ComingSoon caught up with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever stars Judy Greer and Pete Holmes about the holiday movie. Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is now in theaters.
“The Herdmans are absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, they steal, they bully…and now they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant. Directed by Dallas Jenkins (The Chosen) and based on the international bestseller by Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever follows six siblings who sneak into church searching for snacks and walk away with the lead roles in the town pageant. Grace (Judy Greer) is directing the performance for the very first time; she and her daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and husband Bob (Pete Holmes) are in over their heads, especially against a town that wants them to kick the Herdmans out. But the play’s mischievous stars might unwittingly teach a community the true meaning of Christmas,” says the synopsis.
Tyler Treese: Judy, your character in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Grace, it’s her first time directing the Christmas pageant. She gets very in over her head quickly, at least early on. How was it really showing that aspect of the character? It’s a really fun element.
Judy Greer: Well, I felt personally pretty overwhelmed on that set with all the kids around and the big set pieces and everything and how important the movie was. So I didn’t have to work that hard, but it was really fun. I love the idea of a woman biting off more than she can chew and dealing with it with grace, which is also my character’s name, and how much compassion she finds for the Herdmans. Sort of like through her eyes, we really get to tell like the rest of the town that they’re being jerks.
Pete Holmes: Facts.
Tyler Treese: Pete, what was it like working with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever director Dallas Jenkins? Bcause this film just feels nostalgic in a way. It feels like a Christmas movie that was made decades ago and has stood the test of time. Maybe that’s because the book was written in 1972 or the filmmaking style, but this just felt like a, a warm embrace.
Holmes: Yeah, and Dallas loves the story. He’s been reading it his entire life. He reads it to his kids.
Greer: It took him so long to get through that book.
Holmes: Took him 10 years to finally finish a pretty small book.
But he is very warm and very Christmasy as a person, and he brought that warmth to the set. I think one of his touchstones was A Christmas Story. This movie kind of feels like in the same time as that movie, maybe a little bit more modern, but similar because we wanted it to have that timeless feel.
Judy, what I loved about Grace was that she ultimately sees that situation, despite how stressful it is, as a real learning opportunity for everybody and where she can really, genuinely help people. Can you speak to that aspect? I thought that was the real heart of the film and really impactful.
Greer: Yeah, I hear what you’re saying, that I’m the heart of the film, and I couldn’t agree more [laughs].
No, I think that it’s really special that Grace decides to stand up for the Herdmans. That’s kind of what it is, she sees these kids and she sees what’s really going on. One of the most pivotal scenes in the movie to me, Judy is when they are taking the ham to the Herdman’s house, and Grace gets to see where they live. She sees them like on their own turf. The kids get to see where the Herdmans live. I think that that’s a really important and critical moment for our family in the movie. When she decides like, “No, screw it. I’m standing up for these kids. Everyone deserves a shot.” I personally feel like that too. So I’m really happy that all that made it onto the screen. You never really know when you’re shooting it, but I know on the day, it felt really special.
Pete, one aspect that really impressed me about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was that you two and the two children actually feel like a family in the film. How is it finding that?
Greer: We lived together for about six months before May. … No, we didn’t.
Holmes: In a small log cabin. There’s nothing to do.
No, I love that compliment. Thank you. Molly and Sebastian were incredibly professional. Those are the two kids. Judy and I got along. We like to tease, but in actuality, we got along very, very well. So much so that I’m sad that I can’t be in every Judy Greer movie, but who can be in 30 movies a year? Not me. I’d like to be home sometimes.
Greer: So, not me.
Holmes: Not Judy. But that’s a really wonderful compliment. The fact of the matter is you have to bond and you have to bond quickly. The way that I did that was with jokes with the kids and with Judy. Obviously, different kinds of jokes with the kids. It was mostly flipping them over my shoulder. With Judy, it was flipping her over my other shoulder. No, it was making jokes and getting her a laugh, and then she would obviously crack me up as well.
Judy, there are so many fantastic young actors here, especially all the kids playing the Herdmans. How is it just working with that giant group of kids? Because it is not often that most of your co-stars are children.
Holmes: It’s known as a gaggle in Hollywood. It’s a gaggle of children. Any number more than four.
Greer: Well, I wanted to impress them all because they’ll probably all grow up to be stars and in the movies that they shoot, they’ll need mothers and aunts and grandmothers. So I’m hoping that they’ll like me and remember me and choose me to play those pivotal roles in their TV series and movies as they continue to age in Hollywood
Holmes: Also, just like medics, like on set medics. I could do that. CPR, I can learn.
Greer: No, they were great. They were all. I mean, truly, you can see in the movie how talented they are, but their on-set etiquette and their professionalism [was all great].
Holmes: It is funny. You’re absolutely right. These kids are gonna be stars. I think Molly is gonna be like the next Jennifer Garner. I think these are the next generation of stars, and it’s gonna be really funny. I know when no one has any clue who we are, and they’re like, “Oh my God, it’s Sebastian!” shaman.” I look forward to that because these are wonderful kids.
Pete, one of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever scenes I really liked for you was when you were with Molly, who plays your daughter Beth, and you’re reassuring her in bed after she’s upset that these kids have taken part in the pageant. What really stood out about Molly as a scene partner? She just seems so mature during these scenes.
Holmes: Incredibly mature. And you’re doing a scene like that — I’m such a showbiz dummy, meaning that’s like a small set. That bedroom. There’s no wall. It’s just like a slice of pie with a bed and a fake hallway. So it’s not as easy as it looks to really be convincing. She has to pray. She has to wake up, and I’m walking in and sitting on the edge of the bed. There’s camera guys right in her face.
So it really is incredible that a small kid can lock onto me, ignore everything else, remember her lines, and remember to emote. I think we probably improvised a little bit. So it really is special for a grown-up. We ignore so much. Ignoring a crew while you’re doing a scene isn’t that much, but for a kid to have that restraint is really impressive. That was one of my favorite scenes to shoot. I got to keep that robe.
Greer: Whoa.
Holmes: Yeah. I wear it backwards like a Snuggie
Judy, Arrested Development is one of my favorite shows. You’re so funny as Kitty Sanchez. What was most rewarding about working on that set?
I think that just the staying power of it. The fans still, how many years later, are still in love with that show. It was really fun to make. But those first three seasons, like nobody was really watching it in real time. That was the advent of TiVo. So, no one was watching the show on Sundays. I think it was on Sundays, but everyone was recording it and watching it later. It was just weird to be in this show that felt like we were in a vacuum. Then, when they canceled it, it was like everyone was like, what? It’s been fun to see the lasting impression it has made
Holmes: For the kids. TiVo is like a VCR.
Greer: It was like the first DVR, but it was like a whole box that you had to buy.
Holmes: And a VCR was like a cassette tape, which was like what you might know as a DVD. What I’m saying is before everything was streaming, it used to be on a thing.
Greer: It was really fun to improvise with David Cross, Jason [Bateman], and Will Arnett. Those were special.
Holmes: Can you say, “Say goodbye to these, Michael”?
Greer: Say goodbye to these, Michael!
Holmes: Can you do the eyes? I love it.
[Greer crosses her eyes]
Holmes: It’s funny every time.
Thanks to Judy Greer and Pete Holmes for taking the time to talk about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.