MartinHafer Whitewashing his marriage--THE INVISIBLE WOMAN here's where he got the inspiration for this and that and that a bit of a dick The timing of "The Man Who Invented Christmas" seems a bit unusual in that back only a few years before, the film "The Invisible Woman" came out and the latter film would seem to contradict much of the nice-guy image they created. So, in "The Invisible Woman", you learn that Charles Dickens had a wife who was perpetually pregnant with his children...only to be dumped by Charles for another woman. In "The Man Who Invented Christmas", you have a man who has some personal demons BUT who was essentially a nice-guy and who was a really swell guy by the end of the movie. Clearly, the latter film used a bit of artistic license!The story is about the creation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"...and the creative process going on behind the scenes. Some of this is clever but too much of it, to me, seemed like they were tossing in all sorts of references too often. Regardless, by the end of the story, Dickens is beloved and all is good.If it sounds like I did not love this film, that's true. While the critics seemed to really like it, I felt that the story is pretty much one that Dickens fans would love...while others would like it as well IF they didn't know that the man was extremely flawed. Overall, watchable but also it's a film that tries too hard to make something special happen.

TxMike My wife and I watched this at home on DVD from our public library. In many ways it reminds me of "Shakespeare in Love", a stuck and almost broke author desperately looking for inspiration and eventually finding it in the things around him.It starts in 1842 when Dickens at 30 is already a well-respected author. He and his wife are touring the USA and making speeches. Dan Stevens is Charles Dickens and carries the role very well. Back in London he seems stuck and needs another best seller. Christmas is fast approaching, he decides to publish something that will sell for the Christmas season.The result is his work "A Christmas Carol" which in the following centuries has become a most beloved work of fiction. Dickens didn't actually invent Christmas of course but his book improved it by making people more aware for the need for charity and good human relations in general. All in all the movie seems to be an accurate depiction of that phase of his life.What could have been a rather dry story was made very interesting by depicting eventual characters in his book as people he would encounter and have discussions with. A good, entertaining movie.

Sober-Friend This is a film based on the events that drove Charles Dickens to write one of the most popular books of all time.The film is well made and it seem authentic. The problem is we know this "gamble" will pay off. No suspense but otherwise a good film

kz917-1 I really wanted to like this movie but alas that was not in the cards.Dan Stevens, seen previously as the Beast in the live action remake of Beauty and the Beast merely whimpered as Charles Dickens.It was almost a manic portrayal of Dickens whose life seems to be falling apart.Sad to say skip this one. One present to leave under the tree.