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Beth: "Everything is falling apart." Grace: "I'm not sure they were ever together."

And so it goes with an annual Christmas pageant, whose machinations would rival a small military exercise. It's the film adaptation of the child's book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. And it is just as the title suggests, at least for me who thinks this is the best Christmas film in years.

Comedy and drama march together as Grace (Judy Greer) runs the annual pageant now that its usual director has been incapacitated. Grace is a good person exemplifying the best of Christian virtue, yet her values will be tested to the max with the arrival of the Herdman children, motherless ruffians notorious for being ornery and at times downright destructive.

Although Grace is inclined to accept the clan for major roles, in the absence of other volunteers, most of the town, even her children, are exclusionary of the infamous family. Thus begins the dominant motif of the subtle faith-based dramedy, the acceptance of those not like us.

As Grace uses her people and drama skills to pull off the pageant, so, too, do others see the value of listening to critics of the status quo as the Herdman's are. More destructive than anything else is their challenges to conventional wisdom, for instance, the account of the Three Wisemen delivering gifts wholly unsuited to an impoverished family. The answer of delivering a ham is perfect and indicative of the riches the Herdman's give to the clueless town in the form of vigorous opposition to the outdated norms of the Bible.

I hope I have persuaded you to try director Dallas Jenkins' The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. My tastes run from It's a Wonderful Life to Bad Santa and not faith-based films in general. Yet, I have been impressed by the quality of such Angel Productions as Sound of Freedom, Cabrini, and Bonhoeffer and now the Kingdom Story Company's Best Christmas. I'm open to new experiences.

Happy Holidays.

The adaptation of Barbara Robinson's novel, directed by Dallas Jenkins, becomes one of those future great Christmas classics thanks to the charm of a script that is fun, emotional and full of Christmas spirit.

It stars the ever-reliable Judy Greer and a group of young actors who bring to life a nice film that entertains and excites with good fun for the whole family. This adaptation makes itself loved by transmitting its religious messages with lightness, humor, warmth, generosity, but also with the innocence of childhood that allows it to touch the most resistant fiber of any viewer, because the film never loses its intention to give you a clear, beautiful and welcoming message about the good sense of Christmas and what it represents beyond the figure of Jesus.

The good script work manages to offer moments of witty dialogue while transporting you to its spiritual duties, which end up resulting in it not being the best Christmas movie in history, but it touches your heart and makes you smile. This great achievement allows the film to feel like a great Christmas pastime and invites you to enjoy it in a family atmosphere without limitations.

An adaptation that preserves the essence of this Christmas novel and transforms it into an effective, positive, charming adaptation that is on par with a great pastime for these end-of-year festivities. A fulfilling film that will make us have a good time and will make us shed more than one tear for its gratifying and delicate staging that allows us to always be connected with this innocent, but real and bold adventure about family, belief and the power represented by the figure of Mary that makes the film so pleasant to watch on screen.

So I gave this a 9/10. I want everyone to know this is not a true 9/10, but instead this is based on a scale of catching the meaning of Christmas. Let's go ahead and say 10 is it's a Wonderful Life.

Tthe Best Christmas Pageant Ever" is a 9/10. I don't say this lightly. Goodness, it has been years since a movie captured the true spirit of Christmas. The spirit that makes you want to be a better person, and believe in others ability to change. That vibe is so hard to come by, but wow does this movie get it done.

Yes, it's a Christian movie, but not in a preachy way in the slightest. This movie is subtle, and wonderful, and leaves you wanting to be a better person.

Just wow. For a family Christmas movie, bravo.

Some reviewers here are bashing this movie because they say it is overtly religious. Not true at all and you shouldn't listen to them. It deals with being kind to people who aren't easy to like. It centers around a play around the birth of Jesus. Hello!!!!! That is what Christmas is about. It does not in the slightest shove converting to Christianity down your throat like some have inaccurately stated.

It's a nice family friendly movie that isn't filled with adult language. If you want a feel good story with a good message then this is the movie for you. Will it win any Hollywood awards? No. It has a decent story and some scenes that made me chuckle and even tug at the heart strings a bit.

Don't listen to the naysayers. They probably prefer the blood and guts movies anyway.

I'm a dad, in my late 40s. Took my 10year old daughter to see this and we both enjoyed it. I grew up doing these plays in church. I found myself welling up at all the right places. This movie focuses on baby Jesus and the Christmas nativity story, but the emotions come from standing up for what's right and putting others first. It also tackles how the nativity story can be glossed over as a nice photo - this asks some funny questions that had me laughing out loud.

Really like the story telling structure and narrator. The child actors were great.

Originally I saw the trailer and thought it looked cheesy. I was wrong. Don't judge a book by its cover - also the point of the film.

Very happy to take my daughter to see this film and will recommend it to friends. Happy enough that a day later I'm still thinking about it and felt it needed a positive review. By comparison, I didn't have that feeling with the last 3 superhero blockbusters I saw in theatres this year.