Good ghost story with only about one second of special effects. The film earned a cinematography prize and it really shows. I was rolling my eyes a few times, doubting whether it was accurate. By the end, it seems this quirky fictional approach may add more to the body of Dickens memorabilia than another non-fiction telling. Some parts of the film earn about a 6 but over all, the parts add up to more than their sum. The music is really, really nice. The settings, costumes, and characters felt pretty authentic... except for being too clean everywhere. It's even authentic that the film doesn't quite satisfy in the end --- the main storyline just says what it came to say, in an eerie way, and then disappears without much conceited style. It leaves a few questions unanswered. We are almost disappointed in the author Dickens... because, after all, he was merely a human being... but he was having a supernatural experience. I just picked this film up at a thrift store or I'd never have seen it. All three of us liked it.
7 Reviews
Yes, Virginia, There is Yet Another Version of "A Christmas Carol"
NoDakTatum4 November 2023
You have probably never heard of this decent little Canadian film. You have, however, heard this story done to death. The author Charles Dickens (a good Christopher Heyerdahl) is in a funk. His last novel did not sell well, and he needs to come up with an idea that will bring in the money for his wife (Cary Lawrence) and children. Dickens grew up poor, and refuses to go back down that road again. He takes to the mean streets of London at night, and is almost robbed before being saved by a little girl (Jennifer Bertram). Dickens keeps seeing the girl here and there, most notably when accompanying the rich widow Mrs. Burdett-Coutts (Sheena Larkin) to a poor school. After retrieving the girl's money from the same robbers who tried to get him, the girl follows Dickens home and takes him back into the London streets. This time, she shows him what he should be writing about, not what he thinks might sell. The girl, and her family, are mysterious, and eventually Dickens tries to track her down again, coming up with an idea for a short novel that takes place around Christmas.
While an imaginative idea, you can discern from the title that this film is a variation on "A Christmas Carol," putting Dickens in the role of Scrooge- a name never mentioned in the film. Screenwriter Lavoie bookends the film with Dickens telling the story to an overly eager young writer (Seann Gallagher), and structures everything very well but this is still "A Christmas Carol," adding to the dozens of adaptations that have come out over the years. One thing that does work is not turning Dickens into a Scrooge. He is likable throughout, and not a villain. He wants security through money, needing the little girl to show him that not all poor people are miserable- a lesson many of us are still grasping with. Heyerdahl's shock of hair is startling at first, he looks like he should be fronting Men Without Hats, but his earnest performance won me over. Lavoie writes period dialogue, and the performances help the viewer understand what is going on. Neibaur's direction lends some class to the production, 1843 London is not a cheap look to achieve. Most beautiful is Yves Belanger's cinematography. Natural light is used, or seems to be used, and the picture itself is crystal-clear without being too nice and clean for such a depressing place. "The Ghosts of Dickens' Past" is short, and some of the dialogue scenes are deathly dull, but I am recommending this for what it is, a good try at an overtold tale.
While an imaginative idea, you can discern from the title that this film is a variation on "A Christmas Carol," putting Dickens in the role of Scrooge- a name never mentioned in the film. Screenwriter Lavoie bookends the film with Dickens telling the story to an overly eager young writer (Seann Gallagher), and structures everything very well but this is still "A Christmas Carol," adding to the dozens of adaptations that have come out over the years. One thing that does work is not turning Dickens into a Scrooge. He is likable throughout, and not a villain. He wants security through money, needing the little girl to show him that not all poor people are miserable- a lesson many of us are still grasping with. Heyerdahl's shock of hair is startling at first, he looks like he should be fronting Men Without Hats, but his earnest performance won me over. Lavoie writes period dialogue, and the performances help the viewer understand what is going on. Neibaur's direction lends some class to the production, 1843 London is not a cheap look to achieve. Most beautiful is Yves Belanger's cinematography. Natural light is used, or seems to be used, and the picture itself is crystal-clear without being too nice and clean for such a depressing place. "The Ghosts of Dickens' Past" is short, and some of the dialogue scenes are deathly dull, but I am recommending this for what it is, a good try at an overtold tale.
As entertaining as "A Christmas Carol" itself.
