The film centers on the Herdman kids, who are the absolute worst. They lie, they steal, they bully… and they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant. As the rowdy and raucous siblings force themselves into all of the lead roles, they drive the pageant’s director, Grace (Judy Greer), and other members of her family, including husband Bob (Holmes), up the wall. But through their misfit mischief, these unlikely messengers might turn out to be the ones to deliver the town’s sensational and moving portrayal of the true meaning of Christmas.

某日，過氣的童星蓋文史東因酒後失序被捕，為了不入監服刑，他被迫到教會當義工，從事打掃清潔的工作。然而，他不想做這工作，因此假裝成虔誠的基督徒，並爭取到教會年度的受難劇中飾演耶穌。最後他卻發現，人生中最重要的一個角色原來並不在好萊塢…