Film: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Cast: Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Molly Belle Wright, Lauren Graham, Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, Kynlee Heiman, Matthew Lamb, Beatrice Schneider

Director: Dallas Jenkins

Rating: 3 stars

Runtime: 99 mins

Director Dallas Jenkins’ adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s 1972 book about the “worst children in the world” taking all the lead roles in a church Christmas pageant, conveys the message of Christmas with a warm-hearted depiction of kindness and hope.

Narrated by an adult Beth (Lauren Graham) who gets right to the point, “The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied, they stole, they smoked cigars. They hit little kids, took the Lord’s name in vain. dissed teachers, even set fire to the tool shed.” Ralph (Mason D. Nelligan), Leroy (Ewan Wood), Claude (Matthew Lamb), Ollie (Essek Moore), Gladys (Kynlee Heiman), and Imogen (Beatrice Schneider) are hellions whose shenanigans range from offensive to downright harmful. The picture is clear. They are ruffians with no chance of redemption. Then we see a young Beth (Molly Belle Wright) being bullied by Imogen Herdman (Beatrice Schneider), into giving up her favorite necklace. Beth’s brother Charlie (Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez), who has had to give up his dessert to the Herdmans, is angry and tells them an exaggerated story about all sorts of treats being distributed at church. And so, the Herdmans, ever on the lookout for goodies, show up just as Grace(Judy Greer) is casting the pageant.