Customer Reviews

The Ghost of Dickens' Past

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4 star:		(1)
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I came across this movie quite by accident and I'm sure glad I did! Being a student of Dickens and Victorian England in general, this film has to be one of the most accurate portrayals of 1840's London that I have seen. It's as if someone took a camera and found a portal into the past! The clothing and hair styles are perfect for the time period represented (1843), as is the old time dialogue spoken. Also, the actors portraying Charles and Catherine Dickens have done their homework. Compare old paintings of the two to their filmed counterparts here. Quite astounding!
The storyline itself is rather entertaining, although only having partial truth. It is more of a ghostly little tale built around a spirit-like mature young girl guiding Dickens through experiences (memories) that eventually gives the author the idea of writing his famed "A Christmas Carol" story. It shows the period when his latest novel, Martin Chuzzlewit, was not selling so well and, because of this frustration, words seemingly do not come to him for the writing of a new novel. But, through a series of almost other worldly circumstances, the girl shows Mr. Dickens how to search himself and the world about him to find the premise for his next story. The fact that Dickens was down on his financial luck before writing "Carol" is true. And, I know that his idea of the story line did not come about in quite the way this movie tells it. But that's fine - the movie itself doesn't claim to be a biography. But there are many factual biographical scenes here, such as the long walks through London at night, the way he spoke to himself as he wrote, and how he laughed out loud and cried as he completed each chapter to 'A Christmas Carol.'
Lots of truth - lots of fiction. Very enjoyable.
Since it's not truly a Christmas film per se, it's an excellent movie to watch in late October or early November, when it's too early to pull out your Holiday movies. It's a very enjoyable family flick that not only entertains, but has the values that seem to be missing in so many of today's films without being overly preachy.
If I had to pick one inaccuracy it would be the Christmas time snow falling with trees full of leaves!
By the way, this movie was filmed not in Merry Old England, but in Canada! I would never have known.

I found this movie in a local pawn shop, tucked away among hundreds of others.

I was first attracted by the title and then also by seeing the company who distributes and still sell this film, Feature Films For Families. We have bought dvds from them in the past and have never been disappointed. Unfortunately, the dvd sat on the shelf in my library for almost a year before I took the time to watch it. Let me tell you I was NOT disappointed!! You know that when you've watched a really good movie you are left with feeling pleasantly entertained. And you have seen a well crafted story that has left you feeling that your life has been enriched in some small way for having seen it.

The quality of the acting, the script, and the filming has not been compromised in any way by the fact this was an independently produced movie! If you enjoy watching the Christmas Carol every year, I HIGHLY recommend this "story behind the story"! It is a film that can be enjoyed by the entire family!

The Ghost of Dickens' Past

The Ghost of Dickens' Past is a very heartwarming depiction of Dickens' inspiration and struggles in writing his beloved novel, A Christmas Carol. Altogether, the movie portrayed the time period accurately. This was done through the use of costumes, scenery, and language of the characters. The characters all wore 18th century style clothing, with the men wearing knickers and button-up shirts and the women wearing time-appropriate dresses. The language used in the movie was all Old English and the scenery accurately portrayed an old English town. Also, the movie incorporated many experiences of Dickens' life, including his parents being in debtors' prison, his speech to the laborers, his fear of being poor, his having to work as a child, and his visits to orphanages. The Ghost of Dickens' Past is, overall, entertaining for the genre of movie. It's entertainment value comes from the ability for the viewer to relate to the story of A Christmas Carol. For example, when the idea of the ghost character was realized, the viewer could relate that to the well known ghost that appears in A Christmas Carol.
There were many themes brought out in The Ghost of Dickens' Past. Charity was the biggest theme, with many other supporting themes. Through Dickens' reluctance to give money at an orphanage, it is implied that it does no good to give a gift grudgingly. Another important message that was conveyed was that doing things for the wrong reason can often impair us from accomplishing great achievements. This was shown through Dickens' inability to write a great novel because he was doing it for selfish reasons and for his own personal gain, and not for the greater good of mankind. These themes all connected to the greater theme of charity which culminated towards the end of the movie when Dickens overcomes his selfish motives and gives assistance to a poor, homeless family. After he had this life changing event, he was able to write the timeless classic favorite that has been enjoyed across the generations.

Rachel Swift
Andrew McBride
Sarah McDonald
Joey Sanchez
Devin Bergquist

Came across this movie with no prior knowledge of it and didn't know what to expect. It was entertaining even if not completely factual. I was delighted with the angle used to tell the story of how Dicken's Christmas Carol came to be written and it certainly speaks to all of us to trust in God to provide what we need when we need it. A story for all ages.

Wow a great movie, absolutely unknown to most of us. The Studio is dedicated to family films that strengthen traditional family values through entertainment. This tape even has a Parent's Guide printed on the back with topics for family discussion. Just superlative all around!

Now for the story: Getting beyond our own needs," a close friend tells Charles Dickens, "takes thought and effort and, above all, an unselfish heart." The timely advice is given as the author struggles to write - only for profit. Unfortunately, his desire for financial security only fuels his own fears and self-pity. When his soul-searching leads him into peril, he receives unexpected help from a young girl. Hauntingly, her life mirrors his own childhood. Though the strange events she reveals to Dickens, she reawakens in him a desire to refocus his priorities. But he runs into a wall built upon his own painful memories of a childhood marred by debtors prison. He wants desperately to solve the plight of child labor but doesn't know how. Unless he can discover the healing power of a simple act of charity, his dream of truly making a difference is as dead as a doornail.

A small film, from a small production company, with zero publicity... and an astonishingly great result! I have no doubt Charles Dickens would have approved of this interpretation of how he wrote A Christmas Carol. It's warm, tender, funny, sad...and very believable. Moreover, it's proof that you don't need name actors, a colossal budget, and a mega corporation to produce a film that is an instant classic. Bravo!

We saw this a few years ago and have been looking for it since. We finally saw it referenced on YouTube and were able to track it down on Amazon.

The story tells how, when we are facing our trials we can overcome depression and stress by focusing on the needs of others and helping them improve their life. This can have daily application in our lives today. It has helped me to put my life in perspective and to understand and accept that all people are brothers and sisters on this earth.

I received this movie as a present and didn't know what to expect. From the beginning I was glued to my seat, watching in fascination. Charles Dickens comes to life; Christopher Heyerdahl's portrayal of him was quite amazing. You get a feel for the London of Dickens' day: the people, the conditions, the era.

In this movie,you are given a fictional account of how Dickens' masterpiece, A Christmas Carol, was created. It is imaginative and entertaining and, at the same time, strangely believable. Frankly, I'd like to believe this is exactly how Charles Dickens came up with the idea for A Christmas Carol. It fits his story very well.

All told, this is one of the better movies I've seen in a very long time. If you love Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol, I wouldn't be surprised if you feel the same.

Ok, this movie is interesting and you can see how old Charlie Dickens came about to write the original "A Christmas Carol...". Of course, it has it's share of ghosts, which I think were just put in there for cinemagraphic effect. If Charlie really had those ghosts and told anyone, he probably would not have be a free man enough to write the book.

Otherwise, it's a good watch when you have nothing better to do...

I accidentally found this movie and what a lovely surprise. This is the story behind the story so to speak. This is how A Christmas Carol story came to be. I actually found this to be an even more fascinating story that The Christmas Carol, which I've always loved. So often that is true with true stories. It has a lot of mystery, gives a good glimpse into what was happening in society at the time the story was written and a glimpse into Dicken's personal life as well.
I highly recommend this to anyone, but especially to everyone who likes The Christmas Carol!