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Adapted from the 1972 novel of the same name, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever absolutely deserves to be traditional holiday season viewing. Directed by Dallas Jenkins (the multi-hyphenate filmmaker behind the TV series The Chosen), this funny and moving film was released theatrically in November 2024. Lionsgate is releasing a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD combo pack just in time for this year’s festivities.
The story centers on two families. Matriarch of the comfortably middle-class Bradley family, Grace (Judy Greer), has volunteered to direct their town church’s annual Christmas pageant. The woman usually in charge is sidelined due to injury. Grace and her husband Bob (Pete Holmes), along with their children Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and Charlie (Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez), aren’t nearly as judgmental as many of the families who attend their church. In fact, some of the other mothers believe Grace isn’t up to the task of spearheading the production.
Things only become more contentious when the six Herdman kids, hellions who don’t normally attend church, decide to attend Sunday school (for the free snacks). Upon learning about the upcoming pageant, the six unruly Herdmans sign up for parts. The eldest, Imogene (Beatrice Schneider), wants to portray Mother Mary. Most of the snooty parishioners urge Grace to bar the Herdmans, universally considered to be the town hooligans (their parents remain unseen throughout), from participation. Even openminded Beth (who, in adult form—voiced by Lauren Graham—narrates the picture) is initially skeptical about the Herdmans’ ability to behave appropriately.
The class struggle, middle versus lower, is central to this tale. Turns out Bob knows where the Herdman kids live as he has been delivering a Christmas ham to their residence for years. Taken aback by this revelation, and dismayed by their living conditions, Grace begins to believe in the Herdman kids’ apparent convictions. Imogene convinces her siblings to conduct deep research into the Christmas story to hopefully inject some gritty realism into the pageant. To reveal much more would risk spoiling the film’s considerable charms.
Suffice it to say, things unfold in a far more nuanced way than one might suspect of a crowd-pleasing holiday comedy. It’s more of a drama, and the efforts by both families (the Bradleys’ growing realization that goodness and virtue exist outside of the bourgeoisie; the Herdmans’ discovery of a sense of personal pride) provide a genuine heart and soul to what could’ve easily been a silly romp. Have the tissues nearby (but also know, this isn’t a tragedy).
Lionsgate’s Blu-ray edition includes a handful of bonus features. Director Dallas Jenkins is joined by producer Kevin Downes for an audio commentary track. A quintet of short featurettes offers some standard behind-the-scenes footage. Bloopers and deleted scenes round out the package.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, well-acted (especially by Beatrice Schneider as the Herdmans’ de facto “mother” figure, Imogene) deserves recognition as a new holiday classic.
