The Man Who Invented Christmas Parent Guide

Dickens was broke: to begin with.

After having his book, Oliver Twist, reach the heights of best seller, Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) did what most of us would. He bought a nice house, filled it with expensive items and spoiled his wife Kate (Morfydd Clark) and their children. What he didn’t plan on was his next three sequential novels being flops. Now the bills are mounting, winter is approaching and he is begging for an advance from his publisher – gambling on the belief that he will be able to produce one more hit.

When Mrs. Dickens quietly informs the author that he has another child on the way, it’s just one more deficit on the books. Then his derelict father and mother (Jonathan Pryce and Ger Ryan) show up on the front doorstep and Kate offers them a place to stay. In desperation, the scribe sequesters himself into his home office inhabited only by his presence and the demons in his mind. Thank the heavens for John Forster (Justin Edwards), a patient friend and volunteer agent who is determined to see Charles through his writer’s block.

As Dickens and Mr. Foster meet with a publisher, printer and make stops at a gentleman’s club, the pair are exposed to a variety of personalities. Often, during their casual conversation, Dickens pulls out a tiny journal and jots down quotes or makes dutifully notes—like a cook gathering ingredients for the perfect stew. Viewers will recognize many of the remarks made by these random citizens, because they are the very words that fill the pages of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol.

Yet, before his most famous novel will forever change the frosted hearts of Londoners (and the world), he must first work through a haunting of his own: an abandoned childhood that has left him sweetly savoring his accomplishments and bitterly blaming his father for his inability to create another book.

Like many writers, Dickens’ characters live within his head. Thanks to the imagination of Les Stanford, who authored the story upon which this movie is based, and director Bharat Nalluri who brings the script brilliantly to the screen, these mental creations come to life. Soon they begin to populate the corners of Dickens’ writing room, and even follow him about town. Chief of these nascent beings is Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), who aptly applies generous doses of dispiriting discord. In a pivotal scene, Plummer becomes the ultimate shoulder devil, whispering into the ear of his crushed creator that his character epitomizes the fears of starvation and failure within Dickens’ mind – and illuminates unhappy memories that the author had hoped to leave obscured in the past.

At the risk of leaving readers thinking this production is too dark for younger audiences, there is, of course, a bright ending. Yet even for those familiar with his classic novel, this well-crafted movie’s best work is to illustrate the surrounding situation that motivated Dickens to author it. And that charming and thoughtful picture will provide a variety of points for parents to discuss with teens and older children.

There is little content in this movie to concern family audiences, although scenes of verbal sparring, bullying and Dickens’ “creative” temper may be too emotionally charged for little children. There are also a couple of moments of drunkenness that involve using alcohol to avoid stress. Still, The Man Who Invented Christmas provides viewers with the opportunity to consider their potential to change themselves and the world for the better. It’s a strong testament to the power of creative works (the publication of this story altered people’s views on charitable giving) and a reminder that a one’s most difficult experiences can often become our greatest gifts to those around us.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.