Nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town’s yearly Christmas performance.
Amid the countless holiday films out there, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” stands out—a rare gem that manages to make you laugh at its wild, unruly energy while simultaneously pulling at your heart, sometimes both at once. Adapted from Barbara Robinson’s beloved children’s novel, this movie transforms utter chaos into genuine warmth, steering clear of anything overly sentimental or moralizing. Kids will immediately get a kick out of it, but it’s so well done that adults will find themselves coming back to it—not just for the nostalgia, but because it’s just a genuinely great film.
If it’s been a while since you’ve seen it, the story kicks off right around pageant time. The local church kids are busy getting ready, practicing their angelic roles and proper shepherd manners, when suddenly the Herdman kids show up and everything flips upside down. These siblings, in the opening stretch, manage to stir up trouble everywhere—talking about torching bakeries, launching apples, and treating the nativity scene like a no-rules wrestling match. Watching them force their way into the pageant’s lead roles—Mary, Joseph, and even among the angels—is worth tuning in for.
But what really sets this film apart is its perspective. The story never paints the Herdmans as villains or simply misbehaved; instead, it invites you to see them as the rest of the town does—warily, with more than a bit of apprehension—and then turns those expectations inside out. As Christmas approaches, themes of compassion, community, and real, unvarnished love begin to surface, not in heavy-handed ways, but gradually, wrapped inside witty one-liners and real moments.
It’s also remarkable how the movie appeals to all ages. Kids will be doubled over with laughter when Imogene Herdman threatens to wallop the archangel, but adults will spot the more nuanced bits of humor and notice how the small town starts to soften. The Christian undertones—grace, forgiveness, a chance to start over—are all there, but they’re interwoven into the humor and craziness. You won’t leave feeling like you just sat through a sermon. Instead, you’ll feel like you survived a pageant with the Herdmans—and might even wish you could do it again.
Does the film do justice to the book? For sure. It honors the spirit and warmth of Robinson’s original, and the actors give those iconic lines fresh life. The final moments don’t just gently tug at your feelings—they go all in, moving you right at the point when everything could go off the rails. You’ll be hard-pressed not to get choked up when Gladys shouts, “Hey! Unto you a child is born!” with pure amazement, as if she’s finally figured out what Christmas means.
In short, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is holiday comfort at its best—funny, honest, and heartfelt. It shows that sometimes the so-called “worst kids ever” are the ones most capable of reminding everyone what Christmas is truly about. It’s a film that holds up, getting a little bit better every year, which might just be its own kind of Christmas magic.
Now available on Digital and on Blu-ray™ and DVD, October 28th
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