‘Hits All The Right Notes’: Critics Have Seen The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, And They’re Feeling The Holiday Spirit
New spin on an old classic.
Halloween has passed, which means we’re now entering the holiday portion of our 2024 movie calendar. Television as well is full of upcoming Christmas movies to choose from, and thankfully it looks like there are at least a few options for the kids as well. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever arrives in theaters on November 8, and critics have had the opportunity to screen the film, which was adapted from the book of the same name by Barbara Robinson. While not without its flaws, reviews indicate that the film is an enjoyable take on the true meaning of Christmas.
Judy Greer and Pete Holmes star in the movie, which centers around a church’s Christmas pageant and the town’s six notoriously trouble-making kids who volunteer to participate in it. It sounds like there are lessons to be learned one and all, and Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com rates it 3.5 out of 4 stars, confirming that to be the case. The critic says the adaptation glows with a message of hope and kindness, writing:
Mary Kassel of ScreenRant, meanwhile, isn’t so convinced, saying the choice to have an entire town of supposedly Christian people hate six children they know to be impoverished goes against the movie’s overall message. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever fails to dig deep, making for an ultimately forgettable holiday film, but one with enough feel-good appeal that it will find an audience anyway. Kassel rates the movie 4 out of 10 and says:
Robert Kojder of Flickering Myth agrees the upcoming family friendly flick isn’t without its flaws — Lauren Graham’s narration a la A Christmas Story becomes unnecessary, darker elements are avoided, etc., but the story overall is “unexpectedly beautiful.” Kojder continues:
William Bibbiani of The Wrap thinks the movie has plenty of depth, with Dallas Jenkins not content to merely rehash a story about a church play and some naughty kids. This comedy asks serious questions about Christianity and also comes up with quite good answers. Bibbiani writes:
Pete Hammond of Deadline is reminded of A Christmas Story and says The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has what it takes to become a perennial itself. It’s the rare faith-based movie that, in Hammond’s words, “doesn’t try to hit you on the head with a sermon.” Instead it grabs your heart and makes you smile. The critic continues:
Ahead of its November 8 release to theaters, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever holds an impressive 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. Only time will tell, however, if The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will become one of the best Christmas movies ever.
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Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.