Wonderful character development!

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This was really well done. Just a wonderful, honest and simple little drama about a woman who hires a stranger (Gerard Butler) to pose as her deaf 9 year old sons father to hide him the from the sad truth about his real dad. The story is bittersweet, heartwarming and touching.Emily Mortimer is fantastic as the mother (supportive but desperate) and I liked how her story regarding why she was on the run and hiding the real dad from her son was revealed in layers. Butler only has a small role but is suitably charismatic, handsome and romantic. I do wish they'd revealed more of his back story, why did he bond so quickly to the boy? But as the mother wanted, it was to be sort of an anonymous 24 hour endeavor.Jack McElhone plays the gentle natured Frankie and despite the fact that he doesn't speak throughout the film you get a feel for him through his thoughts and the letters he writes to his absent father."Dear Da, did you know something, we're moving again. Ma says that its definitely the last time but she says that every single time." Excellent supporting cast in the grandmother and Lizzie's BFF at the "Chippie" I also enjoyed the small Scottish town setting. Great job. 6/30/15

Shona Auerbach's 'Dear Frankie' is another gem of a little British film (set in a Scottish town). What particularly stands out in this picture is its simplicity and subtlety. Even though the key characters include a mother, her hearing impaired son and his grandmother who are on the run, the story is told in a very slice of life fashion without having to be voyeuristic or jumping in and out of the lives of every single characters with the obvious emotional manipulation. