perfect, and gives the audience someone to root against.
The Herdmans are obviously deeper than what Beth and the other townspeople consider them to be. On the outside they're unruly kids who would probably burn the town down if given a chance, but we all know that bullies are hurting people themselves, and we see the hurt that the Herdman children face: Imogene is forced to be the mother of her siblings, and who has to give the gruff exterior to protect them - and herself - from the outside world. That's why they act out, not because it's their nature, but as a defense mechanism. Young Beatrice Schneider is the standout performer, playing Imogene as tough-as-nails but also with a deep longing for belonging, for finding something more. She stares at the happy image of Mary holding Jesus, and thinks she's weak, until Grace tells her how strong Mary was for doing what she did, leading her to investigate more and discover the true Mary.
Judy Greer is best known for her comedic roles in films like "Ant-Man" as well as the long-running series "Archer," and here she plays Grace with...grace. She sees hope in the Herdman children and also showcases a tough exterior as she goes against the other women in the church, while also worrying and losing faith that things will work out, but maintaining hope that the Herdmans will pull through. Molly Belle's Beth is a wide-eyed girl who balances the line between wanting to help the Herdmans and also worry that they'll destroy her mother's play, and has a moment of true insight when she brings the Herdmans to the library so they can research their roles, and sees Imogene in a different light.
The film is wholesome and touching, while incorporating the true meaning of Christmas in a way that's nuanced and natural, without offering Chirstianese language that would turn off non-Christian people. We all know the story, but "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" tells it in the most humanistic way, leaving a deeper impact because of it.
The Score: B+
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