‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ movie engaging ‘as long as there’s snacks!’

Essek Moore as Ollie Herdman, Ewan Wood as Leroy Herdman, Lorelei Olivia Mote as Alice, Matthew Lamb as Claude Herdman, Molly Wright as Beth, Beatrice Schneider as Imogene Herdman, Mason Nelligan as Ralph Herdman, Kynlee Heiman as Gladys Herdman, Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez as Charlie star in a scene from the movie “Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” OSV News classified the movie as A-II, for adults and adolescents. (OSV News photo/Allen Fraser, Lionsgate)

HOUSTON — While churches across the world have children rehearsing nativity plays, the recently released movie “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” will have families laughing, rolling their eyes, and possibly shedding a tear. 

Barbara Robinson’s 1972 book about the “worst children in the world” is brought to life by director Dallas Jenkins, creator of crowdfunded “The Chosen,” about the life of Jesus, popular for its down-to-earth rendition of how Christ first became friends with His disciples. 

In the PG-rated Pageant film now showing in theaters, two redheaded sisters and four brothers are the only members of the Herdman family whom we meet since their mother is always working and their dad is not around. The main narrator of the movie, a young girl, introduces the group of impoverished and troublesome siblings as “absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied, they stole, they smoked cigars, they hit little kids…”  

Plus, they did not attend church ever before and did not even know about the Nativity. So, what allure attracts them to audition for the play?

“As long as there’s snacks,” one brother shouts the mantra of many a hungry kid dragged to events. 

We see the narrator Beth (Molly Belle Wright) sadly allowing the threatening gang ringleader Imogen Herdman (Beatrice Schneider) to steal her necklace. Beth doesn’t even want to squeal to her mother, Grace (Judy Greer), who gifted her the necklace and is the harried first-time director of the play. 

Only a bit longer than an hour and a half, the movie clips along quickly, perhaps angering some viewers as it succinctly shows several church members as harshly judgmental and wanting to throw the bullies out of the production. 

But the Herdmans hijack the pageant, taking over the main roles of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men. The littlest Herdman Gladys (Kynlee Heiman), losing her baby teeth, plays the Angel of the Lord with a toothless smile, shrieking her lines, “HEY! Unto you a child is born!” 

And play director Grace reminds her own frustrated daughter, narrator Beth, and son that “Jesus was born for the Herdmans as much as He was born for us.” 

Meanwhile, the Herdman brothers want to “hang Herod” and beat up the innkeeper as they learn more about the injustices of those ancient times. They are furious in self-identifying with the victims of abuse and being outcasts. Seeing the play in a new light, congregation members get off autopilot. They are reminded of how brave and vulnerable Mary and Joseph were and how even the best-known story can be refreshed with renewed attention and deeper meaning. 

Children’s choir members, including narrator Beth, highlight traditional Christmas hymns throughout the play, singing soothing renditions of “Away in the Manger,” “Little Town of Bethlehem,” “What Child is This?” and “Silent Night.” At the pageant’s conclusion, church members light each other’s white candles, symbolizing the light Christ brings to the world, similar to what Catholics do at Easter Vigil. 

A ragged Imogene as Mary cradling her baby Jesus on stage finally understands how the Holy Family was dirt-poor, had no status, not even a crib for the baby born to change the world. As she stares meditatively out into the audience, a single tear rolls down her cheek. She experiences almost a lectio divina moment reflecting on a scene showing the actual Mary embracing Jesus in the stinky stable, still filled with love. 

The church members burst out in applause. Still undecided? Then think of this sentimental movie as a comedic combo of “Christmas Story,” “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” and a literal “Home Alone.”

As director Dallas Jenkins said before the U.S. presidential election, in hopes of the movie’s impact, “We live in very divided times. We’re in a very tribal election year… But something about Christmas has always united people.”