‘Dear Frankie’

The performances are spot on in this Scottish film, which is guaranteed to bring out the hankies.

By: Bob Brown

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Emily Mortimer’s (left) request for a huge favor from Gerard Butler sparks a possible romance in Dear Frankie.


   This wee Scottish film, directed by Shona Auerbach from a script by Andrea Gibb, is a heart-tugger. Just to hear the cast of characters is to know that the waterworks will flow. This is a first feature-length film for Auerbach, who was captivated by Gibb’s brief script for a Scottish short-film series.
   Teaming with a sympathetic producer, Caroline Wood, the two were ready to flesh out a feature-length treatment, which evolved from Gibb’s’ original idea: "What would it feel like to have a parent that you wrote to as opposed to having a parent who was actually physically living with you every day?" That question was based on Gibb’s childhood as the daughter of an engineer who was away in Africa for extended periods.
   To further complicate things, the script called for the child to be deaf. The effect is to emphasize the unique bond between a mother and her child. Frankie (Jack McElhone, Young Adam) is a bright 11-year-old living with his mom, Lizzie (Emily Mortimer, Lovely & Amazing), and Lizzie’s mom, Nell (Scottish character actress Mary Riggans). They move frequently, landing in whatever flat they can rent short-term. It’s clear they are running from something or someone. But Frankie is flexible and adaptable. His physical challenge has given him the skills to meet any others head on. When they arrive in Glasgow (actually the more picturesque port town of Greenock), Frankie fits in quickly at the local school.
   All he knows of his father is that the man is crewing on an ocean-going freighter. Frankie doesn’t remember his dad or the last time he was around. The two keep in touch by writing letters, as Frankie plots out the ship’s position on a wall map in his bedroom.
   But there is no correspondent father. Lizzie is secretly spinning the letter-adventures herself. She encloses stamps from exotic lands, and she researches the countries for Dad’s ports of call. Consequently, Frankie is a geography whiz. What Lizzie gets out of it is a window to her son’s thoughts in his replies — and an extra level of comfort for a boy who was short-changed on a caring dad. (This plot resembles that of Since Otar Left, a small 2003 French film, in which a daughter invents letters to a mother from her absent son, to keep Mom from finding out that he has died abroad.)
   The house of cards threatens to collapse when Frankie’s classmate Ricky (Sean Brown) shows him a news item: Dad’s ship, the Accra, will be coming in to port in a few days. Ricky bets Frankie that Dad won’t show. Frantically, Lizzie must find a man to act the part of the "dad" (Lizzie had removed all her ex-husband’s photos from family albums, so Frankie doesn’t know what he looks like). She casts a stranger (Gerard Butler, Tomb Raider 2), recommended by her new friend, Marie (Sharon Small). She promises to pay him for his services if he’ll just stay a day, no further questions asked.
   What follows is guaranteed to bring out the hankies, as Frankie and his "dad" meet, gingerly at first. Their day blossoms into a relationship that surprises both the stranger and Lizzie. Nell, the voice of reason and conscience, is not at all sure a stranger should be shepherding the boy around, and that her daughter must be daft for arranging it. Lizzie protests, "This is a purely business arrangement." But always in the background is the idea that maybe, just maybe, Lizzie could use a kind, sympathetic man herself. She’s curious. Where did Marie find this guy? And viewers will wonder, what about the real dad? That’s another complication that threatens to derail the first arrangement.
   Auerbach, who is also the cinematographer, chose locations and a color palette in keeping with the restrained action in the film, which focuses intensely on a few strong characters. "The visual elements play a crucial part in creating the right setting, mood, and atmosphere," she says. "My inspiration for the color and light in the film came from artists around the turn of the century known as the Glasgow Boys… they captured the particularly harmonious hues and gentle light found in Scotland."
   The performances are spot on. Particularly fine is young McElhone (who is not deaf, but who played with hearing-impared children to prepare for his part). Expect the rugged Mr. Butler to be appearing in more prominent roles in the future. In places, the plot seems a bit contrived — how could it not? But you forgive any small lapses and embrace the movie for its glowing warmth. If this were a Hollywood film, you would expect certain things to happen. You’d be wrong. Thank goodness Scotland is a far cry from Tinseltown. These filmmakers know a thing or two about building suspense and pulling back. They also know how to upset expectations with pleasant surprises.
Rated PG-13. Contains language.