The Man Who Invented Christmas, based on the book by Les Standiford

The Man Who Invented Christmas, based on the book by Les Standiford

This is a charming film about a chapter in the life of the great, fascinating, radiant Charles Dickens

The audience is also invited to explore parts of the childhood of the genius writer, who has suffered so much.

His father John Dickens, the wondrous Jonathan Pryce in the picture, was sentenced to go to prison.

In the film, this is a dual character, with a number of shortcomings, including an inclination to profit from the fame of his son.

At one point, Charles stumbles upon his father, as the latter was rummaging through the trash for documents.

John Dickens was selling various papers, books that contained an autograph or dedications from his son.

The memory of childhood haunts the author, for after his father was jailed, Charles Dickens had to work for twelve hours a day.

As he arrives at a horrible working site where children as young as five were working, he is invited to talk about his father.

When he says that his father is a gentleman, the other boys laugh, for that is preposterous, they thought.

The meditation on the value of money has become famous and this reader has remembered it for decades…

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen [pounds] nineteen [shillings] and six [pence], result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

In those days, someone who did not pay was sent to prison and for a while, the writer is angry with his parent.

He thought that the carelessness of john Dickens had sent his family into misery and destitution.

When the still reckless father is visiting, the writer is annoyed and mentions what he did for his parent…

“Why are you here? I bought a house for you and gave you an allowance…what are you doing in London?”

However, this difficult dynamic changes around Christmas, which is one of the main themes of the film.

Indeed, Charles Dickens has financial problems and he is now working on a new book, dedicated to Christmas.

He wants his usual publishers to illustrate and publish it before the holyday season and when they say it is not possible, he looks for solutions.

It is difficult to get funds and when Dickens finds an illustrator, there are differences over the look of the characters.

Furthermore, the pressures to finish writing, find money and inspiration take a toll on the genius.

He becomes annoying, almost impossible to live with, a tyrant and a bully with family and house staff.

Throughout, the characters from his new book are alive and tormenting the author, at least some of them.

Ebenezer Scrooge is played by the wonderful and eighty nine years old Christopher Plummer, who has recently awed the public with his rapid and efficient substitution of the now disgraced Spacey on the set of All The Money in The World- a role for which is Oscar nominated, after being named for so many other awards.

One of the difficult issues in the new book is the death of a boy, an event rejected by those who listened to previews.

Should the evil Scrooge play a role in the redemption, maybe the salvation of the child that is about to expire?

But how can a negative character do that?

This is an opportunity for dissertations on the human nature, what causes people to become insensitive.

Ultimately, it is about the Man Who has Invented the Spirit of Christmas, for his glorified book has made so many readers more generous, benign, tolerant, helpful and decent with their fellow human beings.