Movie Review: ‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’

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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is exactly what you might expect from the title. It is a light-hearted family comedy about a small town putting on the classic tale of Jesus’s birth. The movie is a bit cheesy, the jokes aren’t exactly laugh out loud funny (some had only a couple chuckles in the audience I attended), and the plot is predictable. But if you like genuine, heartwarming Christmas movies that are steeped in religious symbolism/sermons, this movie will be right up your alley.

The movie is literally told to the audience by an adult Beth, played by Lauren Graham whose narration might encompass more dialogue than that of all the other characters combined. Young Beth, played by Molly Belle Wright, is one of the children constantly getting tormented by the Herman children, a group of the unruliest and most hated siblings whose antics stay within the film’s PG rating.

With the small town getting ready to put on their 75th annual Christmas pageant, tragedy strikes the longtime director when she breaks both of her legs. And since the town does not have wheelchairs and/or wheelchair access, Beth’s mother Grace, played by Judy Greer, volunteers to direct the play. While the original director and her judgmental church ladies would prefer the play to be exactly as it always has been, the Herdmans throw a wrench in the gears by taking an interest in snacks, which they are led to believe would be free at the church, and subsequently decide to bully themselves into the starring roles in the play and take it in a slightly different direction. Despite numerous attempts to get the Herdmans out of the play, including a clichéd fake-out where they themselves claim to be out of the play, the play goes on to the joy of the town with barely any rehearsals, even melting the hearts of the previously stuck-up church ladies and teaching the true meaning of Christmas to the townspeople/audience.

As you can probably tell from the previous paragraphs, I had some issues with the movie. However, nitpicking aside, it was a fun Christmas movie that is actually about Christmas (rather than certain other “Christmas movies” that are merely set during Christmas time). I enjoyed the acting and the story was decent enough. There are a few emotional moments mixed in with light comedy and a good moral message. I can picture this film becoming an annual viewing tradition for some people.