‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ is Rotten Tomatoes Hit of the Year

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As someone who has grown weary of the same old saccharine Christmas movies that flood our screens every holiday season, I must admit that “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” has truly caught my attention and left a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart. Coming from someone who’s seen more Hallmark movies than I care to admit, this film stands out as a breath of fresh air.

As a movie enthusiast, I must say, modern Christmas movies seem to follow the same pattern – harried lawyers finding love and the true meaning of Christmas on Hallmark. But, critics on Rotten Tomatoes rave about Judy Greer and Pete Holmes’ heartfelt Christmas film that manages to rise above the generic, mass-produced feel that often overwhelms this genre. With an impressive 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this faith-based movie might just break free from its mold to become a cherished holiday tradition for both religious and secular audiences alike. According to Pete Hammond of Deadline, this film is indeed worth watching.

This bold group will leave a lasting impression on you. Greer and comedian Pete Holmes playing her loving spouse Bob, serve as excellent leads… Yes, it’s a picture-perfect representation of life, but if you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit a bit early, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is definitely worth checking out.

The story in the 1972 novel “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” revolves around Grace Bradley (Greer), who takes charge of the town’s renowned Christmas pageant. She finds herself dealing with a group of unruly, discontent siblings who decide to join the production and potentially disrupt it. Throughout their chaotic antics and complications, the essence of Christmas – including empathy, kindness, forgiveness, and compassion – eventually touches everyone involved, leading them to the tranquility that the holiday season embodies, and the pageant successfully continues.

The Faith-Based Paradox

In many instances, religious films struggle to balance storytelling and message delivery effectively, resulting in them being confined to specific viewer groups. While ensuring their message is crystal clear, these filmmakers may neglect the entertainment aspect. Consequently, weak plotlines and flat characters create an awkward impression, sermon-like messages emerge, and humor becomes excessively saccharine. Furthermore, when a character’s transformation is attributed to divine intervention, it can undermine the sense of personal growth and agency that viewers identify with in protagonists. Ultimately, such films may leave audiences feeling unfulfilled due to an overemphasis on saying something instead of showing something.

Christmas movies often serve as a vehicle for instilling spiritual messages, much like hiding medicine inside a dog treat. While some streaming services such as Netflix are focusing on more secular content this festive season, Lionsgate introduced The Best Christmas Pageant Ever to theaters on November 8th. Other films aiming for box office success are relying heavily on star power to attract audiences until the end of the year. This movie carries a clear message, but critics from RogerEbert.com like Nell Minow appreciate it because it can impart lessons and humor simultaneously, as she puts it.

This piece showcases mischievous children for amusement, a caring family for warmth, and touching instances for motivation – all presented here meticulously and thoughtfully. Its teachings about how acts of kindness and inclusivity positively impact both parties are valuable, but its subtle suggestion to revisit even the most familiar stories with renewed perspective and emotional connection might be even more profound.

Director Dallas Jenkins, creator and director of the crowd-funded religious series The Chosen, could potentially have struck the right balance and produced a film carrying a message that resonates with mainstream audiences, according to most critics.

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2024-11-15 05:03