Greetings,
Do you remember that span of time from 2004 and 2007? The three years that sat between Gerard Butler making The Phantom of the Opera and 300? Do you ever wonder what he may have been doing whilst going from one of his most famous, or infamous, roles to the next? Well, today, I will tell you about one thing he did. It was a little movie called Dear Frankie.
Dear Frankie came out in 2005 and was most likely unknown until Gerard Butler got uber-famous by making 300. Yeah, at this point, people began to hit IMDB to find out about what movies he had done in the past before subsequently deciding that they had magically turned good. But, unlike films such as the very confusing Timeline and that ridiculous Lara Croft sequel, Dear Frankie is actually very good. Hopefully, I can explain why.
This is a very heartfelt drama set in Scotland. So if you can't handle that accent, may I suggest you wait for the dubbed version to be released. Anyway, the story is about a little deaf boy named Frankie Morrison, who is played by a wonderful young actor named Jack McElhone, and his mother, Lizzie, played by the always adorable Emily Mortimer. They have just moved to a small town along with Lizzie's mother, Nell, where Lizzie gets herself a job at a fish and chip shop. The shop is owned by a woman named Marie who quickly befriends the whole family.
Now the reason that they moved is because Lizzie left her husband and Frankie's father, Davey, years earlier and she's trying to keep one or more steps ahead of him. But all the while Frankie is corresponding through letters with someone who he thinks is his father. The truth is that Lizzie has been writing the letters, posing as a father who is a merchant seamen, because she wants to keep the truth about Davey from her son.
When Frankie learns that the ship his father has allegedly been on is about to arrive, Lizzie desperately searches for a man to impersonate Davey. Marie to the rescue. She sets up Lizzie with a man she knows who can fill the role. Who is that man, you may ask? Seriously? It's Gerard Butler. What did you think? And in the credits, he is merely referred to as The Stranger. I suppose that was necessary. Anyway, he agrees to do the job, and eventually meets Frankie.
As you may have guessed, the majority of the film follows Frankie spending time with his "dad" and the two bonding. And, yes, The Stranger also bonds with Lizzie. She even reveals to him some very personal details as to why she left Frankie's father, and I must say, the performances of both Emily and Gerard in this scene are extremely powerful. After they all spend a few days together, the three of them clearly begin to enjoy playing family, as it were, and you begin to hope that they will indeed be able to become a real family. And here is where you will begin to say to yourself, "Okay, I know what's going to happen", but don't think that. Though a few things about this movie may be slightly predictable, the ending really is not.
Now I refuse to give it away, because, whilst this may not have the twist ending of some psychological thriller film, we do actually find out some surprising things, including the true identity of The Stranger and Frankie's feelings about him. I like the ending because it does give some closure to the story, and, at the same time, it leaves a window to the future of this little family open to possibilities.
So if you like a good family movie with a smidgen of an edge, I would certainly recommend Dear Frankie to you. This is a very good film that relies on a great story and superb acting, something that most don't do these days, and it is quite refreshing. Here's to more simple, low budget but well made films from Gerard Butler. It's where he seems to shine.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
