The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Movie Review

15
Jan 25
0

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Movie Review

Nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town’s yearly Christmas performance.

Why did I come to this movie again?

I never got around to seeing this before Christmas. Better late than never, right?

This show is a nostalgic thing for me. I remember one of my elementary school teachers reading this to my class. I don’t recall which teacher or which grade I was in, but I’ve always remembered how good the book made me feel. Also, it was funny, and I love me some humor.

I’m a spiritual person, so beware, this is coming from someone who loves things like this.

5 of 5

Characters

The cast of characters in this film is big. Because it’s based on a children’s book, most of them are simple archetypes.

The women of the church congregation, minus Beth’s mom, are all uppity, snobbish, and downright horrible. Their children are mostly awful as well.

The Herdman kids were all crazy and out of control.

All of this was fine for me. I expected it and they delivered solid characters, even if they were mostly one-dimensional.

I did love Beth’s dad. He cracked me up. The minster was cool as well.

Beth and Imogene had the most interesting character arcs.

I really sympathize with Beth, because I’m the one who tries to do the right thing, but sometimes I hate it because I look weak or whatever. Beth trusts the convictions she’s learned in church about being a good person and gets to see the fruits of her labors.

On the flip side Imogene finds out she’s not alone, and that makes all the difference.

4 of 5

Did I care what happened?

Of course! This story is one train wreck after another, and if you’ve ever tried to put on an event like a Christmas Pageant, then you probably had some PTSD while watching a few scenes of the movie.

The great thing about the story is that it keeps you hoping that things will work out and that people are, deep down, basically good.

4 of 5

Plot Holes

I didn’t really notice any. The book that the movie is based on is pretty solid, so while I’m sure I could poke some holes in it, I’m not going to try.

5 of 5

How many times did I yawn?

No yawning. The pacing of the show worked. The scenes alternated nicely between disaster, recovery, fun, and sweet.

Honestly, I thought it could have been a few minutes longer.

4 of 5

Cool Factor

There aren’t any fancy special effects in this movie, so I’d have to say the cool factor was the 70s vibe that came through. The book was published in the early 1970s, and this film didn’t try to update it, nor did they dwell on the fact that it was in the past. It just was, and it worked.

5 of 5

The End

The end of this show kills me. In a good way. I love me a feel-good ending that leaves me thinking about how I can improve my own life but not highlight my (many) imperfections.

I do have one gripe, and it’s a “The book was better” thing, so feel free to ignore this.

There’s a moment in the book, during the pageant, when the kid who’s playing the innkeeper says something that I’ve never forgotten. Like I can still feel the air around me from the room I was in when I first heard it.

The innkeeper isn’t one of the Herdman clan, but is supposed to turn Mary and Joseph, played by two of the Herdmans, away.

The kids aren’t supposed to say anything during the pageant, and if I remember right, this kid is the first one who cracks. As Mary and Joseph are walking away this innkeeper feels so bad for them that he calls them back and tells them to take his room/bed.

I know why they didn’t put it in the movie—it would have been a distraction from how they presented the pageant—but I really missed that bit.

4 of 5

Overall Enjoyment

Loved it! I’ll probably buy it and watch it every year. A true meaning of Christmas story.

5 of 5