The Man Who Invented Christmas: The Best Writer Movie?

The first time I watched The Man Who Invented Christmas, I was blown away. Not only does it tell a slightly fictionalized version of how "A Christmas Carol" came to be, it is one of the best representation of writers I've ever seen. It's a great Christmas movie, but if you're a writer, you should watch it for that element as well. (I mean, Dan Stevens doesn't hurt either.)

Writers in movies tend to fall into a lot of stereotypes. Loners, mildly crazy, generally with a writer room that's a complete mess. This movie has those stereotypes as well, but I think they're portrayed in a more realistic way.

For example, early in the film, Dickens meets a man with an interesting name, so he scribbles it down in a little notebook. Do you know how many times I've written down names I've seen from street signs to tombstones? Or later on, as he's trying to come up with the character for his new book, he goes through that notebook, trying name after name until he says "Scrooge" and the character appears.

I'm sure the writers out there can relate. When you're looking for that perfect name and you find it, the character just comes to life. Which brings me to another of my favorite things in this movie. How they showed Dickens seeing his characters as he wrote, telling him their stories and guiding him by their actions. What writer hasn't felt their character leaning over their shoulder and telling them "No, that's not what I'd say"?

You've also got the deadline aspect. As a writer, I feel for Dickens as he's trying to get this book written in time and just keeps getting interrupted by the loudness of his household. Sadly, they didn't have noise cancelling headphones back then. Of course he has to shut himself away and act mildly crazy if he wants to get this book done in time. You should see writers on the last day of NaNoWriMo.

Lastly, I like how they bring in how writers put their own pain and trauma into the stories they write. As Dickens works on his book, he also has to deal with his father showing up and the childhood trauma that brings up. I don't know how accurate it is, but I like that they show how his past influenced his book.

All this to say please go check out this movie, especially if you're a writer. It's a great movie, with plenty of humor and heart, and a lot of great actors.

Have you seen this movie? What's your favorite film about a writer? Tell me in the comments.

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