I have a few holiday traditions, but my absolute favorite is reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever each year. I always pick it up about mid-December, and while I love reading it to my three daughters, it’s the reading I do alone, curled up with a cup of coffee by the Christmas tree, that really makes the season for me. The book has always been a balm for me, truly helping me with my own faith as a child and teen. But now that I have my own children, I see the story for its real hero: Grace. And Scary Mommy has exclusive photos from the movie that share the kind of vibes you’re going to get from Judy Greer’s character — like warmth and love and joy and even some nervousness and trepidation mixed in there. You know, how we all hope we come off as a mother.

I do think it’s important to mention that in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, the mother of the narrator is never named. Neither is the narrator, actually. But in the 2024 movie adaptation, the incredibly talented Judy Greer plays the role of the mom, and she’s named Grace.

And that’s exactly what her character is full of.

I’m a huge Judy Greer fan, so I’ll watch anything she does, but to see her in this role in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is just lovely. Honestly, the character of Grace is lovely. And any mom who’s ever felt stressed during the holidays, has felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, or just wants to make sure she’s the mom who can do it all will find her deeply relatable. The entire story of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever centers around Grace and how she’s the one who has to orchestrate the annual Christmas pageant. Instead of getting to follow the normal protocol, though, she now has the Herdman children and their not-quite-so-normal selves mixed in, too.

But here’s the beautiful thing about this character in both the book and the movie: She’s steady. Nobody thinks she can pull this off, yet everyone fully expects her to do so. This character is the one who proclaims this will be the “best Christmas pageant ever” because so many people doubt her ability to handle it.

And she’s the only person who sees these children for who they really are — kids who have never been given a chance.

In the novel, the narrator’s mother explains the actual birth of Jesus to the Herdmans. She’s the one who stands up for them to the congregation and who fights to keep the pageant going. She believes these kids have good intentions, and she believes in the magic of Christmas. She’s a mother, after all.

Moms are always the unsung heroes of Christmas. We fill the stockings; we plan the class parties; we bake the cookies. And we do it all for the magic and the memories — it’s not that we ever expect any kind of gratitude. But seeing a mother’s perspective in a movie like The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, where the holiday is more than just a fun gathering this year but a chance to make a difference in lives, is so refreshing. Grace knows the true meaning of Christmas, and she’s going to show it through her love and devotion to not just the pageant, but in being there for those who need us the most.

These exclusive photos from the movie showcase that love so beautifully. Judy Greer deserves all the accolades for her years of acting credits, but I think her portrayal of Grace — the true mother of Christmas spirit — might be her best one of all.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever hits theaters on Nov. 8. Your tears will follow roughly 45 minutes into your viewing.