Jaron Ministries hosted the red-carpet premiere of the faith-based holiday film “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at Maya Cinemas last Saturday. They held two screenings to large crowds and the attendees received complimentary crafts, gifts, and movie posters.

Actor Kirk B.R. Woller (who portrayed Reverend Hopkins in the film) and former Central Valley native and the producer of the movie Kevin Downes were in attendance. After each screening, a Q&A was held with them and people got a chance to take pictures with each on the red carpet.

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Film Synopsis and Family-Friendly Appeal

The film synopsis reads: “The Herdman kids are absolutely the worst. They lie, they steal, they bully … and they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant. Based on the international bestseller by Barbara Robinson, the film follows six siblings who sneak into church searching for snacks and walk away with the lead roles in the town pageant. Grace is directing the performance for the very first time; she and her daughter Beth and husband Bob are less than amused. But the play’s mischievous stars might unwittingly teach a community the true meaning of Christmas.” (Lionsgate Entertainment)

It’s an entertaining story the whole family can enjoy and reminiscent of classic ’80s and ’90s Christmas flicks like “The Christmas Story,” and “Home Alone.” Director Dallas Jenkins, best known for creating the successful television series “The Chosen,” was spectacular at capturing that old school feel with the cinematography while staying faithful to the source material to give it a timeless sensibility.

A Refreshing Take on Holiday Films

Theaters and streaming services now-a-days are saturated with holiday themed movies with different interpretations. Christmas is used as a backdrop to add non-conventional elements to these productions to push the envelope with action, horror, including a new release where there’s male strippers dressed as Santa Claus. It was refreshing to see a holiday film that captured the touching and funny elements from past classics for a contemporary audience.

“There hasn’t been a celebrated Christmas movie that’s good for the whole family that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas. That was a goal of ours,” said Downes. “The book was the perfect foundation for this film to have something that is timeless and that families can enjoy at every Christmas.”

The purpose of these films is to push the religious themes, particularly this one pertaining to the birth of Christ. Even without the religious aspects, there were enough comedy and feel-good Christmas cheer to satisfy fans who enjoy yuletide films.

Stellar Cast and Performances

What stood out to me was the stellar cast. Prominent character actress Judy Greer (“Halloween,” “Jurassic World”) did a fantastic job portraying a mother trying to run a pageant for the first time with the whole town watching her every move. Popular stand-up comedian Pete Holmes did a convincing job as the loveable father who supports his family. Lauren Graham, known best from the series “Gilmore Girls,” provided the narration and her voice made you invested in the story.

“They were great. Very down to earth. Very kind. They were really lovely people and were great at what they did, so it was fantastic,” said Woller.

“It comes down to the script and story. It was a compelling script and when Judy and Pete said yes, we had a movie that was going to get made,” said Downes.

Praise should go to the young cast, particularly Molly Belle Wright as Beth and Beatrice Schneider as Imogene Herdman. Wright was excellent playing a sincere daughter trying to be a bridge between supporting her mother while trying to understand Imogene by helping her be dedicated to the pageant. Schneider had the toughest job: blending a loathsome character to one you empathize with toward the climax. It was an emotional journey, and her performance was the highlight of the narrative.

Blending Comedy and Faith

Most Christian stories are played with seriousness, that’s why the genre is saturated with mostly dramas. This one hit the right comedic marks.

The scene that best exemplified that undertaking was a scene where the Herdman kids were shouting thought-provoking questions pertaining to the Nativity to Grace in church. It could’ve been borderline cringe when making theological subjects sound hilarious, but that was the scene that drew the most laughs.

“God can be funny, too. Jesus was a human being as well. To bring humility to Jesus’ story is fantastic and we got to be able to laugh. I think it’s a beautiful thing,” said Woller. “It’s very attractive to audiences, not everything is sanctimonious and perfect, life is funny, and I love humor.”

The film is another title that can be added to the rise of faith-based content among audiences. And big studios like Sony and Lionsgate are distributing these titles more than ever.

“You got to be good at your craft. The studios, if there’s an audience for the type of film you want to make, they’ll partner with people who are good at their craft, no matter what the genre or audience of film is. We’re very fortunate to have a partner like Lionsgate that’s been supportive of us,” said Downes.

Ron Carter and Jaron Ministries have been bringing red carpet premieres for faith-based films to the Central Valley since 2011. And 25 films later, Carter knows how important it is to host these screenings to the strong Christian community in the Valley as they’re great tools for outreach and interaction.

“These products are healthy for the American family because they’re teaching valuable principles and that’s why we’re behind them,” said Carter. “That’s the motivation behind it. We have a heart for youth and family and these movies are a great tool to gather families together and talk about positive things.”