The Best Christmas Pageant Ever | Movie Review

I had no expectations watching The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I knew nothing about it, especially not that it stars Judy Greer and Lauren Graham! It also stars Pete Holmes, Kynlee Heiman, Beatrice Schneider, and Molly Belle Wright. The casting is fantastic.

I know, I know, this movie is a year old and I’m late to the party. But for those just watching it in 2025 and beyond, I’ll share my thoughts on the movie after I share this blurb from amazon on it.

About the Film

The Herdmans are absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, they steal, they bully…and now they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant. Directed by Dallas Jenkins (“The Chosen”) and based on the international bestseller by Barbara Robinson, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER follows six siblings who sneak into church searching for snacks and walk away with the lead roles in the town pageant. Grace (Judy Greer) is directing the performance for the very first time, but she and her daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and husband Bob (Pete Holmes) are in over their heads, especially against a town that wants them to kick the Herdmans out. But the play’s mischievous stars might unwittingly teach a community the true meaning of Christmas. Featuring Lauren Graham.

My Review

I think this is the first movie I’ve ever reviewed on my blog, but it’s Christmas time and this festive family film is an adaptation of a children’s novel so I’m making an exception. Plus, it was filmed in and around Winnipeg, Manitoba. Us Canadians love discovering movies set here. I lived near Winnipeg for a few years, and it is brutally cold in the winter. I think the setting was perfect, and the church’s archecture—where a lot of the movie took place—was stunning.

As with my book reviews, I’m going to do this without spoilers as best I can.

I’d recommend this film for ages seven up. The Herdmans’ bully nature makes for some edgier scenes, after all, but parents you should decide for your own kids. I think my three year old would loose interest attention-span wise regardless.

I loved seeing into the Herdman’s lives and the way Beth’s heart grew in compassion for them, but also truly saw what this family brought to the table. Part of that was the simplicity and raw view they gave the story of Jesus’ birth in a Bethlehem Stable.

For those who have heard this story over and over all our lives, we can loose touch with the magnificence of it. The hardship of Mary and Joseph not finding a suitable place to sleep and give birth to a baby. The lack of medical care and even family surrounding them, and instead wise men and shepherds. Perfect strangers to them. It’s eye opening. Reading some of the Christmas story again today, things pop out more than usual. Like the fact that Joseph had intended on divorcing Mary quietly until an angel appeared to him and talked him out of it. Or just how hard that journey would have been on Mary.

This isn’t some fairy tail. This really happened and it’s the story of our Savior’s birth. Watching the fictional story of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was a delight and seeing the Christmas story through Imogene Herdman’s eyes was both moving and inspiring.

And the way Grace took on the religious folks … well, who couldn’t cheer for that? Grace is a great character. I loved her spunk, grace, and kindness.

In the end, a pageant is not about perfection, is it? If kids are involved, it won’t be. But especially not if those kids are Herdmans, but maybe it can be even better than perfect would have been.

This will likely be my last post before Christmas, so Merry Christmas, friends! I hope you’ll settle in for a cozy night at some point over the holidays and watch this fantastic holiday film.

Where to Watch

From what I can tell online, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is available to stream/rent from Crave, Prime Video, Apple TV and probably some other spots too. Or you could buy it on amazon and watch it year after year. My eight-year-old self would have replayed this one, no doubt.