Directed By Dallas Jenkins
Starring – Judy Greer, Lauren Graham, Pete Holmes
The Plot – Nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town’s yearly Christmas performance.
Rated PG for thematic material and brief underage smoking.
POSITIVES
Not since 2015’s ‘The Night Before’ has a Christmas movie filled me with the kind of joy and sincerity of the season, this time surprisingly from a religious production company that always has its heart in the right place, while cementing something entertainingly endearing for all sides of the audience. Getting it out of the way firstly, the religion in the film is definitely there, as the Christmas play that these kids put on centers around recreating the birth of Jesus Christ, but never does the material feel manipulative or objective towards recruiting followers, instead focusing on the established history of the birth in a manger story that parallels so effortlessly to kids in need, who seek community. These kids view the opportunity to play these characters as a fresh start to halt the prejudice that the townspeople feel for them, and along the way we see their subtle transformations that stem more from inclusivity, instead of simply just accepting the word of Christ, and it makes for a warm-hearted experience that conjures all of the sentimental feelings just in time for the holiday season. Further adding to its appeal is also a heavily humorous from Jenkins that is surprising to say the least, considering this was the same guy who created the dry religious TV series ‘The Chosen’, it’s quite remarkable to see the extent of his indulgence for humor, which even with a PG rating doesn’t feel limited or restrained by attaining consistently effective laughs that immediately began to win me over, during an opening act that was the highlight of the movie for me. Between this and the framing device of a girl-grown-woman recalling the tumultuous production of this play (With narration by Graham), the film would make for a solid double feature with ‘A Christmas Story’, as both zero in on a simpler time during the holiday season, with such an admiration for family traditions and imaginatively exaggerated gags told with clever cutaways in transition. Further separating itself from most faith-based movies, the film also has a charismatic ensemble at its disposal who each cement an integral piece to the movie’s prominence, but none as consistently dependable as Greer as an in-over-her-head mother of two who unexpectedly agrees to helm the community’s 75th edition of this vital play. Greer has made a career of razor sharp comedic timing, so it’s no surprise that she shines towards eliciting overwhelming vulnerability in any situation that garners humor among humility, but as the primary protagonist, she’s also responsible for inflicting life lessons to her children in ways that brings out the sweetness and sincerity of Greer’s suppressed talents, with resiliency for such a battle-tested character that is impossible not to appreciate. She’s joined by Holmes, who is slowly gaining a reputation for excelling in thankless roles, particularly here as the quietly reserved but educational father who teaches his children about giving and accepting, with the kind of advantageous cynicism that follows Pete throughout all of his roles. This isn’t just an adult affair, however, as the dynamic duo of Molly Belle Wright and Beatrice Schneider turn in merited performances that feel years ahead of their respective ages, with Schneider’s evolution of the head of this dysfunctional clan of siblings earning her enriched dramatics that constantly force her to dig deep. As to where most child performances feel steered or artificially wooden, Schneider commits herself to various deliveries that appraise a soulful sting that make her feel intimidating without downright sacrificing her humanity, resulting in an unblemished screen presence that enhances the compelling quality of the engagement, each time her character moves back into frame. Lastly, the film refuses to overstay its welcome with a 94-minute run time, but beyond that a maintained level of urgency to the storytelling that blesses the movie’s pacing remarkably. While I definitely felt that the film’s first half succeeded its second, based entirely on problems that I will get to in a second, I never felt bored or tested by the extent of the proverbial journey, as the developments and arcs persevere in ways that far exceeded the story’s literary origins, making it a credible adaptation without feeling excessive for impatient audiences.
NEGATIVES
Despite Jenkins effective effort shining the more than twenty years that has passed since he’s been trying to adapt this story, there are some key ingredients overlooked that ultimately keep this from surpassing some of the all-time best Christmas movies of the genre, with the script and presentation feeling like momentary speed bumps on the way to such a serviceable engagement. With the script, predictability definitely plays a factor to its detriment, with a highly telegraphed second act that makes the material feel interchangeable with as many as six other Christmas films that I could think of. While the story does emanate from a 70’s novel of the same name, as previously mentioned, I feel like inexperienced audiences will still be able to inevitably sniff out the big reveals and developments of these characters without error, as the film’s inability to deviate from even the slightest detail leaves it as a faithful adaptation, but unfortunately in ways that don’t drive speculation about where characters are headed, made worse by surface level exploration to the dysfunctional family in question. This is my other major problem with the script, as the misfit kids and their surroundings essentially go completely unexplored, with only the table scraps of speculation filling in the gaps for so little development paid to each of them. While I understand that this is Wright’s narrative for the taking, some uncovering realities within the household of these kids could’ve delivered empathy in the moments they needed them most, in turn making it all the easier to take adult townsfolk supporting characters who are Stephen King levels of cartoon caricatures in the way they continuously judge a book by its cover. I deeply commend the script for pointing out the occasional ironies within the bible that attain a refreshing approach to progressivism, but refusing to ever confront these crudely classless types in ways that allow them to see the error of their ways feels compromising the material to practice what it preaches, leaving them essentially as background noise until the moment the play conveniently opens their eyes. As for the aforementioned presentation, Jenkins and the production waste a major opportunity to show off by eliciting the consistency of Christmas influence, with a horrendously grainy and weathered textured for the movie’s visuals that were a chore to constantly interpret. Nobody certainly expects artistic merits within a faith-based Christmas film, but the capabilities of a 20 million dollar budget go tragically wasted, and as a result this ugly canvas that I initially thought was meant to capture a foggy illustration of a girl’s memories, carried over to third act current day scenes, proving it to not exactly be an artistic decision.
OVERALL
‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ is not only the best Christmas movie to come to cinemas in nearly a decade, but also a touching sentiment about accepting that will keep audiences warm throughout the chilly temperatures of the season. Though the film occasionally crafts coal in shallow surface level explorations or telegraphed predictability, the charms of the gifted ensemble constantly give the audience what they want, with a firm balance of humor and heart that is best unwrapped in the presence of those held near and dear.
My Grade: 6/10 or C+
I may make this a family movie night movie. I think my kids would like it a lot. Thank you for the review.