Yesterday, Lauri reviewed the book “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” by Barbara Robinson. Today I’m reviewing the made-for-TV movie of that book, which is a must-see for me each and every holiday season.
Our narrator is Beth Bradley, a serious-minded young lady who has a wide-eyed view of life and is learning to be a little cynical. She’s the daughter of Grace (Loretta Swit) and Bob (Jackson Davies) devout members of their local church. She and her brother Charlie attend Sunday School every week and are looking forward to the Christmas pageant, although Charlie really doesn’t want to be a shepherd this year.
The Herdsmans are about as different from the Bradley’s as you can get. Their father, we are informed by Beth, took off one day and hasn’t been heard from since. Their mother works double shifts to try and keep them fed, and the kids run wild. And I mean, wild. They get into all sorts of trouble and there’s no one there to keep them out of it.
When Charlie gets the wild idea to invite the Herdsmans to come to church, no one realized that they would end up taking over the Christmas pageant. Grace has the unfortunate – I mean, the wonderful – assignment of directing the pageant this year, and before she knows it, the Herdsmans have taken over all the main parts. What’s worse, they’re smoking in the church bathrooms and drinking the communion wine! The pastor is sure they should cancel the event for the year, but Grace is determined to pull it off, and wouldn’t you know it, but it turned out to be the best Christmas pageant ever.
The best moment is when the Herdsmans, playing the three Wise Men, donate their own Christmas ham to the baby Jesus, feeling that frankincense and myrrh just aren’t good enough. That one gets me every single time.
Related Blogs:
Tristi’s Favorite Christmas Movies
Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause