Honestly, walking into a theater for a "faith-based" holiday flick usually feels like a gamble. You're either getting a Hallmark-style sugar rush or a lecture. But The Best Christmas Pageant Ever movie, which hit theaters in late 2024, managed to dodge both of those traps. It’s gritty. It’s messy. And yeah, it’s actually funny.
If you grew up reading the 1972 classic by Barbara Robinson, you know the drill. The Herdmans are the "worst kids in the history of the world." They smoke cigars, they steal lunch money, and they set fire to Fred Shoemaker’s tool shed. When they decide to hijack the local church’s 75th annual Christmas pageant just for the free snacks, the whole town of Emmanuel loses its collective mind.
The 20-Year Wait to Get It Right
Director Dallas Jenkins, the guy behind the massive hit The Chosen, didn't just wake up and decide to make this. He actually spent 20 years trying to get the rights. For 15 of those years, he had a weekly "Pray for Pageant" reminder on his phone. Talk about dedication.
The movie was filmed primarily in Winnipeg, Canada, where the biting cold—sometimes hitting minus-40 degrees—added an authentic, shivering realism to the small-town vibes. It wasn't some high-budget Hollywood spectacle; it was a passion project made for less than $10 million. That scrappiness shows on screen in the best way possible. It feels lived-in.
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Why This Version of the Herdmans Actually Works
Most adaptations of this story play the Herdmans as cartoon villains. Here, they feel like real, neglected kids. Beatrice Schneider, who plays the lead delinquent Imogene Herdman, is a total revelation. When she bullies her way into the role of the Virgin Mary, you aren’t just waiting for her to fail; you’re watching a kid who has never heard the story of Jesus before realize that the Holy Family was just as "outsider" as she is.
The cast is surprisingly stacked:
- Judy Greer as Grace Bradley: She’s the stressed-out mom thrust into directing the pageant after the usual leader (Mrs. Armstrong) breaks both legs. Greer is the queen of the "relatable breakdown."
- Pete Holmes as Bob Bradley: He provides the dry, "I’m just here for the snacks" dad energy that keeps the movie grounded.
- Lauren Graham: Her voice narrates the whole thing, giving it a nostalgic A Christmas Story feel. She even makes a cameo.
The chemistry works because the movie doesn't try to "fix" the Herdmans by the end. They’re still rough around the edges. But the town changes. The "good" church people realize they’ve been gatekeeping a story that was originally meant for the lowly and the lost.
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The Box Office Surprise
Nobody expected this movie to be a heavyweight, but it opened at No. 3 at the North American box office, raking in over $10 million in its first weekend. By the time it finished its theatrical run, it had grossed over **$40 million**.
Critics actually liked it, too. That’s rare for a movie categorized as "faith-based." On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 92% critic score and a staggering 97% audience score. It turns out people were hungry for a holiday movie that didn't feel like it was written by an algorithm.
What Most People Miss About the Ending
The "Best Christmas Pageant Ever" movie succeeds because of its theology, not in spite of it. In one of the most poignant scenes, Imogene (as Mary) is crying during the pageant. It’s not because she’s suddenly become a "good girl." It’s because she realizes that Mary and Joseph were refugees who had nowhere to go—just like her family.
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As Dallas Jenkins put it in interviews, the movie is trying to take the story of Christmas down from "stained glass windows and pretty paintings" and put it back in the dirt where it started.
If you're planning to watch it now (it's currently available on DVD and streaming), here’s the best way to dive in:
- Watch the 1983 TV Special first: If you want to see how far the storytelling has come, find the old version starring Loretta Swit. It’s shorter and more dated, but it shows why the 2024 movie’s focus on the Herdmans' poverty is so much more effective.
- Look for the Easter Eggs: If you’re a fan of The Chosen, keep an eye out for several actors from the series who make appearances in the town of Emmanuel.
- Check the Bonus Features: The DVD release includes Beatrice Schneider’s original audition tapes. Watching her transition from a normal kid to the terrifying Imogene is a masterclass in child acting.
Whether you're religious or just someone who likes a movie where a kid threatens to give the Angel of the Lord a "knuckle sandwich," this one belongs in the permanent holiday rotation.