THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

US, 2024, 99 minutes, Colour.

Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Molly Bell Right, Kynlee Helman, Sebastian Billingsly-Rodriguez, Jenni Burke, Marianne Burnstein, Lauren Graham.

Directed by Dallas Jenkins.

Some ways another American Christmas film – but this is rather different and the film won a number of humanity awards.

A long tradition in a middle American town, the Christmas pageant, for many years, now an anniversary, but the woman who has directed the pageant for some years is sick. Mother of two, Grace, offers to direct the pageant, quite an amount of criticism from the ladies in the town, but she is supported by her husband. They have two children at school.

What makes this film different is the impoverished family who lives on the edge of the town, dominated by the oldest sister, Imogene, gruff, troublesome, disturbances at school, no one to discipline them. The point of the film is that they become involved in the pageant, wrong reasons at first, simply to get some food at the meeting to discuss the play. But, they become involved, go to the library to research the Nativity story, some emotional responses.

There is a moving sequence with the troublesome children, with Grace’s own children, and her going to see them in their home. It is uncertain whether they will turn up for the event, but they do, quite some involvement and the episode as a possible transformation of attitudes in the town.

A postscript reveals what happened to the siblings:

• Ollie Herdman in now a veterinarian who specializes in feline research.
• Claude Herdman is now a public school teacher.
• Leroy Herdman had a few stints in jail, but has been rehabilitated.
• Gladys Herdman is a flight attendant.
• Ralph Herdman is a pastor of the largest church in the Midwest.
• Imogene Herdman acted in a few movies before running the Christmas Pageant at Ralph's church. She is a mother of five.

1. The title and expectations? The many popular American Christmas films?
2. The history of Christmas pageants in American towns? History, traditions, organisers, the Nativity story, the characters? A celebration?
3. The American town, everybody knowing one another, families, the addition of the Christmas pageant, the anniversary, the memories? The director and her being ill? The challenge?
4. The background of the story, the Gospel story, Mary, Joseph, shepherds and kings, angels, the respect for the story, dramatising it? And the town politics as to directing, staging, casting?
5. Grace and Bob, place in the town, Beth and Charlie, age, at school, friends, at home, the bonds?
6. The situation with the Herdmans, rundown house, poverty, clothes, image and in charge, the rest running wild, at school, taunts, behaviour, grabbing everything? The reputation? The characters, boys, the youngest girl?
7. The situation with the pageant, expectations for the anniversary, the illness of the director? The meetings, Grace and her volunteering? Bob and his support? Beth and her dislike of the Herdmans, Charlie and his role?
8. The preparations, Grace feeling inadequate, yet determined to work, the pressures from the other mothers, the young girl who always was Mary? Beth and her role or not?
9. The issue of the Herdmans, hearing about the meetings, the free food, there are all turning up? Their interest in the story, ignorant about it? Imogene and her leadership, control, tough, cheeky? Yet the interest in the story, going to the library to find out more? Imogene determined to be Mary? The others with Herod, the shepherds, the angels?
10. The tension for Grace, the generosity, working with the children, even visiting the home of the Herdmans, explanations, help? Compassion?
11. The people at the rehearsals and the comedy?
12. The girl presuming that she should be Mary, the pressure from her mother, the other mothers, the catering, the responsibilities? The opinion of the woman who always directed?
13. The night itself, the pressures, whether the Herdmans would turn up, their arriving, Imogene taking over Mary, the support of Beth, the performance, problem of finding the baby, the Angel and her behaviour…? An image in and her weeping?
14. The success of the event, the importance for Grace, for Bob and his work behind the scenes, the Beth and Charlie?
15. The story told from the perspective of the of the adult Beth?