{"id":56917,"date":"2024-11-07T09:16:04","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T14:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moviefanfare.com\/?p=56917"},"modified":"2024-11-07T09:16:04","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T14:16:04","slug":"which-is-the-best-best-christmas-pageant-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.moviefanfare.com\/?p=56917","title":{"rendered":"Which Is the Best Best Christmas Pageant Ever?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Well, the candy bags are going on closeout to make room for the candy canes, and that means the holiday movie season is starting to ramp up. One of the first offerings out the gate this year is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever<\/em>, adapted from Barbara Robinson\u2019s time-tested holiday opus and headlined by Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, and narrator Lauren Graham.<\/p>\n

The kidlit favorite penned in 1972 by Philly-burbs resident Robinson was told from the perspective of young Beth Bradley, whose teacher mom Grace (played by Greer in the new film) just got saddled with the responsibility of directing her Sunday school\u2019s Christmas pageant. A challenge on the best of years to be sure, but it becomes nightmarish for Grace courtesy of the six Herdman kids. Unsupervised, rambunctious, and unbelievably truant, the Herdmans only showed up at Sunday school for the free snacks\u2014and, intrigued by the pageant, successfully intimidate all the other children in the community out of auditioning for the principal roles. No one anticipates the final staging to be anything but a disaster\u2026but the borderline feral family\u2019s read on their parts makes for an uplifting surprise.<\/p>\n

The version opening in theaters now, however, isn\u2019t the first time that The Best Christmas Pageant Ever<\/em> was adapted to the screen. Filmed as a TV movie<\/a> in Canada back in 1983 with a teleplay by Robinson, the production was toplined by Loretta Swit as Grace and a debuting Fairuza Balk as Beth. Between the popularity of Robinson\u2019s prose and viewer word of mouth, the original telefilm has proven to be a perennial seasonal favorite for Movies Unlimited\u2019s patrons for decades.<\/p>\n

So, we\u2019re posing this to all fans of the \u201983 version that have taken in the brand-new remake: Which of the two is the best Best Christmas Pageant Ever<\/em> ever? Vote below, and please feel free to compare and contrast in the comments!<\/p>\n

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