Published: October 29, 2024
Photo from the movie THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER on Instagram
Why THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER is ‘A Movie for Everyone!’
Movieguide® Contributor
Director/writer Dallas Jenkins and his cast and crew are telling Movieguide® all about what makes THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER one of the best movies of all time.
“What I’m most proud of is… Ted — I can’t wait for him to tell me, ‘You did it!’ ‘You made a movie for everyone!’” said producer Kevin Downes on Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide®, “Because that’s what THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT is. Whether you’re 4, 5, 6 or 40, 50, 60, 70, whatever, this movie is absolutely for everyone.”
Movieguide® has recognized Downes and Jenkins productions, such as MERCY STREETS and THE CHOSEN, at the annual Faith & Values Awards Gala.
“It’s for families and it’s about celebrating the Christmas experience,” Downes told Movieguide®, “to see the nativity story in a way we’ve never witnessed before, with all the laughter and good vibes but also the emotional moments, which I think is probably going to surprise people because, as you know, it’s hard to have laughter and tears and emotion all together in one movie, but Dallas did a great job of incorporating those elements of the story in a way that’s very good. ”
Jenkins first read the book on which the film is based about 20 years ago. He read it to his family, and they all loved it.
“We were laughing but also crying,” Jenkins said. “What was so unique about the story and that I knew I had to bring to the screen was that.”
“On the surface, it’s a comedy. It’s a Christmas classic. These kids from the wrong side of town who have never heard the Christmas story before hijack the Christmas show, and everyone is horrified, and you assume it’s going to be the worst Christmas show ever because these kids who don’t know the story are are taking over, and yet you realize, yes, children need the story of Jesus. They hadn’t heard it before, and now they have it, and it’s going to impact them. But the people and the church also needed something, and sometimes we, in our American evangelical world… can sometimes take history for granted.”
When people put others down, it is important to realize that the people they are judging may have an even deeper connection to scripture because of their life experiences.
“Outsiders might actually be closer to the heart of the true story of Christ’s birth than we are because
