The Man Who Invented Christmas

Name: The Man Who Invented Christmas
Genre: Biography, Drama, Comedy
Released: November 22, 2017
Duration: 104 min
Rating: 60
Cast: Annette Badland, Bill Paterson, Christopher Plummer, Cosimo Fusco, Dan Stevens

2017

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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6.5

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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The Man Who Invented Christmas: Why Christmas?

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Movie Details & Credits

Bleecker Street Media | Release Date: November 22, 2017 | PG

Starring: Annette Badland, Bill Paterson, Christopher Plummer, Cosimo Fusco, Dan Stevens, Donald Sumpter, Ian McNeice, Jonathan Pryce, Miles Jupp, Miriam Margolyes, Morfydd Clark, Simon Callow, Valeria Bandino

Summary: The Man Who Invented Christmas tells of the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. The film shows how Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) mixed real life inspirations with his vivid imagination to conjure up unforgettable characters and aThe Man Who Invented Christmas tells of the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. The film shows how Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) mixed real life inspirations with his vivid imagination to conjure up unforgettable characters and a timeless tale, forever changing the holiday season into the celebration we know today.… Expand

Director: Bharat Nalluri

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 104 min

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Critic Reviews

Joshua Rothkopf

Nov 23, 2017

Dan Stevens turns in a vibrant comic performance as Charles Dickens in this drama about writerly inspiration that plays like a smarter Shakespeare in Love. Read full review

Moira Macdonald

Nov 21, 2017

It’s a pleasant Christmas-season offering; both mild (read: family-friendly) and sweet. Read full review

Steve Persall

Nov 23, 2017

The Man Who Invented Christmas is good at its feel-iest, a beloved but stale tale retold with novelty while revealing an interesting rest of the story. Let’s hope it becomes a perennial like so many versions before, with Plummer’s Scrooge as a yearly gift. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Nov 28, 2017

It’s “A Christmas Carol” riff for those who already know the story, and entirely too on-the-nose for its own good. Read full review

Empire Dan Jolin

Dec 4, 2017

A lightweight, tinselly film with some nice touches and appealing performances, though it never lands its darker moments. Read full review

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Nov 22, 2017

Christmas has some good points going for it (e.g., Plummer’s grumpy, rascally Scrooge, who’d be great in a straight adaptation), but its portrayal of Dickens’ biography and family life is resoundingly dull, apart from some tense notes in Pryce’s performance. Read full review

Eric Henderson

Nov 21, 2017

Since “humbug” is already spoken for by Ebenezer Scrooge, “opportunistic” would be the most apt word for The Man Who Invented Christmas. Read full review

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User Reviews

Antichritic

Dec 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 this injects a pleasantly fresh spin and Dan Stevens andThis 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

KenR

Oct 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 Scrooge is almost frighteningly lifted from the pages ofSumptuous 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

GinaK

Dec 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. Of course, it is fanciful, but the acting isThis 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

Brent_Marchant

Nov 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 the book on which this film is based, I was expectingA 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

TVJerry

Nov 27, 2017

After the rousing success of "Oliver Twist" author Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) had 3 flops before ramming headlong into writer's block. With mounting financial pressure and creative anxiety, he hatches the idea for "A Christmas Carol." As everyday events and people spur his imagination,After the rousing success of "Oliver Twist" author Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) had 3 flops before ramming headlong into writer's block. With mounting financial pressure and creative anxiety, he hatches the idea for "A Christmas Carol." As everyday events and people spur his imagination, his manic pursuit of the situations and characters plays out. This process starts as a lighthearted literary adventure and ends with mildly moving sentimentality. It's the middle section that drags a bit with dramatic emotional side trips. Still, Stevens is charming and the production mostly romps along with a cheery approach. This may not become a new holiday tradition, but it's certainly an entertaining look at the genesis of a Christmas classic.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

CoKronakan

Jan 27, 2019

This movie felt like a misfire of what it was supposed to be. It missed it's audience totally by having an identity crisis. It's to serious for kids and to funny for adults. An unrealistic experience for Charles Dickens, and how he invented his characters. And this is not an adventures movieThis movie felt like a misfire of what it was supposed to be. It missed it's audience totally by having an identity crisis. It's to serious for kids and to funny for adults. An unrealistic experience for Charles Dickens, and how he invented his characters. And this is not an adventures movie which makes it boring and dragging with it's entertainment massively. The characters where un-interesting and not creating immersion. You just won't care about most of the characters because there is no value in how they where acted, written and delivered. The director's style is just the casual stuff and nothing out of the special. There is also a serious pacing issue of the main events not unfolding until one third of the movie. The plot is not complex at all and by being chore like as well makes it a hard watch. The humor is totally lacking and there where no actual jokes in the whole movie, which gives the impression of this movie taking it's self to seriously given the fact that it is a magical movie. Or rather it was supposed to be. The complete absence of music in certain scenes is also experience breaking. Overall sadly this movie is a below average, and I honestly can't see any reason to watch this movie at any time of the year. The conclusion is cheesy, and in the end the movie is just not interesting, entertaining or fun to watch.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

skernan

Nov 27, 2017

I wrote a review of The Man Who Invented Christmas for Vocal.Media. The Man Who Invented Christmas is a remarkably dull movie. Regardless of the good intentions and the good ideas at the heart of the film, the story and specifically the character of Charles Dickens, never get going. TheI wrote a review of The Man Who Invented Christmas for Vocal.Media. The Man Who Invented Christmas is a remarkably dull movie. Regardless of the good intentions and the good ideas at the heart of the film, the story and specifically the character of Charles Dickens, never get going. The story about how Charles Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol likely wasn’t all that dramatic; most writing isn’t particularly dramatic, in and of itself. But where The Man Who Invented Christmas fails is in finding some aspect of Dickens that was interestingly dramatic while he wrote his masterpiece. Instead, we have an almost insufferable lead character on a predictable journey toward a well-known outcome. https://geeks.media/movie-review-the-man-who-invented-christmas?_ga=2.158861178.1740922222.1510551572-1283273557.1497723878… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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