A film telling the story of the origins of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The film beautifully portrays the characters of the era—with their vices, arrogance, and mental and spiritual poverty—and how they served as inspiration for Dickens’s characters in A Christmas Carol.

Charles Dickens reaps success for his literary works. However, he also faces considerable criticism. Amid all this, he is confronted with the poverty of many people at the time and the hostility directed toward them, which is expressed by many people from the upper classes.

He decides to write a book in which he aims to highlight the repugnance of the behavior and mindset of people who act selfishly and arrogantly toward the poor. The people he encounters serve as inspiration for the individual characters in the book.

In his study, Charles finds a creative world where the stories of the individual characters he brings to life unfold before his eyes. He is regularly pulled out of this world by his maids, his wife, and other relatives. He eventually realizes how he has managed to shut himself off and hurt others in pursuit of his goals.

Fortunately, Charles is still capable of self-reflection and reconciliation—even with his own father, with whom he has had long-standing disputes. By publishing his new book, he hopes to help others find liberation from the bondage of their own pride and selfishness.

Drama / Biographical

Ireland / Canada, 2017, 104 min

Crew: Bharat Nalluri

Cast: Dan Stevens, Jonathan Pryce, Christopher Plummer, Simon Callow, Miriam Margolyes, Bill Paterson, Donald Sumpter, Cosimo Fusco, Annette Badland, Eddie Jackson, Degnan Geraghty

Parents Guide

1 instance of a married couple kissing.

A fight among boys at an orphanage.

About two people are called “the devil.” About 1 instance of swearing, specifically the phrase “by all the saints.”

Drunk men appear in about one scene.

Contempt for the poor. Arguments with a father.

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