O'Fallon9 November 1998
A wonderfully developed main character, colorfully rustic costumes & scenery, and seemingly authentic storyline, makes "The Ghost of Dickens' Past" as entertaining as Dickens' own "Christmas Carol". It is the perfect family movie for the Thanksgiving season with themes of charity, hope, imagination, inspiration, and history. You will be reminded of Dickens' timeless genius, and it will leave you in a childlike, wondering state-of-mind, curious to know if that's what really happened to the future legendary Charles Dickens.
"Even the widow's mite was acceptable"
overseer-32 March 2007
An excellent independent production from Feature Films For Families, with a terrific script, incredible performances by the entire cast, gorgeous musical soundtrack, and solid spiritual lessons to be learned, The Ghosts of Dickens' Past reveals how a simple act of charity can transform the human heart.
Originally Charles Dickens' only motivation for writing A Christmas Carol was to make money. His previous novel had not done well financially and he continued to fear memories from his childhood when he was separated from his family after they were put in debtor's prison. Young Charles had been on his own and had to work long hours in horrific conditions, before the age of child labor laws which finally prohibited this kind of child abuse. Always deep within himself he worried about being poor again, and so he used this as an excuse to stop charitable giving, without seeing that God wanted him to give of himself to others regardless of his financial condition. Because Charles' heart was closed to charity his inspiration for writing had ceased.
A dreamlike sequence then results which is strangely reminiscent of the original story by Dickens. He is led around the poor streets of London by an unusual young waif of a girl who teaches him that financial security is not what is most important in life. Is she a ghost or is she an angel or is she in his life as the result of a time warp? That question is not answered, however what is clear is that her interest in him is to show him the errors of his thinking, and to get him back on track spiritually, so he can once again write and tell the world about the evil conditions of child labor in England.
A perfect film for the Christmas season, however its principles are worthwhile any time of the year.
10 stars out of 10!
Originally Charles Dickens' only motivation for writing A Christmas Carol was to make money. His previous novel had not done well financially and he continued to fear memories from his childhood when he was separated from his family after they were put in debtor's prison. Young Charles had been on his own and had to work long hours in horrific conditions, before the age of child labor laws which finally prohibited this kind of child abuse. Always deep within himself he worried about being poor again, and so he used this as an excuse to stop charitable giving, without seeing that God wanted him to give of himself to others regardless of his financial condition. Because Charles' heart was closed to charity his inspiration for writing had ceased.
A dreamlike sequence then results which is strangely reminiscent of the original story by Dickens. He is led around the poor streets of London by an unusual young waif of a girl who teaches him that financial security is not what is most important in life. Is she a ghost or is she an angel or is she in his life as the result of a time warp? That question is not answered, however what is clear is that her interest in him is to show him the errors of his thinking, and to get him back on track spiritually, so he can once again write and tell the world about the evil conditions of child labor in England.
A perfect film for the Christmas season, however its principles are worthwhile any time of the year.
10 stars out of 10!
Wonderful Holiday Fare
Apostle21 November 1998
The Ghosts of Dickens' Past is a wonderful retelling of the story behind how Charles Dickens became inspired to write the greatest book of his career, "A Christmas Carol". The costumes are splendidly done and the director takes great care to make sure everything is set up according to the time period. Having almost a Twilight Zone effect in how the story unfolds, this movie in its uncanny ability to strike a chord in the viewer makes it THE movie to watch this holiday season.
Good but not accurate
rdfarnham30 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
As a movie this is highly entertaining. As a biographical account of how Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" it is very inaccurate. About the only things that are accurate is that Dickens wrote the story because he needed money, he was always fearful of being poor again and he walked the streets of London at night while he thought about the story. The settings are wonderful and make you feel like you are in the London of the 1840s, the costumes and acting are also very good and the overall story is worthwhile. This is not a "Christmas" story as such but a highly fictionalized look at how Dickens wrote his most famous book. Here he is supposedly led by a young girl whose last name is Crachit (and who might be a ghost) to learn about the hardships of the poor and to see how the drive to make money can be a curse. He also is led to a gravestone where he sees the name "Marley". All in all a good film, but not an accurate portrayal of how Dickens wrote the story.
Excellent
historicalken14 September 2003
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! One would never know that it was filmed in Canada! The storyline itself is rather entertaining, although only having partial truth. 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 Christian values that seem to be missing in so many of today's films without being overly preachy. Highly recommended: 5 out of 5 stars.
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