The Man Who Invented Christmas

"A Christmas Carol" is my fourth favourite fictional story of all time after "Star Wars", the works of "J.R.R. Tolkien" and "Harry Potter". I was excited to see a movie about how Charles Dickens wrote this beloved Christmas story that has become synonymous with Christmas itself. The movie wasn't as good as I was hoping but it was still enjoyable. It has a similar plot to the movie "Hitchcock" and that was both a blessing and a flaw. The comparison robbed "The Man Who Invented Christmas" of much originality in my eyes but such a plot was necessary considering the true story being adapted.

Just as "Hitchcock" begins with the premiere of "North by Northwest", "The Man Who Invented Christmas" begins with Charles Dickens enjoying the success of "Oliver Twist". We need to see the kind of fame Dickens enjoyed before the letdown of the three books that followed "Oliver Twist". Both creative men, Alfred Hitchcock and Charles Dickens, never really lose their fame or fortune during their two respective stories but they are under pressure to discover their next work of art. Another comparison between both films is that Hitchcock and Dickens make the decision to personally fund their projects themselves. The title of the movie is somewhat misleading for two reasons. Firstly, because Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" in the six weeks prior to Christmas 1843, "The Man Who Invented Christmas" doesn't feel very Christmassy until the end. Secondly, it is not entirely true that Dickens "invented Christmas". In my opinion, Christmas as we know it underwent two periods of reinvention: once during Queen Victoria's rule and again in the 20th Century thanks to American Capitalism. The former time period is where this movie takes place. Unlike what the movie leads you to believe, the popularity of Christmas in Britain was on the increase by the 1840's. "A Christmas Carol" was not the genesis of this ascend in popularity but evidence of it. The vision of Christmas portrayed in Dickens' book may not have been original but Dickens did capture and preserve the nature of the holiday in the Victorian era by means of his famous story. Dickens is credited though for popularizing (not inventing) the phrase "Merry Christmas" and charity did increase in the wake of the book's success. Dickens did not invent Christmas but I think it is safe to say that without "A Christmas Carol", Christmas would be less traditional in nature. Readers want to create their own family gatherings and seasonal food customs. They desire to dance, play games and have generosity in the spirit of Dickens after reading his novel. The book by itself is inspirational and I guess that justifies the title of this movie. Besides, a movie title such as "The Man Who Popularized Christmas" doesn't sound very good.

The film is quite lighthearted at first but takes on a more dramatic feeling as we approach the climax. The story of the creation of "A Christmas Carol" is adapted to mirror the story of Scrooge. Charles Dickens is portrayed as a "penny pincher" not because he is greedy but because he is a philanthropist. The characters visit him as they are created in his head, including Marley and the three spirits. He goes on a journey of discovery with them and creative people can relate to this because their work of art begins to create itself at certain points. We are shown Dickens' past as he is forced into child labor. This is important to the story because Dickens was known for his social commentary and "A Christmas Carol" is full of criticism on British society. As he becomes obsessed with this new story, his family begins to be affected emotionally. There are even more comparisons between Dickens and his miserly protagonist. Just as we wonder if Scrooge will change in one night, we wonder if Dickens can pen a hit book in less than two months. Also, Dickens' manifestation of Scrooge constantly reminds him of the hypocrisy of the situation. In trying to save his family financially through his writing, he creates emotional turmoil in his household and he almost becomes estranged from his father. Some people might not understand why Dickens was having trouble finding the ending to his story. While it may be obvious to us in hindsight, a work of art is never easy for the artist. In the case of "A Christmas Carol", Dickens has created such a villain in Scrooge that he can't justify in his mind whether Scrooge can change. Will the readers accept it? When Dickens goes to confront his inner demons at the blacking factory, Dickens is able to turn the tables on his imaginary Scrooge and finds the ending to his story in the process. He also makes peace with his family before it is too late and even manages to get the final stave of the book to the printer in time. I also enjoy Dickens' sources of inspiration such as Marley the waiter and Dickens' nephew, Henry. There is also the police officer, Copperfield, at the end of the film. I liken this to the scene in "Hitchcock" where the crow lands on the filmmaker's shoulder in the final shot.

This is the third film I have seen Dan Stevens perform in but I felt he did better in "Beauty and the Beast". I am surprised that it has taken this long for Oscar-winner Christopher Plummer to be cast as Scrooge but I must admit that other actors were slightly better. Besides, this Scrooge had a different role in this movie as a supporting character. I liked Jonathan Pryce but I failed to recognize Simon Callow. I find it neat how this movie about the writing of a book is itself based on a book. I think I would have enjoyed "The Man Who Invented Christmas" more if it had been more historically accurate. The connections I made with the film "Hitchcock" did affect my enjoyment, for better and for worse. To close, I still enjoyed this movie. Dickens made a lot of promises in this film as he wrote "A Christmas Carol" and in yet another comparison with his own literary character, Dickens "was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more." The book he created and the story of its creation both need to be appreciated.

3.5 Stars out of 5