The best Christmas contest ever
features the Herdmans, who are absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. The kids sneak into a church in search of snacks and come out with the lead roles in the town pageant. These kids may be the worst and are widely hated by the town, but they may unwittingly teach the community the true meaning of Christmas.
Grace (Judy Greer) is directing the show for the first time and is feeling the pressure, even though she is absolutely determined to make this the best Christmas show ever. She, her daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and her husband Bob (Pete Holmes) are at a loss, especially against a town that wants them to kick out the Herdmans. This film, directed by The Chosen Oneby Dallas Jenkins and based on the international bestseller by Barbara Robinson, hits theaters on November 8th.
Screen speech interviewed Pete Holmes and Judy Greer about their new film, The best Christmas contest ever. They talked about working with a large group of young actors and revealed whether they had ever been in a Christmas show. The actors also discussed the meaning behind the holiday film and why all viewers can and will enjoy it, even if they are not religious.
Children were more professional than adults on set
“If anyone was yelling about playing too much, it was 100% me and Pete, always.”
Screen Rant: What was it like working with this group of young actors?
Judy Greer: For the first time on set, I felt very jealous of her talent, youth, and ability to maintain her composure on set. But they were so wonderful. They were so cute and so happy all the time and they loved each other. The day we finished, they were crying. Wow, they were so amazing. And if anyone was yelling about playing too much, it was 100% me and Pete, always.
Pete Holmes: The kids were amazing. We were the ones who often had problems. They were hitting their mark, finding their light, knowing their lines, totally professional, and it was a pleasure to do it. I also think the fact that Molly, Sebastian, Judy and I were able to bond and bond quickly is essential because you want to feel like a real family. And the way Judy and I did that was by making her so funny, so talented, but also hilarious off camera, and we were laughing all day, which is super fun because Judy cries when she laughs. Most people cry when they laugh, but they have to laugh like a 10. Judy starts around a 4.
Judy Greer: All the women in my family do this. But you know what was interesting? The order we shot everything in, we started at home, so it was just the four of us, and we added a few new kids every day until we got to the second half of the movie, when we had them all at the time. But it was very manageable and a lot of fun because we got to know each child as they joined. It was so fun.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Is A Movie For Everyone
“It’s for everyone in the same way that Christmas is for everyone.”
Screen Rant: Why do you think this movie will be great for all audiences, not just those who are religious?
Judy Greer: I’m not religious. I wouldn’t call myself religious at all. And I love this film. I love the message of this film. I feel like it’s for everyone.
Pete Holmes: The message and the script are so universal. That’s how it happened for both of us, I think. I read. It made me cry, the script. And then I saw that Judy was attached. I met Dallas and thought, I’m in. We didn’t really know that it was necessarily a religious production. That didn’t change things. But it slowly became clearer and clearer.
I’m very happy to be part of this. But I don’t think non-religious people have it… It’s for everyone. It’s for everyone in the same way that Christmas is for everyone. In other words, if there is something religious, it is only religious in the Christmas style too. If that makes sense? Which is just giving people the benefit of the doubt. Let them into your heart and celebrate them.
There are so many movies where it doesn’t even seem like it’s about that, but it’s secretly about that. Because this is a very human thing. It’s about opening your heart and stopping judging people all the time. It’s so tiring. It’s so tiring. I think that’s one of the reasons we love Christmas. It’s because it’s a time of year that we reserve just for practicing. Just see how it feels, like a new pair of shoes in the living room. Just walk around gently and see if you like it.
Screen Rant: Yes, the people in the church trying to kick the kids out of the play are horrible.
Judy Greer: I know. You’re like, it’s a church. You should welcome everyone. What is happening? What are you doing?
Pete Holmes: That’s the dark side of groups. Groups are wonderful, but once you establish a group, any type of group. Even if it’s well-intentioned and wonderful, you unconsciously become a we. And then it becomes a they. So groups are good. But at a certain point, you have to let down the walls and just remember why you started the group in the first place. Which was probably in the name of something good like love and understanding.
About The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)
The Herdmans are absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, intimidate… and now they’ve hijacked the town’s Christmas pageant.
Directed by Dallas Jenkins (“The Chosen”) and based on the international bestseller by Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever follows six siblings who sneak into church in search of snacks and walk out with the lead roles in the pageant. of the city. Grace (Judy Greer) directs the performance for the first time; she, her daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and her husband Bob (Pete Holmes) are at a loss, especially against a town that wants them to kick out the Herdmans. But the play’s mischievous stars may unwittingly teach a community the true meaning of Christmas.
THE BETTER CHRISTMAS CONTEST OF EVER will be released in theaters on November 8th. Source: Screen Rant Plus