Page 30 - Poze Magazine Volume 80

Q&A WITH EDITOR 5. You’ve mentioned that working on this project
JOHN QUINN, ACE
3. The Herdman siblings have become
iconic characters over the years. What
unique challenges did you face in
updating them for a modern audience
while keeping their original charm and
spirit intact?
Luckily, I didn’t feel the pressure of
updating them for a modern audience –
that was all in the writing. I played Warden this ordinary moment so sweet.
with the footage and made sure we didn’t
use any performances that screamed “this
is a kid from 2024” because we really
wanted this film to have a timeless feel.
4. The film emphasizes family,
acceptance, and the holiday spirit. What
aspects of the story were most important
for you to highlight through editing, and
how did you approach capturing these
elements to resonate with viewers during
the holiday season?
The most important thing for me was that
you enjoy spending time with the
Herdmans, even if they might be “bad”.
Every small town, including mine, had a
family like this – kids who aren’t
supervised, a home that’s rundown, and
judgment from snobby parents. In the edit,
it was a juggling act to determine how
many scenes were actually needed to
show the Herdmans in a sympathetic light.
There were a couple of scenes that we
lifted out for time, as it was already clear fun to take things out and see if the important
that the audience still had empathy for the
Herdmans.
reminded you of the power of storytelling, especially
when it comes to finding magic in the ordinary. Is
there a particular scene or moment in the film where
this sentiment shines through?
When Beth’s family delivers food to the Herdmans,
Judy Greer’s character has a shift in what she thinks of
the Herdman children. We had to find the right
moment to cut to Judy and get inside her head. It’s a
simple beautiful moment that, to my happy surprise,
caused some audience members to get emotional.
The timing, the music, and Judy’s performance make
6. You worked closely with director Dallas Jenkins
and the screenwriters to bring a unified vision to life.
Could you share more about that collaboration and
how it influenced the final cut of The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever?
Dallas had a clear vision for the film but he was open
to collaborating. He wanted the opening of the film to
feel completely different from what the audience
expected, so I temped it with an AC/DC song. It was a
lot of fun! We kept that in until the 2nd test screening.
Dallas and I spent the majority of our time working
together on the pageant section of the film. We had
20 hours of footage to work with, and we went to
great lengths to ensure that the climax landed the
way it did. We had to make sure we were tracking the
judgemental townspeople in the audience – not too
much, not too little. There were so many little things
sprinkled throughout the film. For example, at the
end, when Beth walks up to Imogene after the
pageant, Grace originally told Beth she should go up
to her. But it plays so much better with Beth deciding
on her own to go and talk to Imogene. It’s so much
emotional beats in the film still play.