'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' a New Christmas Classic Movie? Director Dallas Jenkins and Co. Sure Hope So

For more than 20 years, Dallas Jenkins and his wife, Amanda, have dreamed of bringing the Barbara Robinson holiday classic book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, to the big screen. A big hit in the Jenkins household, this story of the misfit and rambunctious Herdman children trying to fit into a traditional church Christmas pageant has never failed to deliver for its uproariously funny yet humble approach to the holidays.

But what truly captured the Jenkins’ interest was not the humorous hijinks of this family from “the other side of town” but for its heartfelt retelling of the Nativity story and the clear message of Jesus instead.

Thus began a decades-long dream to make a movie that not only captured the true essence of this book that was originally published in 1972, but to also convey a strong Gospel message without making it feel like a church service.

That dream is about to become a reality. Opening in theaters nationwide this Friday, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is ready to establish itself as a new classic Christmas movie, one that families will enjoy each and every Christmas in the years to come. Directed by Dallas Jenkins (The Chosen), the movie features a formidable cast highlighted by Judy Greer (13 Going on 30), Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), and Pete Holmes (The Secret Life of Pets 2).

In addition to the relative newcomers portraying the Herdman children, the film also features several The Chosen cast members including Kirk B.R. Woller, Elizabeth Tabish, and Vanessa Benavente.

I recently sat down with Dallas Jenkins, Holmes, and movie producer Kevin Downes to discuss the challenges in adapting such a well loved story for the big screen, and the biggest message they would like to see audiences take away from the movie.

If you were trying to convince a friend to take the time to get out to the theater to see The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, what would you say to encourage them? What would your sales pitch be to get them to go?

Pete Holmes: This is like a classic Christmas movie, sort of in the vein of A Christmas Story. It reminds me most of that movie. I’m going to go see it with my family. What’s hard to come by as a dad is something that you can watch. Moms and Dads will enjoy it on this level. My six-year-old daughter will enjoy it on that level. It doesn't even need to be pitched for everybody else. You don't have to have a family. You don't even have to be crazy about Christmas movies. It's a wonderful, heartwarming story that happens to be set in the backdrop of Christmas and family. I think almost anybody that likes to laugh, to be entertained, and to be surprised, will enjoy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

This movie is based on an original book by Barbara Robinson and has been a favorite for a long, long time. What were some of the challenges and opportunities in adapting such a well loved story for the big screen?

Kevin Downes: My family grew up with this book. So when I announced to Lionsgate this was our (Kingdom Story Company) next film that we're going to produce they all thought I was joking. They were like, ‘Come on Dad. That's not what you're making. It’s too good to be true. There's no way that's going to be a movie.’ I got them involved in our final casting decisions just so I could see how big their eyes would get. They are anticipating this film so much because it brings not only the laughter and makes them feel good, but also brings the heart, the message, the warmth, and just everything you want to feel when you're going to watch a movie. I think it’s for all ages. So, not only are my kids interested, but also my wife. My wife told me the other day that she hadn't seen the movie. She always wants to wait for the premiere to watch the movie. And so she says, ‘You better not mess this one up.’

Dallas Jenkins: And I think the challenge becomes just knowing that so much of a book has people's thoughts and you can't portray that on screen without dialogue or without action. So, translating some of these things that were so funny and heartwarming in the book, was a little more challenging because they are thoughts inside the character’s head. Figuring out how to portray that visually was challenging. But this story is so great. And the cast is so great that my job, while challenging, was actually fun because I knew that I just needed to make sure that I didn't screw it up.

Dallas, as someone who's well known for your work with The Chosen, how did your experience directing that series influence your approach to directing this film?

Dallas Jenkins: So, being in the First Century for four seasons before I directed The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which is from this century, I would say the style and tone are obviously different between the two projects. But the story that I'm trying to tell is ultimately the same. I'm taking the Jesus story, the greatest story ever told, and showing it from a different lens. And at the end of the day, when you're on a film set, you have 12 hours, typically, of course, with kids you have even less. But at the end of the day, you're trying to get all the shots you need. You have a crew, you have cast. The muscles are the same. You're trying to tell the story in the best way possible, and certain stories demand different approaches. This obviously had a different approach stylistically, but ultimately, my mission and my calling is the same. I'm trying to tell stories that uplift and point people towards God, towards the truth of the greatest story ever told. And I'm using the cast and crew and working with producers like Kevin (Downes) to do it. It's still the same muscle either way. It's just that each story has its own unique needs.

What message do you hope audiences will take away from the film, particularly in light of its exploration of unexpected heroes as we see in the movie and the true spirit of Christmas?

Pete Holmes: Well, unexpected heroes are exactly right. How many stories are there where somebody seems to be an outlier or an outcast and by the end, they're revealed to be the star that they truly are. And if that isn't the point of life, I don't know what is. We all might feel lost, confused, or separated. And our job is to help each other remember home, one another, love and inclusion, and all that. So, I think the story is a powerful metaphor for what we're all to be doing here.

Kevin Downes: My hope is that audiences really see the Nativity story in a way they've never experienced before. Every time I watch the film, which has been at least 75 times, the way Dallas has woven in the Nativity at the end of the film, is something so unique that you feel like you're a part of it. I'm really praying that audiences will feel that special gift, that special moment, at the end of the film and want to talk to people about it.

Dallas Jenkins: And you're going to laugh and you're going to learn about the beauty of loving the least of these. But at the end of the day, the last six words of the movie are, ‘And unto you, a child is born.’ The consequences of that, in the best way possible, have changed the world. This movie celebrates that. It's a love letter to the notion of “unto you”. That means whoever's watching, a child is born. And the follow up to that, what that meant, is how that changed the world, and how that still impacts us today.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever opens in theaters nationwide this Friday.

WATCH A TRAILER FOR THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER: