You’ve probably seen enough Christmas pageants to last you a lifetime.

Why would you want to see a movie about a Christmas pageant?

Because this movie is “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

The movie’s title is facetious. That’s the point. The movie is not about the best Christmas pageant ever. That’s also the point.

The movie, based on the 1972 novel by Barbara Robinson, may be one of the most heartfelt movies about this American heartland tradition.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” doesn’t reach the comedic hijinks of “A Christmas Story” (1983). It does have some of the family comedy humor of that holiday classic. Even so, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” has a place in the firmament of holiday films.

In “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” Grace Bradley (Judy Greer) volunteers to take over the direction of Emmanuel Church’s 75th annual Christmas pageant.

It’s a family affair, with daughter Beth Bradley (Molly Belle Wright) and son Charlie Bradley (Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez) in the church show and dad Bob Bradley (Pete Holmes) helping out on sound board and lights.

Recruited to join the pageant, against the wishes of some of the church’s disapproving mothers, are the town’s “bad children”: the Herdmans, six siblings who bully other children at school. The inclusion of untamed youth, their actions and reactions to them forms the basis of the movie’s uplifting storyline.

The casting is excellent, especially that of the Herdman children, most notably Beatrice Schneider (Imogene Herdman), defacto head of the household. Schneider conveys genuine moments of disgust, distress and triumph.

The portrayal of the Herdman children is poignant. When they portray the Nativity story in the church sanctuary, one child says of the two children portraying Mary and Joseph, “They look like refugees.” Another child replies, “Yes, they do.”

The Herdman siblings include Ralph (Mason D. Nelligan), Claude (Matthew Lamb), Leroy (Ewan Wood), Ollie (Essek Moore) and Gladys (Kynlee Heiman).

Judy Greer (TV’s “Arrested Development,” 2003-2018; “Jurassic World,” 2015; “27 Dresses,” 2008; “The Village,” 2004; “13 Going on 30,” 2004; “Adaptation,” 2002) is charming as Grace. Greer expresses her character’s namesake in many lovely moments. Pete Holmes as her husband Bob plays a steadfast supportive husband.

Molly Belle Wright is particularly winsome, thoughtful and memorable as Beth Bradley.

The film is narrated by an off-screen adult Beth, voiced engagingly by Lauren Graham (“Gilmore Girls,” 2000-2007).

Dallas Jenkins (director, “What If ...,” 2010; director, TV’s “The Chosen,” 2017-2024) directs from a screenplay by Platte F. Clark, Darin McDaniel and Ryan Swanson based on the Barbara Robinson novel.

Jenkins directs at a leisurely pace that gives the actors time for casual line deliveries and often amusing responses. He gets charming performances from the children in the movie.

You may want to see “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” with family. The movie may even make you eager to see a holiday church pageant, school play or community theater show in your community.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” MPAA rated PG (Parental Guidance Suggested: Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give “parental guidance.” May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.) for thematic material and brief underage smoking; Genre: Family, Comedy, Drama; Run time: 1 hour, 39 minutes. Distributed by Lionsgate.

Credits Readers Anonymous: “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” was filmed December 2023 through January 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The end credits include an update, presumably fictional, of what each of the Herdman children grew up to be.

At The Movies: “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” was seen in the standard format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office, Nov. 29-Dec. 1: Three movies carved up the box office for the Thanksgiving weekend.

“Moana 2,” the animation feature sequel with lead characters voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Maui) and Auliʻi Cravalho (Moana), shattered box office records, opening at No. 1 with $135.5 million in 4,200 theaters.

“Moana 2” set a five-day opening and Thanksgiving record of $221 million, besting “Frozen II,” $125 million in 2019.

“Wicked” dropped from its one-week perch at No. 1 to No. 2 with $80 million in 3,888 theaters, $262.4 million, two weeks.

“Gladiator II” dropped one place to No. 3 with $30.7 million in 3,580 theaters, $111.2 million, two weeks.

The five-day Thanksgiving holiday box office was the biggest in history at an estimated $420 million as of Dec. 1.

The Thanksgiving holiday last topped $200 million 2019. The previous record was in 2018, set by “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” “Creed II” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” which combined for $315 million.

4. “Red One” dropped one place with $12.8 million in 3,432 theaters, $76 million, three weeks. 5. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” moved up one place, $3.2 million in 1,779 theaters, $32 million, four weeks. 6. “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin“ dropped two places, $2.4 million opening, in 1,800 theaters, $9.7 million, two weeks. 7. “Venom: The Last Dance” dropped two places, $2.2 million in 1,716 theaters, $137.8 million, six weeks. 8. “Heretic” dropped one place, $956,797 in 660 theaters, $26.8 million, four weeks. 9. “The Wild Robot” dropped one place, $670,000 in 883 theaters, $142.4 million, 10 weeks. 10. “A Real Pain” moved up one place, $665,000 in 505 theaters, $6.1 million, five weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Dec. 1 is subject to change

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office, Nov. 22-24: The one-two punch of “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” ended the one-week No. 1 run of “Red One,” dropping two places to No. 3 with $13.2 million in 4,032 theaters, $52.8 million, two weeks.

“Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, opened at No. 1 with $112.5 million in 3,888 theaters, biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical-based movie, besting “Into The Woods” ($31 million, 2014).

“Gladiator II,” with Ridley Scott reprising his directorial duties, opened at No. 2 with $55 million in 3,573 theaters.

4. “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin,“ about the German Lutheran theologian arrested during World War II in a plot to kill Hitler, $5 million, opening, in 1,900 theaters. 5. “Venom: The Last Dance” dropped three places, $3.8 million in million in 2,558 theaters, $133.7 million, five weeks. 6. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” dropped three places, $3.4 million in 2,279 theaters, $25.4 million, three weeks. 7. “Heretic” dropped three places, $2.2 million in 1,622 theaters, $24.7 million, three weeks. 8. “The Wild Robot” dropped three places, $2.1 million in 2,110 theaters, $140.8 million, nine weeks. 9. “Conclave” dropped two places, $1.1 million in 1,013 theaters, $29 million, five weeks. 10. “Smile 2” dropped four places, $1.1 million in 962 theaters, $67.7 million, six weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Nov. 24 is subject to change.

Unreel, Dec. 6:

“Y2K,” R: Kyle Mooney directs Jaedon Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, Alicia Silverstone and Allentown native Tim Heidecker (of “Tim and Eric”) in the Comedy Horror film. Two high school students crash a New Year’s Eve 1999 party.

“The Return,“ R: Uberto Pasolini directs Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, and Charlie Plummer in the History Drama. Odysseus returns to Ithaca where his wife, Penelope, is held prisoner and his son, Telemachus, faces death. It’s based on “‘The Odyssey,” the epic Greek poem attributed to Homer circa 8th century BC.

“The Order,” R: Justin Kurzel directs Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan and Marc Maron in the Crime Thriller. Bank robberies and car heists have Pacific Northwest communities on the edge. It’s based on a true story that took place in the 1980s.

Movie opening information from Internet Movie Database as of Nov. 24 is subject to change.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes