Filmmaker Dallas Jenkins’s latest work, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, an adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s 1972 novel, reminds us of what Christmas is all about at its core.
In an era where most contemporary Christmas films focus on secular themes, the “Christmas spirit” is often presented as a stand-in for faith. While such portrayals highlight positive aspects of the season — joy, generosity, togetherness — they frequently sidestep the spiritual foundation of the Christian celebration: the birth of Christ. Christmas has become a cultural behemoth, transcending race, religion, and borders. In a fractured world, it is perhaps a boon that we can collectively share a holiday that brings joy. Yet every so often, even for the religiously ambiguous, it is worth revisiting Christmas’s origin story, not its watered-down and corporatized offshoot.
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Jenkins grounds Pageant in a picturesque small-town America that’s so earnestly nostalgic it feels like it tumbled out of a Norman Rockwell painting. At its heart is Judy Greer’s Grace, a quintessential small-town mom. But Grace is no Instagram “trad wife” showing off bread baked on a La Cornue stove and Smeg appliances. She’s old-school Americana: the quiet kind of steady, middle-class decency we see so rarely outside of Jimmy Stewart movies and John Mellencamp lyrics. Her life revolves around her family, the community church, and making the annual Christmas pageant a moral and joyous triumph, not for the New York Times critics, but for her neighbors.
However, no idyllic town exists without its misfits. Enter the Herdmans: a ragtag group of siblings raised by a single mother overwhelmed by multiple jobs and unable to manage her unruly brood. With no adult guidance, the Herdmans terrorize the local kids, earning their infamous label as “the worst kids in the history of the world.” Their escapades — arson, theft, and swearing — are played for laughs, complete with townsfolk scurrying away in horror. Yet their bark proves worse than their bite. The Herdmans are more mischievous than malevolent, closer in spirit to Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer than John Steinbeck’s Cathy in East of Eden.
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The Herdmans’ unexpected journey begins when they catch wind of free snacks at Sunday school. Despite growing up in the same town as the church kids, likely attending the same public schools, they’ve never heard the story of Christmas. This curious gap in their upbringing remains unexplained but fuels one of the film’s central tensions. Imogene (Beatrice Schneider), the eldest and self-appointed leader, decides that she and her siblings will take over the pageant, perhaps inspired by her love of movies. Terrified, none of the other children dare challenge the Herdmans, leaving Grace tasked with staging a Christmas pageant starring children who’ve never heard of Herod, Mary, or the three wise men.
A pivotal scene arrives midway through the film when the infamous Herdman gang first enters the church doors, sweet tooths in tow. The shocked minister welcomes them, inviting them to stay. It’s a touching moment but also raises a question: Why did it take this long for the church, in such a close-knit, traditional town, to extend a hand to children so clearly in need of guidance? It’s a thought-provoking moment that Jenkins leaves to the audience’s interpretation.
In this “bad-to-good” coming-of-age arc, we witness the Herdmans’ transformation. As they embrace the story of Christmas, they also come to understand themes of redemption, judgment, and grace (though not before skimming a few bills from the tithe box). Their journey doesn’t erase their rough edges, but it underscores the broader message: No one is beyond redemption. Moreover, the once-disparaging and judgmental parishioners gradually come to embrace the Herdmans, learning to look past their abrasive facade. It’s a timely reminder that grace works both ways, another fitting Christmas lesson.
A notable triumph of Jenkins’ direction is the film’s timeless quality. Landline phones, vintage cars, and analog charm imbue the setting with nostalgia, yet the story itself feels universal. This is not a period piece but rather a parable that could exist in any era, reinforcing the enduring relevance of its themes.
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That said, the film is not without flaws. While Schneider delivers a strong performance as Imogene, some of the younger Herdman actors falter, and their uneven delivery can briefly pull viewers out of the story. However, these moments are forgivable in light of the film’s heartwarming sincerity.
Ultimately, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a wholesome, heartfelt addition to the Christmas movie canon, one that, unlike most modern offerings, is actually about Christmas. Jenkins delivers a film that is earnest, charming, and unapologetically rooted in faith, reminding us of the season’s spiritual essence.
Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) is a film critic for the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a computer engineer in Toronto pursuing his MBA.