No one is past hope and that’s basically the theme of this movie. A lot of it is slanted toward teens and they will enjoy some of the “attitude” scenes along with the humor. Every year the local church has a Christmas pageant, telling the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of baby Jesus. But this year the lady who directs it, Mrs. Armstrong, has fallen and broken both legs. Someone will have to step in for her.
A woman named Beth gives an account of the time when she was a child and her mother, Grace (Judy Greer) stepped forward and volunteered to direct the pageant. Young Beth (Molly Belle Wright) hopes her mother can bring something new to the pageant, instead of the “same old, same old” that people have come to expect. Enter the Herdmans: LeRoy, Claude, Ollie, Gladyse, and the worst of them – Imogene Herdman (Beatrice Schneider). They are known around town and in school for their attitude and, sometimes, vicious behavior. Imogene recently stole Beth’s locket, a gift from her mother. Humorously, Beth prays that God will send the Herdmans far away until she grows up, or “make them invisible until college.”
This pageant will be extra special, as it is the 75th anniversary pageant. Beth’s dad, Bob (Pete Holmes) comments he has seen a member, Charlie, wear this bath robe as a shepherd a lot! The Herdman kids attend Sunday School when invited, hoping for some desserts as they are sometimes given at lunch following the morning service. They aren’t exactly well-behaved as one of them draws sunglasses on a picture of Moses in a book, and one of them decides the offering container that is passed around is for helping yourself to a few dollars. The Herdmans are the kind of kids who cause a distraction at the local movie theater so the rest of them can sneak in.
Beth convinces a few of them to try out for parts in the program, and in one scene Ralph Herdman gives a “cut-throat” motion to the pastor’s son, Elmer, if he accepts the part of Joseph. Ralph wants the role. Imogene decides she wants the role of Mary and makes a girl named Alice nervous about trying out for the part. The Herdmans cause a stir with some of their statements, including that Jesus was “murdered.” But Grace agrees with this statement. Imogene has been known to light a cigar, or “stogie” on a few occasions and there’s a joke about Mary lighting a stogie and taking off. Yet despite some complaints from various church members, Grace makes a strong point when she says that Jesus was born for the Herdmans, as well as “us.” Yes, they are rough around the edges but both Beth and Grace believe they just might be able to put some spirit into the pageant and bring a fresh approach to it. Despite the use of name-calling like, “Stupid,” “Dummy,” and “Idiots,” amazingly the Herdmans just might have it in them to bring the story of the Nativity to life.
Content Analysis: The idea that Christ died for all people is clearly established in this movie. The Herdmans act a bit coarse at times, and even disrespectful, but much of it is in ignorance. And they do bring a fresh but powerful slant to the story of the birth of Jesus. We think that many 12-year-olds and above might relate to it. But parents should consult the content listing to make their final decisions. For instance: a Herdman does use the “My God” comment without realizing it can be considered disrespectful, at the least, to the Lord. On the other hand, Imogene brings realism to her role as Mary by burping the baby Jesus as she is walking, and the Herdman girl who plays an angel tells the shepherds to “get going” to the manger. But the laughter that results means the audience is paying attention. We won’t give the ending away, but what Imogene does as Mary at the end will touch a lot of viewers. A girl is seen briefly lighting up a cigar and smoking it and the dangers of smoking can be a great discussion topic as well.
Think About It: There are a lot of good discussion topics: what do we do when someone acts a bit differently than what is usually considered to be the “norm?” Who was Jesus born for? Isn’t it everybody? How should kids act toward other kids who have “attitudes?” And what do we do when a child or teen shows disrespect?
The Dove Take: This movie clearly shows that anyone can change and that God often uses the person we least expect to touch lives.
