The Man Who Invented Christmas(DVD)

A bit different from your normal "feel good Christmas movies" but still very good and is factual as well.

The only reason I can think of for this film doing so poorly at the box office is the title. Dan Stevens is wonderful as Charles Dickens and Christopher Plummer steals every scene he is in as Dickens' Scrooge - not to mention a wonderful supporting cast. When I saw the title months ago I by-passed buying the video and didn't realize what it was about until I saw an excellent trailer which made it very appealing. After I finished watching it the first time, I wanted to watch it again right away (IMO that means it's a keeper which I want to put in my collection). It has the same appeal as A Christmas Carol itself as a Christmas Classic. Also, there was a lot of information in the movie that I didn't know, such as Dickens' struggles to even get his book printed. The irony is that I'm sure if a new manuscript from Dickens showed up in an old trunk today, there would be a bidding war between publishers which would skyrocket into the millions. As it is, this movie puts a lot more heart into A Christmas Carol which already had a lot of heart to begin with. Another irony is that what Dickens actually invented was how we think Christmas should be celebrated - lavish family dinners with lots of food, charitable donations to those who have less than we do, gifts and decorated trees and candles and carols. Kindness and forgiveness and generosity and concern for others. We seem to have lost sight of much of this about Christmas, despite the many remakes of A Christmas Carol to remind us every year, just as they had lost sight of it in nineteenth century England. So I hope this movie will be pulled out by many every year to remember the man who struggled to remind us of what Christmas should mean to us every 25th of December.

My wife and I have become Charles Dickens fans and thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I'll go so far as to say that it exceeded our expectations and deserves the 5 stars most reviewers have given to it. Dan Stevens, of Downton Abbey fame, brings great energy and insight into his role as Dickens and Christopher Plummer, at age 88, is memorable as Scrooge. The film is based to a degree on the true story behind getting "A Christmas Carol" published in December, 1843, just in time for the Christmas market. The book quickly sold out, of course, and has become the classic we all know and love. But the book is more than just a wonderful story about the holiday season and the redemption of an old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. What we see and feel is something that changed people's lives for the better as they enjoy the season and try to make life better for everyone around them. This was the true genius of Dickens. Not only does he tell a story, but he gets across a social message that we all can relate to. The weak must be helped by the strong. The poor must be helped by the well-to-do. If he were alive today, Charles Dickens would win the Nobel peace price, the Nobel prize for literature, and the gratitude of millions of people whose lives were changed by his words. What a great writer he was and we have his novels and other writings to prove it. "Great Expectations," "David Copperfield," "Nicholas Nickleby," and, of course, "A Christmas Carol" are his finest works and are all relevant today. They deserve our time and attention as does this terrific little film, much of which was beautifully filmed in Ireland. Any Dickens or "Scrooge" fan must see and treasure "The Man Who Invented Christmas."

I am going to start out right away saying that I am an avid fan of 'A Christmas Carol'. I have quite a collection of CC movies. I actually came across this film quite accidentally. I was googling a list of the best and worst Christmas films just for the fun of it and this title came up. I honestly can't remember if it was in the good or bad list. But as soon as I saw it and realized what it was I knew I had to get it. I literally just finished watching it so it's fresh in my head. I have to say that Dan Stevens makes a great young version of Charles Dickens. The story is about how he comes up with the different ideas of writing his masterpiece story. It was fun to watch how he got the names of his characters and some of their main phrases by different people and situations happening in his life. Christopher Plummer (probably best known in his role from 'The Sound of Music') makes a very good Scrooge. After watching this film I would like to see him play the part in an actual Scrooge movie because he does seem to make a good Scrooge. As this movie unfolds we see how the characters from the story 'come to life' and interact with Mr. Dickens. We see characters like Jacob Marley, Fezziwig, all three ghosts of Christmas as well as the Cratchet family. The movie also depicts Dickens' relationship with his father in particular and how this relationship eventually leads him to discover something wonderful inside himself which helps him to finish his tale of Christmas. I would definitely encourage anyone who likes 'A Christmas Carol' as I do to watch this movie. I'm very glad that I discovered it and I just wish more people knew about this film. It's great entertainment for the whole family.

Truly enjoyed this film. I read other reviews that didn't get out of the movie what I did. Is there overdone storytelling and acting? Of course. It's a joyous romp about a story that absolutely changed, in real life, how people approach and celebrate Christmas. It's not based on a true story, it is a true story. So, set you overly serious self aside, sit back with a beverage and snack, and enjoy a world long gone and the new world it bred.

a good movie

Great movie!

I love this movie; in fact, I saw it again just a few weeks ago. It's well acted, a good story and it's the kind of movie where you hope it is historically accurate (I even looked online after the first viewing, and it is accurate (mostly)). A great Christmas movie.

Great movie!

Je me suis hélas aperçue trop tard pour retourner mon colis que le DVD est ILLISIBLE DANS LA REGION CONCERNEE. Autrement dit le vendeur n'a pas vu de problème pour envoyer en France un DVD qui ne pouvait pas être lu en Europe. Je n'ai donc jamais pu voir ce film qui n'est pas sorti en France, et que j'avais acheté pour travailler avec mes élèves en littérature anglaise. Dire que je suis déçue est un euphémisme.

One of the best Christmas movies ever! A must see!!

Leider hat die DVD den Ländercode 1 (USA &Co) statt Europa (Code 2). Eine Rücksendung wäre kostenpflichtig und würde über 13 Euro kosten. Warum wird soetwas überhaupt nach Europa verschickt?! Der Film ist toll. Der beköme 5 Sterne. Die Bewertung bezieht sich ausschließlich auf die falsche Zuweisung!

This is a story, in part a fantasy, about how Charles Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol. It's beautifully acted, emotionally honest, and lots of fun. Christopher Plummer as Scrooge, a character who appears to Dickens and haunts him until the book is finished, is really wonderful, and Dan Stevens, as always, is delightful. Stevens manages to show what a complex and sometimes obnoxious man Dickens was, while also helping us to see the energy and essential goodness of the man. This film belongs in the repertoire of Christmas Films that we all watch every December. I hope it finds the audience it deserves. It's not cloying or silly; it's heart-felt and beautiful.