Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” gets the sort of origin story normally reserved for superheroes in “The Man Who Invented Christmas” directed by Bharat Nalluri. Dan Stevens plays Dickens, who was only 31 when he wrote his holiday classic. Based on a book by Les Standiford, Dickens was in financial straits* after writing three flops* in a row. When he comes up with* the idea for the book that would become “A Christmas Carol,” his publishers refuse to get involved. Christmas is but a “minor holiday,” they say. Facing a tight deadline as the holiday approaches, Dickens writes the book in a feverish six weeks and publishes it himself. The rest, as they say, is history. The film’s most resonant* moments come in the early section, when Dickens runs into various people whom we recognize as inspiring his legendary characters. A heartless businessman tells him that the poor should hurry up and die so as to “decrease the surplus population,” while the first thing an elderly miser* (Christopher Plummer) utters is, you guessed it, “Humbug.” In some cases, the associations are very close to home, such as his sickly young nephew who clearly brings to mind Tiny Tim. Dickens’ family life is depicted* at length, including his relationships with his loving wife Kate (Morfydd Clark), his well-meaning but irresponsible father John (Jonathan Pryce) and a new servant, Tara (Anna Murphy), whose bedtime stories to his children provide further fuel for his book. Flashbacks to his troubled, poverty-stricken youth call to mind other such works as “Oliver Twist.” Like many films trying to explore the artistic process, “The Man Who Invented Christmas” becomes heavy-handed and literal. Dickens begins experiencing fantastical episodes involving his characters, including the ghosts. And the attempt to link Scrooge’s eventual spiritual conversion with Dickens wrestling with his own inner demons feels labored*. Still, there are many pleasures along the way, including the effective depiction of Victorian-era London. (SD-Agencies) | 