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MOVIE REVIEW

The Man Who Invented Christmas

also known as “Dickens: L'uomo che inventò il Natale,” “O Homem Que Inventou o Natal,” “Nguoi Phat Minh Ra Giang Sinh,” «Человек, который изобрёл Рождество»
MPA Rating: PG-Rating (MPA) for thematic elements and some mild language.
Moral Rating: Good
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Family
Genre: Biography Drama
Length: 1 hr. 44 min.
Year of Release: 2017
USA Release: November 22, 2017 (wide—532 theaters)
November 24, 2017 (626 theaters)
December 1, 2017 (674 theaters)
December 8, 2017 (720 theaters)
DVD: March 6, 2018
Copyright, Bleecker Street Mediaclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Bleecker Street Media Copyright, Bleecker Street Media
Relevant Issues
What is the true meaning of CHRISTMAS?
What is the TRUE meaning of Christmas? Answers for skeptics. Plus carols, games, coloring pages, reviews of Christmas movies, and more.

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Copyright, Bleecker Street Media Copyright, Bleecker Street Media Copyright, Bleecker Street Media
Featuring Dan StevensCharles Dickens
Christopher PlummerEbenezer Scrooge
Jonathan PryceJohn Dickens
Simon Callow … Leech
Miriam Margolyes … Mrs. Fisk
Ian McNeice … Chapman
Bill Paterson … Mr. Grimsby
Donald Sumpter … Jacob Marley
Morfydd Clark … Kate Dickens
Cosimo Fusco … Signor Mazzini
Annette Badland … Mrs. Fezziwig
Valeria Bandino … Tart
Justin Edwards … John Forster
Ger Ryan … Mrs. Dickens
See all »
Director Bharat Nalluri — “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” (2008)
Producer Mazur / Kaplan Company
The Mob Film Company
See all »
Distributor Distributor: Bleecker. Trademark logo. Bleecker Street Media

Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) is a best-selling author in old Victorian England who, in 1842, is still riding the wave of his recent success with Oliver Twist. One year and three successive failures later and his finances dwindling, he decides it’s time to write a new book in time for Christmas, the only problem being that he is suffering from a crippling writers block, and he has no idea what to write about.

Drawing inspiration from the people and situations all about him, most particularly the abject poverty on his very doorstep juxtaposed against his fellow man’s insensitivity to their plight, an idea hatches, and he begins to craft the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer)—a miserly, rich old fool who receives his chance at redemption one Christmas eve, when visited by four ghostly apparitions.

Christopher Plummer plays the imagined Scrooge with a delicious aplomb, and watching all of the story’s characters come to life in the writer’s mind makes for some of the best moments for anyone familiar with the story of A Christmas Carol. Rated PG, this look into the creative process behind the beloved Christmas classic, is fit for family viewing with only a few areas of possible concern.

Language: Minor. The British expletive ‘bloody’ is said 4 times, with only single mentions of the following crude words: “sc*m-s*cking”, “a**”, “street-walker”, “vampire” and “necromancer.” These last two are related to bedtime stories a younger maid reads to the Dickens children.

Violence: Mild. A child is humiliated in front of other children, berated and given a dead rat as a present. He is later beat by another child, but this is shown from his perspective, so the actual beating is not seen. Dickens, in a fit of rage, begins to tear apart his room, and then the scene cuts away to the messy aftermath. He also loses his patience several times and yells at both the servant staff and his father. Darker than any violence, though, is the imagery which includes his own forced servitude as a child, the destitute, and the imagined scenes of Tiny Tim struggling against his infirmity, along with the ghosts which torment Scrooge, the last of which foretells his death in a shallow constricting grave.

Sex/Nudity: None.

Lessons

”The Man Who Invented Christmas” is an overall positive film with some themes throughout that deserve exploring including: charity, mercy and finally salvation.

Charity—Charles Dickens personally felt the plight of the poor since when he was a child; he and his family were once destitute themselves. He gave, as his wife said, to every beggar he came across and actively volunteered at a local charity. Holy Scripture asks no less of all of us.

“Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.” —Isaiah 58:10

POVERTY—What does the Bible say about the poor? Answer

Poor in the Bible

What is LOVE, for a follower of Christ? Answer

Mercy—Dickens also feels a responsibility to take care of his parents in their old age, as the Bible instructs us to (1 Timothy 5:8), despite the dysfunctional relationship he has with his father. Unfortunately, because of his childhood trauma, he belittles his father, forgetting the very lesson he learned from that same man in that, “…no man is useless if he can lighten the burden of others.”

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” —Hosea 6:6

Salvation—The author’s greatest struggle in finishing the book is answering the question, how can such an irredeemable man be redeemed? As Christians, we know the only answer is by faith in Jesus Christ, because only God can change our hearts so that we can live a new life in Him.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” —Ezekiel 36:26

“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)

“The Man Who Invented Christmas” has lavishly decorated scenery, exquisite period appropriate costumes, fine acting by both the lead (Stevens) and his petulant muse (Plummer) as well as a ‘true-to-life’ narrative that will appeal to most fans of the classic tale. This same audience might also leave wishing the Director had taken further artistic license in order to better blend some of Dickens experiences with his characters. An unquestionably charming and welcome entry for the Christmas season, but one that feels more at home on the small screen than in the theater.

  • Violence: Mild
  • Profane language: Minor
  • Vulgar/Crude language: None
  • Nudity: None
  • Sex: None

An accurate explanation of the purpose Jesus Christ’s birth. Answers for skeptics. Plus Christmas carols, games, coloring pages, reviews of Christmas movies, and more%u2026

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—WONDERFUL! Instant classic. Thoroughly enjoyable movie that interweaves the circumstances and pressures of Charles Dickens personal life as he struggles to write A Christmas Carol. Christopher Plummer is superb as the developing character of Scrooge. Dan Stevens is outstanding as author Charles Dickens. Jonathan Pryce shines as John Dickens, Charles troubled father. Literally every actor and actress was wonderful, even background characters look like they belong in a Dickens movie.

An intriguing story that touches on Dickens life experiences that hint at the source of inspiration behind his novels that changed Great Britain and the world concerning work houses, debtors prisons, child labor and conditions of and compassion for the poor.

The story, the acting, the script, the costumes, cinematography, everything about this film is fantastic. Visually rich. Great character development. A really wonderful Christmas treat.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Tori, age 40+ (USA)
Positive—I really enjoyed this movie, and it was filmed in an interesting style. I love the idea that this might have been how Dickens was inspired to write A Christmas Carol. It is one of my all time favorite books, and I love the movie version with Scrooge starring Alastair Sim’s made in 1950. What is lacking in this film is the message of salvation and Jesus. In the book and in other movies of it, Bob Cratchit and his family are people of faith, and it is the story of Christ coming as the babe is for mankind to be redeemed. This movie was really missing this theme that makes the story much more meaningful. I will watch it again, but it will never take the place of Scrooge with Alastair Sim.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Sharon Ulstad, age 58 (USA)

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