If you’ve missed “Matthew Crawley” from Downton Abbey, here’s your chance to enjoy him in a bloody brilliant new light!
In 1843, and following his Oliver Twist success, Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) a.k.a. “The Shakespeare of the novel” found himself touring America…. the land of “good cheer” and positivity…and well, their utter annoyance.
Charles Dickens was of course, an Englishman. And let’s face it….The Brits have an innate reserve, and are always shocked and delighted at Americans’ personal candidness and self-exposure…shocked because they would never do it themselves but delighted because they find Americans liberating. Nevertheless, our film’s hero can’t wait to get home to England….which is ironic because when he does, he’s faced with debt, a family to feed, a house to renovate, and the realization that he’s had three recent flops (books.) Dickens writer’s block doesn’t help either.
His publisher is fed up,too… Dickens has requested an advance on the next novel, but Dickens has nothing to say….
Until life takes a turn and the creative juices begin to flow…
This is a film about not only the creation of one of the most beloved and best-selling books of all time, but of the angst a writer experiences before he even gets to the word bit. That’s what makes this movie so special.
Whilst wrist-ringing-his-woe-is-me-ego, Dicken crosses the path of the man who thinks poor people should be eliminated, and a spooky grave digger who mumbles – drum roll, please – ‘bah-humbug.’ These folks ignite our scribe. Put a writer in a room after all…and he’s not alone. His space is full of characters formulated from everyday life; including Scrooge (Christopher Plummer) his invisible and brilliant – albeit sly -conscience.
But Dickens home life is full, too. He has children and a loving wife (Morfydd Clark). He has a father who provides the less-than-perfect father-son relationship-torture required, and he has a servant, Tara (Anna Murphy) who turns out to be his Muse.
As an audience, we soon discover that the writing process doesn’t take place at a desk, but in the many physical and mental hours of gathering inspiration as well as flashbacks. Dicken’s own childhood was full of poverty, hence Oliver Twist. With the formulating of so many emotions, it eventually forces the fountain pen to flow. Once its started, Dickens sprints up the staircase to the desk to never stop until the words “The End.”
But, imagine a time when a writer had only one draft upon completion? The copy machine, the white-out pen nor the computer, let alone the typewriter, existed. Talk about trusting your printer!!! And that was a man, not a machine, on a second-floor brown- stone churning manual pages. We also learn that Dickens decided to self-publish. (where is Amazon – circa 1800 – when you really need them?)
The story juggles a delicate balance of drama and comedy, which is a true gift, as it’s very hard to find room for forgiveness in satire. The screenplay is whip-smart and whimsical, as it is urgent and intelligent.
Like J. M. Barrie in Finding Neverland, or the recently delightful Goodbye Christopher Robin…with the developing of Pooh and Piglet, this takes us inward to understand the process in creating Tiny Tim, Ebenezer Scrooge, and the beloved characters of A Christmas Carol.
Unlike the other film variations with everyone from Albert Finney to Jim Carrey, this one seizes the chance to explore the man behind the iconic book, begging us too, to turn inward. What is our own personal legacy? What will we leave to this world before we die? What is our own past, present and future telling us to do or to be?
In a time when our world needs direction, The Man Who Invented Christmas is your ticket to holiday cheer…firing up a warmth in your heart, and igniting a generosity in your spirit.
Expect to see it earn a string of Oscar nominations, come the new year. Especially for best screenplay. After all, it is a movie written about a writer.
Four tiaras