User reviews

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.