Charles Dickens and Writer's Block

Did Charles Dickens invent Christmas? Of course not – but he definitely wrote a wonderful Christmas story for the ages. The Man Who Invented Christmas mixes fantasy and reality in a holiday film for the entire family. Dan Stevens delivers an amusing -- but a bit over-the-top at times -- portrayal of Dickens, and Christopher Plummer plays Scrooge to the hilt. It’s fun to watch both of these fine actors in roles we’ve seen on screen many times before.

As a Dickens/Stevens/Plummer fan, I enjoyed the creative concept of the movie as well as the entertaining performances. The idea of characters appearing to an author in order to assist with writing the story and even arguing about the ending really appeals to me. That fantastical approach works well here. It gives the film a magical feel. 

I don’t want to give away too much about the plot of The Man Who Invented Christmas, but I couldn’t resist writing a little poem about this creative holiday film.

Writer’s block? It’s not just a joke.

Even Dickens almost went broke.

Frantic, he searched for a great tale

that could result in a huge sale.

When characters cried out to him,

he thought that they were just a whim.

But Scrooge and crew fought to be heard.

They made Dickens note every word.

Dickens listened and wrote his best

Christmas story to pass the test.

“A Christmas Carol” came to be.

And now THIS film is here to see.

Plus, Tiny Tim lives on to say

"God bless us everyone each day."

(Released by Netflix and rated “PG” by MPAA.)

Review also posted at ReelTalk Movie Reviews.