Nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town’s yearly Christmas performance.
Chuck says:
Heavy-handed, yet sweet, Dallas Jenkins’ “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” contains a sense of sincerity about it that makes it more effective than it should be. This adaptation of the seminal holiday classic by Barbara Robinson manages to conjure the same sense of whimsy akin to “A Christmas Story” while delivering its theme in an unexpectedly poignant manner. It’s a fine line between comedy and pathos, yet somehow Jenkins walks it to deliver a fair share of gentle laughs while tugging at our hearts.
The story is narrated by Beth (Lauren Graham), who is reminiscing about the annual Christmas pageant conducted by her church in the town of Emmanual. As a child (Molly Belle Wright), she and the other children of the community were terrorized by the Herdmans, six children who are seemingly raising themselves, their parents never present, their behavior unchecked. Bullying and abusive, the sextet is known for their cussing, shoplifting, acts of arson and all-around heinous behavior. This is all, inexplicably, tolerated by the community, no offers of aid coming forth, the kids shunned instead.
That is until the director of the annual Christmas pageant breaks both of her legs and Beth’s mom, Grace (Judy Greer), steps in to fill her shoes. Showing up for free food at the church just as preparations for the show are getting underway, the Herdman children catch wind of it and decide they want to participate. Seeing a need in them others have ignored, Grace allows them to take the lead roles, much to the consternation of Emmanuel’s uppity citizens, who see nothing but disaster resulting in letting these hooligans into the church.
The oldest of the Hardmans, Imogene (Beatrice Schneider), emerges as the catalyst of the story, connecting with her role of Mary, channeling her strength but also relating to her outsider status. Her siblings respond in kind, taking a deep dive into the story of the nativity and its theme of acceptance and perseverance. Of course, through them, the congregation gets the wake up call they need, seeing the oft-told story played out by those they have ignored.
While the outcome of the story is predictable, Jenkins adopts a brisk pace to get us to the climax which proves surprisingly effective. Yet, much of this depends on the viewer not asking hard questions, as the absence of the Herdman children’s parents nags throughout, as does the fact that no one in the community has stepped into help before these events. That there is no indication if any intervention was done after the pageant, seems a gross oversight. With “Pageant” painted in such large strokes, these concerns are glossed over, its intent being to simply drive home its positive message.
3 Stars
