Home (Video) for the Holidays: THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

Halloween has passed, temperatures are dropping, and the kids are already putting together wish lists.

Last year I really enjoyed seeing The Best Christmas Pageant Ever when it made its theatrical run, and welcomed the opportunity to revisit it and check out the new Blu-ray edition arriving for the 2025 holiday season.

Based on the 1972 book by Barbara Robinson, the film is directed by Dallas Jenkins (The Chosen), who recounts on the disc’s featurettes that he was profoundly moved by reading it to his children and pursued the rights to direct a film adaptation.

Judy Greer stars as Grace, the mother of the film’s adult narrator, Beth, who recounts a childhood Christmas memory. Beth is played in the film by Molly Belle Wright, with a grown-up Lauren Graham narrating.

A humble mom and genial churchgoing lady, Grace tries to avoid all the gossip and drama that permeates her neighborhood, even at church. Especially at church. It was fun for me revisiting Greer’s wholesome portrayal after just seeing her turn as a wild-eyed, murderous psychopath in the thriller Dead of Winter. She contains multitudes!

The annual Christmas Pageant is a major institution not only for the church that hosts it, but the entire town of Emmanuel. When the usual organizer is injured, Grace surprises everyone – herself most of all – by volunteering in the heat of a moment to take over the production – just to spite the judgy, pearl-clutching church ladies who doubt her ability to handle it.

Daughter Beth’s home, school, and church lives all come crashing together when the infamous Herdmans – the worst kids in the world, a sibling squad of juvenile delinquents – suddenly show up at church just as her Mom is trying to put the pageant together. The Herdman kids are the terror of the town – a gang of foul-mouthed, mud-slinging, bad-attitude bullies, thieves, and arsonists. Terrified of the Herdmans, the church kids refuse to compete against them for roles, resulting – to everyone’s horror – in an all-Herdman leading cast for the pageant, with the irascible Imogene Herdman (Beatrice Schneider) leading the charge as Mary.

This is a funny, heartwarming, and empathy-driven film, calling out some of the hypocrisy and elitisim that can plague churches and communities. Spending time with the Herdman kids give Beth and Grace a new perspective on the “bad kids”: the lives they live, the judgment they face, and the humans beneath the rugged exteriors. Maybe the worst kids in the world aren’t as bad as they seem.

The church should be a welcoming and loving place, but instead most of the people there seem to be intent on kicking the Herdmans out to preserve the sanctity of their status quo. Grace makes the fateful decision to push back – by sticking up for the worst kids in the world.

Pete Holmes, one of my favorite comedians, also stars as Bob, supportive husband to Grace and genial dad to Beth and her brother. He’s kind of a typical schlubby dad, but also the chillest and least judgmental character who seems to quietly lead his family by example – sometimes.

The big test for any Christmas film is whether it’ll clear the tough hurdle of becoming an annual watch like the most familiar Christmas movies and specials. While The Best Christmas Pageant Ever isn’t as in-your-face with big entertainment like Elf or Home Alone, its vaguely-defined yesteryear setting gives it a nostalgic aura and a sense of old-timey charm, similar to A Christmas Story or Norman Rockwell paintings. I think a lot of families will appreciate its warm story, gentle spirit, and incredibly moving finale.