Required Holiday Viewing
Posted by Carrie on 10 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Reminiscing
Until I was dating Eric, I had never seen “It’s a Wonderful Life,” not even once. I still haven’t seen “A Miracle on 49th 34th Street.” (Whoops!) These things just never happened to appear on my family’s little television during my impressionable years, so it took my college friends to introduce me to Clarence and the events surrounding the old Savings and Loan.
No, we had different holiday viewing traditions in my family. Of course, we watched “Rudolph,” “Frosty,” and Charlie Brown; I remember my mom highlighting the specials in our old TV Guide (remember when we all used the print version instead of scrolling through the listings on a devoted channel?), marking off what was showing and when, so that we could pick out the favorites and not wind up plopped in front of the screen at every opportunity. The movie I most remember, though, and to my recollection the only one we actually had on video cassette, was the television adaptation of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
I loved the movie. I loved the book, too; it got packed away after each Christmas season with all our other beloved Christmas readers, brought out with fanfare when the decorations were ready to go on display. The movie, though, was always on our video shelf; if I remember correctly, it was a bootlegged version and shared a cassette with C.H.O.M.P.S. (Don’t judge.) We could watch it whenever we chose, but it always seemed to show up around December.
The story is about the Herdmans, a crazy family of unruly kids who stumble across a church’s nativity pageant and decide to take the whole thing over. They fight, steal, sass, and generally cause chaos, but somehow come to their own understanding and interpretation of what the play and the holiday are about. All the while, the churchgoing adults and children go from looking down their noses at the family to seeing that maybe Christmas is more than just costumes and pageantry.
As a little girl, I identified with Beth, the narrator. She was dominated by her friend (the play’s “usual” Mary) and her ambitious mom (the director), and she had the same ideas and worries as they did, but she was the first to start to see the changes in the Herdmans and in her own mind. (For some reason, it irked me that she was “only” in the choir of the play; though the character never expressed any desire to play a larger role, I was seeing myself in her place intensely, and my own frequent frustrations about being pushed out of the spotlight wound up being displaced on her. Tangential, but interesting.)
I don’t know what put me in mind of the story tonight, but I was struck with a sudden urge to revisit it. I think I’ll start with the book first; Sam might enjoy hearing it. The movie looks to be available only through independent bookstores; I might just see if I can borrow my parents’ copy…assuming we didn’t completely wear it out years ago. 
11 Comments »
on 10 Dec 2008 at 10:12 pm
Shelley said …
I love The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! I never came across it as a child – I was introduced to it by the second grade teacher I worked with after college, who read the book and showed the movie every December. Have you checked your library to see if they have or could ILL the movie? I think my library still has a copy of it.
on 10 Dec 2008 at 11:00 pm
Kate said …
We did a production of TBCPE in high school. (Junior year, I think?) Awesome.
Also? Miracle on 34th Street.
on 10 Dec 2008 at 11:00 pm
Frank said …
It’s funny that I saw your post tonight because I had been thinking of just this movie earlier in the day and how I hadn’t seen it in a while. I remember the first time I saw it, I didn’t care for it as the Herdman kids were just too much of a turn off. However, after seeing it several times, I got to where I really enjoyed it and it bceame one of my favorite Christmas movies. Thanks for the reminder.
Oh and it’s Miracle on 34th Street
You should definately see it.
on 10 Dec 2008 at 11:49 pm
Deej said …
I have been living this play for almost two months. My normally outspoken, never knows when to be quiet child, has a non-speaking sheperdess role. I can now quote the entire play in my sleep. It has been so much fun doing this play this holiday season.
on 11 Dec 2008 at 6:37 am
Carrie said …
on 11 Dec 2008 at 7:59 am
Andrea said …
Funily enough, I always watch “It’s a Wonderful life” multiple times, and “Miracle on 34th St” and have *never seen* TBCPE.
I have read the book, but only as an adult.
on 11 Dec 2008 at 9:22 am
Alli said …
I loved, loved, loved TBCPE! I have the book, but Fuller is still a bit too young for it. Have been looking for it in some television form for a while.
We also enjoyed Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory, not the Patty Duke version, but the older one. I found that one last year and bought the VHS tape.
on 11 Dec 2008 at 9:25 am
Alli said …
D’oh! Just realized you linked to the DVD and not the book! So excited! It is now on its way to my house.
Oh, in our house, Christmas music was also a big deal and “The Birthday Party” by Agapeland music was a childhood memory I bought last year too.
on 11 Dec 2008 at 12:08 pm
lil 1/2 pint said …
You sound so much like me! I always watched the animated movies, too. Heh.
I’ve yet to see It’s A Wonderful or Miracle. One day I will.
on 12 Dec 2008 at 11:59 am
Tracy said …
Hey, thank you for reminding me about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! I think I will get it for my 8 year old daughter. Merry Christmas!
on 15 Dec 2008 at 10:06 pm
Always, Alli | December 15th :: Memories said …
[...] Ever on DVD. Last year I had a hankering for A Christmas Memory. This year, when Carrie wrote about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, I added it to my Amazon cart before I had my second cup of [...]