The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was inspired by some of the biggest Christmas flicks of all time.
Most filmmakers can pinpoint a few films that they look up to when making specific titles.
It’s my favorite movie of all time.
I watch it every year.
So that’s always going to be an influence, especially when you’re doing a Christmas movie.
‘A Christmas Story’ is an obvious one.
It’s got narration like this movie does.
It’s an adult narrating through their eyes as a child."
It’s, you know, it doesn’t get too slap-sticky."
One is the final words of the movie from Lauren Graham, ‘Unto you a child is born.’
We’ve heard that phrase before.
It’s been in songs.
It’s what the angels said to the shepherds when they announced that Jesus was born.
I have a six year old.
Then I was like, ‘Whoa.'"
That must have been chaotic.’
I’m like, ‘The kids were sometimes easier than Judy and Pete.’
I had to corral them just as much.
No, I love them.
I’m so proud of their performances.
They’ve got all the moves."
Alongside acting, Holmes entertains fans through stand-up comedy (he is on tour as of writing).
The ‘smells like…’ That was funny.
When you’re eating the frozen dinner and you say, ‘It smells like loneliness’ or something."
I said, ‘Don’t tell me when it’s wrong.
I’ll assume that it’s wrong.
Nobody told anybody to do that.
And Lord, I did it so much.
I loved doing it."
The actors also spent some time praising the work of director Dallas Jenkins.
Like there couldn’t be anything more opposite than Dallas.
Like he was desperate to make this movie.
He was so happy all the time.
He was so excited to be at work.
Jenkins also talked about his passion for the story in general.
It’s all dog-eared and messed up just because I’ve had it for 20 years.
Just because it’s been out, as you know, for a long time.
But I get to the last chapter and I am crying so hard I can’t read.
I’m just ugly crying."
They come from the wrong side of the tracks.
They’re in poverty.
Their parents are absentee."
And then his wife, Gwen Stefani, is commenting how she’s obsessed.
And I’m like, ‘I love both of these artists.’
Jenkins was ultimately right.
![Thunderbolts: Why Taskmaster Got [Spoilers], Explained by Marvel Director](https://images.thedirect.com/media/article_thumbnail/taskmaster-why.jpg?imgeng=/w_auto,280 280w)
Turns out he loves Christmas, loves my work, and was honored to do it.
And so we suggested ‘Go Tell It On The Mountain.’
And so it was a huge honor to have that in my film."
