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December 13, 2017 The Skanner Portland Page 7 FILM REVIEW: ‘The Man Who Invented Christmas’ Credits a Compassionate Charles Dickens for the Way We Celebrate By Kam Williams For The Skanner News C harles Dickens (1812-1870) is con- sidered the preemi- nent novelist of the Victorian Era because of his touching and time- less tales that shed light on the plight of the poor. He probably began devel- oping an empathy for the less fortunate at an early age. That’s because he had to drop out of school to work in a factory to support the family aft er his bankrupt father (Jon- athan Pryce) went to a debtors’ prison. Charles’ challenging childhood ostensibly served as the source of inspiration for such coming-of-age classics as “The Adventures of Oliver Twist,” “Great Expectations” and “Da- vid Copperfi eld.” But the book which has had the most profound eff ect on Western culture is “A Christmas Carol,” since it irreversibly altered how we celebrate the holiday. That notion is the gen- esis of “The Man Who Invented Christmas,” Les Standiford’s historical narrative recounting the events in December of 1843 leading up to Dickens’ publishing “A Christmas Carol.” Now, that opus has been adapt- ed to the big screen by Bharat Nalluri (MI-5) as Arts & Entertainment Film cont’d from pg 6 serves all the accolades she’s getting for exhib- iting an enviable range in a very demanding role as a tormented teen constantly in crisis. Life is an emotional roller coaster for this college-bound high “ ‘The Man Who Invented Christmas’ a sentimental tale of re- demption. As the fi lm unfolds, we fi nd a cash-strapped Dickens (Dan Stevens) living beyond his means and struggling to sup- port his family. Truth be told, he didn’t even marry his wife, Kate (Morfydd Clark), and have the the fi rst of their 10 kids until 1836. That anachronism makes one wonder to what extent the picture convenient- ly takes further license with the facts in order to spin a heartwarming yarn. Anyhow, with debt col- lectors closing in, we see Dickens fi ghting writer’s block to crank out anoth- er best seller aft er releas- ing three bombs in a row. Luckily, key elements of “A Christmas Carol,” like the characters Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer) and “The Ghost of Christmas Past” (Anna Murphy) come to him in a variety of ways, ranging from dreams to an off hand observation made by his humble, Irish housekeeper (Don- na Marie Sludds). He proceeds to pub- lish the novella on Dec. 19, and the fi rst edition sells out before Christ- mas. More importantly, the manuscript’s moving message about catching the spirit of the season made a lasting impact that still shapes the way we observe the holiday. Merry Capitalism! Very Good HHH Rated PG for mature themes and mild epithets Running time: 104 min. and trying out for a role in the school’s musical revue. Plus, her hor- mones are raging, and she’s a little boy crazy, too. So, excuse her for not being able to keep her eyes on the univer- sity prize. The plot thickens in a variety of surprising ways it would be almost evil to spoil here. Suf- fi ce to say that “Lady ‘Lady Bird’ is a fantastic, female-centric, instant classic school senior. And as the fi lm unfolds, it’s easy to see why. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson is an icon- oclast who refuses to conform, whether she’s rebelling from her over- bearing mother (Laurie Metcalf ) or breaking the rules at her Cath- olic high school. She dyes her hair a bizarre blend of red and pink, and insists on being ad- dressed as Lady Bird by everyone. Despite being an aca- demic underachiever, she’s banking on col- lege as her ticket out of town. She hates bor- ing Sacramento, and won’t settle for a school anywhere but in New York City. But instead of studying to pick up her grades, she indulg- es her impulses by run- ning for class president Bird” is a fantastic, fe- male-centric, instant classic reminiscent of both “Juno” (2007) and “Bridesmaids” (2011). Written and directed by “mumblecore” move- ment maven Greta Ger- wig, the picture is also ostensibly semi-auto- biographical, since the Sacramento native at- tended an all-girls Cath- olic school before mov- ing to Manhattan to attend Barnard College. A delightful crowd pleaser well deserving of Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Direc- tor and Best Original Screenplay! Excellent HHHH Rated R for profanity, sexuality, teen party- ing and brief graphic nudity –NEW– LOCAT ION F oundation 32nd annual MARTIN LUTHER JAN. 15 2018 KING, JR. 8:30AM-10:30AM Breakfast RED LION ON THE RIVER – JANZTEN BEACH 909 N HAYDEN ISLAND DR, PORTLAND, OR keynote speaker TICKETS ON SALE at TheSkanner.com Cheryl grace SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF U.S. STRATEGIC COMMUNITY ALLIANCES AND CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT FOR NIELSEN Cheryl Grace is the visionary behind Nielsen’s African-American Consumer Report. This award-winning report led to the company’s historic creation of Nielsen’s Diversity Insights Series. Each report focuses on the rapidly growing African-American, Hispanic, or Asian consumer base. Cheryl is known for her engaging and refreshing perspective about why we buy what we buy. #SKBreakfast Health & Services Let’s turn the answers on.
