Charity's Place.com

DEAR FRANKIE

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: language

Rated:

Touching stories are often the most simple. They are not bold or envisioned with a vast image of the future, but focus on relationships that usually revolve around children. Dear Frankie is no exception, and one of the sweetest, most genuine films I have seen in a long time. It's not perfect but comes near to it as it develops subtle relationships that pack a weighty emotional punch.

His family moves a lot.

That is what defines young Frankie's life the most. Every time they start to get settled, Lizzie (Emily Mortimer) packs up her son (Jack McElhone) and her mother and they move somewhere further up the coast. Ten year old Frankie is deaf. Despite this, he is a cheerful and happy boy who loves writing letters to his absent father at sea. Fascinated with marine life, Frankie adores the letters he receives in return, full of grand exploits, and comments on how much his dad loves and misses him. By sheer chance, the ship his father is supposed to be on comes into the docks for repairs. Frankie begins to wonder if his dad will come and see him. Lizzie starts to panic. The letters, and the stories about his dad's grand adventures, are nothing but a clever deception meant to give Frankie something to be proud out. In reality, she has not corresponded with her abusive husband in nearly ten years.

Turning to her friend Marie (Sharon Small) for assistance, Lizzie is reassured that the deception needn't be revealed. Marie arranges for her to meet someone to pose as Frankie's dad for a single afternoon, in the hopes that it will satisfy the little boy's curiosity. The Stranger (Gerard Butler) is a man without a past. He wants nothing more than to make a child happy, and get paid for it in return. But what happens when the two are introduced is magical. Sometime during the course of the day, the Stranger becomes fond of this charming little boy whose deafness does not prevent him from being animated and intelligent. Frankie's similar attachment and adoration further complicate matters, when the Stranger asks for one more day to spend with Frankie and his mother.

The story is not quite so simple as that, for just when things seem to be turning out right, Lizzie receives information that her ex-husband is searching for her. What he wants could forever ruin the beautiful illusion of a loving father she has created for her son. Admittedly, the story moves at a quiet pace and contains nothing particularly dramatic. It's a simple story about three people who find one another in the world, and change each other in forty-eight hours. Lizzie is a caring and loving mother who wants what is best for her son. Frankie is a quiet and soulful boy who is smarter than most people give him credit for. But it's The Stranger who leaves the most lasting impression. He appears gruff and disinterested, but it's nothing more than a facade to conceal a heart of gold. His sweetness toward the mother and child who need him so much is beautiful. Gerard Butler, who is better known for playing villains and muscle types, is surprisingly tender and likable here.

Best of all, there's very little content issues to be concerned about. The only issues are some language, which unfortunately contains a single use of the f-word and five abuses of Jesus' name. There are a couple of very mild innuendos. Audiences unaccustomed to thick Scottish accents might have trouble understanding the actors. I enjoyed it very much, but was a little dissatisfied with the open ending. There was a nice, innocent little twist that put my mind at ease, but it also grants no solid conclusions. It's much like real life, in which you must hope for the future rather than catch a glimpse of it. But yes, when it comes to tugging on heart strings, there's nothing much more impacting than Dear Frankie.