The Man Who Invented Christmas

Bleecker Street Media | Release Date: November 22, 2017

6.5	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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GinaKDec 5, 2017

This is a fun movie for people who read books and/or like Masterpiece Theater and/or were liberal arts majors. It is about the “artistic process” of Dickens as he struggles to support his family and write the classic book A Christmas Carol.This is a fun movie for people who read books and/or like Masterpiece Theater and/or were liberal arts majors. It is about the “artistic process” of Dickens as he struggles to support his family and write the classic book A Christmas Carol. Of course, it is fanciful, but the acting is wonderful (especially Christopher Plummer as Scrooge) and if you can “go” with the movie and not take it completely seriously as great art or biography, you should thoroughly enjoy yourself. The movie is a great escape, although life was just as grim in Dickens’ day as it is now. Luckily the movie takes everything lightly – and has a happy ending – the "birth" of a perennial Christmas classic.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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AntichriticDec 7, 2017

This movie gives exactly what the trailer promised and it's simply great festive fare. It's December and I wanted a festive family film (for more grown up kids) that wasn't Marvel, DC or full of violence. We all know the story, but thisThis movie gives exactly what the trailer promised and it's simply great festive fare. It's December and I wanted a festive family film (for more grown up kids) that wasn't Marvel, DC or full of violence. We all know the story, but this injects a pleasantly fresh spin and Dan Stevens and Christopher Plummer are simply great leads. It seems to me that some reviewers feel that the people who pay to watch a festive movie in December, or go about with "Merry Christmas" on their lips should be boiled in their own plum pudding and buried with a stake of holly through their hearts. Bah, humbug to the Scrooge-like reviewers and merry, merry Christmas to one and all ... of the people who watch this movie and spread some festive cheer!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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Brent_MarchantNov 25, 2017

A modestly entertaining back story offering on the origins of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," featuring fine performances by Dan Stevens and Christopher Plummer as the apparition of Scrooge. However, given the enduring charm of theA modestly entertaining back story offering on the origins of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," featuring fine performances by Dan Stevens and Christopher Plummer as the apparition of Scrooge. However, given the enduring charm of the book on which this film is based, I was expecting something a bit more "magical" out of this offering, which, regrettably, comes across as surprisingly flat, with only periodic smatterings of wonder. As holiday movies go, this one isn't bad; it's just not great.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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RtheomDec 14, 2017

This was a really great movie. Sure, you know exactly how it's going to end, and it's mostly just a footnote in what is the most well known Christmas tale, but it's nice, warm, and everything a Christmas tale really should be.

Sure, thereThis was a really great movie. Sure, you know exactly how it's going to end, and it's mostly just a footnote in what is the most well known Christmas tale, but it's nice, warm, and everything a Christmas tale really should be.

Sure, there wasn't much drama to be had and the conflict was minimal, but it was still fun to watch the story of how Dickens came up with A Christmas Carol, and it was also fun to try to spot the little references here and there that were "used" to create the final story. Overall, I very much enjoyed this movie and would highly recommend it to anyone else that wanted a light, but fun Christmas film, and a good way to check Christmas Carol off the list without having to actually watch that specific story again.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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KenROct 1, 2018

Sumptuous production values lift this vibrant telling of Mr Dickens’s life and work well above the average. Art direction, sets, lighting and slick CGI combine to take us back to those grim days of 1840s England. Christopher Plumber’s ScroogeSumptuous production values lift this vibrant telling of Mr Dickens’s life and work well above the average. Art direction, sets, lighting and slick CGI combine to take us back to those grim days of 1840s England. Christopher Plumber’s Scrooge is almost frighteningly lifted from the pages of this iconic book and analysed – but for me, Dan Steven’s Dickens was at times a little over the top (but maybe Charles might have been this scatty, along the lines of Mozart?) Having the books characters interact with their creator injects some amazing depth into many scenes –it also allows us to look into Charles’s rather tortured childhood. Good script, direction and music keep this, at times, overly chaotic movie pretty much on track. It would also quite certainly seem that Mr Dickens classic book was responsible for bringing the Christmas spirit back firmly into British life, and indeed the world - contributions to charity increased (a good thing to achieve indeed!) and Christmas Cards were introduced (although in certain respects, this is perhaps more in line with the commercialisation of Christmas –not so good) – but, not so sure about the title - may be the film could have had a more imaginative name...?… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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