Based on the 1972 children’s book of the same name by Barbara Robinson The best Christmas contest ever it prolongs the story, but fails to go deeper into exploring the true meaning of Christmas. Now that it’s November, stores, companies and the media will all be diving headfirst into the Christmas spirit, even though the event itself is still almost two months away. This is the cycle of Christmas joy in film and television. Although it is being released on schedule, The best Christmas contest ever is trying to combat the commodification of Christmas, if only slightly.
Although Christmas films have become more secular over time, as Christmas turns into a cultural rather than a religious celebration for many Western countries, The best Christmas contest ever wants to remember the roots of the holiday. However, it’s unlikely to be remembered as one of the best Christmas films of all time. Directed by Dallas Jenkins, known for the TV series The Chosen OneThe film follows Beth (Molly Belle Wright) as she remembers a historic moment at her town’s family Christmas pageant when the Herdmans, a rowdy group of children, steal the show.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Wastes Judy Greer and Pete Holmes in Incomplete Roles
The actors do their best to flesh out their fairytale characters
Judy Greer stars as Grace, Beth’s mother, who volunteers to run the pageant to show the town’s judgmental mothers that she can do it. Pete Holmes plays Bob, the father. This character has nothing to do but deliver weak lines and a Christmas ham. Like most people in history, Beth and Bob have limited motivations and desires other than wanting Christmas to be special and have little vision or knowledge outside of their small town. While a limited scope can sometimes work in a film like this’s favor, it makes it difficult to connect the story.
The best Christmas contest ever tries to achieve a similar tone to iconic films like A Christmas Storyusing the same framing device of an older narrator describing his childhood and the whimsical way the story unfolds. However, the film asks for much more emotional vulnerability than A Christmas Storyand it doesn’t always balance its emotional appeals with the Herdman children’s enigmatic portrayal. Simultaneously painting these children as cartoon villains and misunderstood underdogs, the Herdmans are not the only source of cognitive dissonance in the film.
Even in a campy fairy tale, it’s hard to believe that the spirit of Christianity the film is in tune with is lost in all these characters.
One of my biggest problems with The best Christmas contest ever was the characterization of the antagonists and their one-dimensional hatred for a group of children. Surprisingly, the film chose to make practically the entire town against the Herdmans. Although these children are mischievous, they are also poor and it is known that their parents are absent. Even in a campy fairy tale, it’s hard to believe that the spirit of Christianity the film is in tune with is lost in all these characters. The fact that Grace would even consider kicking them out of the play is shocking.
There are parts of the story that the film needed to include, and the Herdmans’ ostracism is one of them, but it could have been handled with more nuance. The best Christmas contest ever is a childish escapist fantasy at its core, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, it’s frustrating when much of the story seems to take place in this sanitized version of the past, while trying to solve serious problems. Imogene Herdman (Beatrice Schneider) and the few glimpses we get into the reality of her situation are by far the best part of the film.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Follows Your Own Interpretation of the True Meaning of Christmas
Once the town shows some kindness towards these children, it is implied that the Herdmans are quickly embraced by the community. This is a sweet ending, but it’s completely disconnected from the fact that the town was perfectly content to villainize these kids for years and leave them out. We must understand that the Herdmans’ external perspective and questioning about Christmas bring the church closer to what Christmas is. But the film refuses to criticize the community’s failings while also feeling comfortable punishing the Herdmans as outsiders throughout the story.
If an easy-to-digest, religious Christmas movie is what you’re looking for this holiday season, The best Christmas contest ever will deliver. The ending is emotional, and the performances of the child actors are sweet enough to make them scream a lot. Even though it’s forgettable, the film has an undeniable feel-good appeal, and during the cold winter months, there’s no reason to take that away from anyone. Flaws and all, there’s no doubt this film will find its audience and be celebrated for its nostalgia and pathos.
The best Christmas contest ever will be released in theaters on November 8, 2024. The film is 99 minutes long and rated PG for thematic material and brief underage smoking.
The Herdman children, known as the worst kids in town, take control of the annual Christmas pageant, causing chaos and confusion in the local community. As the town prepares for a disastrous performance, the Herdmans inadvertently teach everyone a heartwarming lesson about the true meaning of Christmas.
- The film can be enjoyable and the child actors are solid in their roles
- Judy Greer and Pete Holmes are wasted in half-baked roles
- The interpretation of the Christmas story is confusing
- The characters’ mistreatment of the Herdmans goes against their message