Review: 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' is a charming family drama that remembers what Christmas is all about

If all Christian-themed movies were as kind, as caring and as joyful — in short, as Christian — as “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” the world would be a much nicer place.

Adapted from Barbara Robinson’s much-loved short story, the movie centers on a church in the small town of Emmanuel, known far and wide for its Christmas pageant — a depiction of the birth of Jesus, carried out by the congregation’s children. It’s a wordless and solemn affair with only one line of dialogue, spoken by the kid playing the angel Gabriel.

For years, the stern Mrs. Armstrong (Mariam Bernstein) has directed the pageant with a set list of rules. When Mrs. Armstrong gets injured at home, someone in the congregation has to take on the burden of directing the kids. That someone is Grace (Judy Greer), one of the church’s moms — who only volunteers when she gets belittled by the snootier moms around her.

Grace tries to keep a lid on the chaos of directing a bunch of kids. Then she makes a decision that everyone expects to add to the chaos — casts the six unruly kids of the Herdmann family, known for bullying, thievery and all manner of bad behavior. They are, declares Grace’s daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright), “the absolutely worst kids in the history of the world.” (An adult Beth, played by Lauren Graham, narrates the story.)

The snooty moms, and the convalescing Mrs. Armstrong, question Grace’s move. But she senses that this is right, and in introducing the Herdmanns to the story of the baby Jesus, is doing what a Christian should be doing. “Jesus was born for the Herdmanns as much as he was for us,” Grace tells Beth. “We’ll be missing the whole point now if we turn them away.”

As that dialogue illustrates, director Dallas Jenkins — known for creating the TV series about Jesus’ life, “The Chosen” — doesn’t shy away from putting Christ in this Christmas pageant. The message is clear, but also genuine. In adapting Barbara Robinson’s short story, screenwriters Ryan Swanson, Platte F. Clark and Darin McDaniel manage to deliver the same childlike wonder about the Nativity that Linus does in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which is as good as one can get with this kind of movie.

The cast’s charm carries a lot of the load. Greer’s been a reliable supporting player forever, and seeing her shine in a lead role is delightful. Pete Holmes gets some nice moments as Grace’s understanding husband, Bob. But the standout is a comparative newcomer: Beatrice Schneider, who plays Imogene, the oldest and most fiercely protective of the Herdmann kids. 

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is a rare thing, indeed — a movie that shows its Christian heart, in all its warm and generous humility, with complete sincerity and goodness. God bless us, everyone.

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‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’

★★★1/2

Opens Friday, November 8, in theaters everywhere. Rated PG for thematic material and brief underage smoking. Running time: 99 minutes.