This movie, released in theaters in 2017, is the newest movie on our Christmas watch list and the only new film in our schedule for 2024.
PLOT SUMMARY
How (and why) did Charles Dickens come to write A Christmas Carol? Despite world-wide success with novels such as Oliver Twist and a whirlwind tour of the United States, he’s back in London with mounting debts and a bad case of writer’s block. He arranges to publish a new Christmas story, but to have it ready by Christmas he must meet a desperate deadline. Haunted by the characters evoked in his imagination and personal demons from his past, he struggles to keep his marriage, his household, and his career intact.
To appreciate the film’s complex plot, it is helpful not only to have seen one or more film versions of A Christmas Carol but also to have recently read the novella. We also highly recommend a free, online course on A Christmas Carol from Hillsdale College.
CAST AND CREW
Charles Dickens is played by Dan Stevens, who is probably best known for his role as Matthew Crowley in the first three seasons of Downtown Abbey.
Margaret Margolyes, who plays Mrs. Fisk, appeared in two film versions of Dickens novels: Little Dorrit (1987) and Oliver Twist (1985).
Bill Patterson, who plays Mr. Grimsley, the character who is the initial model for the character of Ebenzer Scrooge, stars in one of our favorite quirky holiday films, Comfort & Joy, which features a soundtrack by Mark Knopfler.
Christopher Plummer gives a wonderfully layered performance as Scrooge.
Jonathan Pryce, who plays Charles Dickens’ ne’er-do-well father, may be familiar as Governor Weatherby Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Another familiar face is Simon Callow, who plays Leech, the illustrator who can’t comprehend the idea of the jovial Ghost of Christmas Present. Callow played the portly Gareth in Four Weddings and a Funeral and the Master of the Revels in Shakespeare in Love.
WHY WE LOVE THIS MOVIE
The Man Who Invented Christmas will definitely reappear on our Christmas movie list, because it is a wonderful companion to the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol. The performances by Stevens and Plummer are superb, and the complex film will surely reveal new layers on future viewings. The insights into the creative process also make this an interesting film.
The film is currently available for free for Amazon Prime members.