Dear Frankie
2004 · Movie · 105 min · ★ 7.0 · 73% critics
Nine-year-old Frankie and his single mum Lizzie keep moving, including to a seaside Scottish town where she has invented a story to protect her deaf son. Through make-believe letters about a sailor’s adventures, Frankie tracks the ship’s journey and learns it will dock near home—forcing Lizzie to decide what to do next.
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Details
- Years
- 2004
- Release date
- 2004-05-18
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Critic score
- 73/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.0/10 (222 votes)
About
Choose this if you want a tender, bittersweet family story driven by letters and everyday choices, set in a charming Scottish coastal town; Not for you if you want action or high-stakes thrills like Red Dog.
Pros: warm family drama; sincere performances; Scottish coastal charm | Cons: premise feels unbelievable; some parts under-developed; tone can feel manipulative
Themes
- ship
- single parent
- parent child relationship
- scotland
- loss of loved one
- deaf
- abusive father
- letter
- father
- little boy
- woman director
- empathetic
Awards & recognition
- Jameson People's Choice Award — Best Actress · 2005 · nominated
Cast & crew
Gerard Butler
as The Stranger
Emily Mortimer
as Lizzie
Jack McElhone
as Frankie
Sharon Small
as Marie
Katy Murphy
as Miss MacKenzie
Jayd Johnson
as Catriona
Mary Riggans
as Nell
Cal MacAninch
as Davey
John Kazek
as Ally
- AT
Anne Marie Timoney
as Janet
Directed by Shona Auerbach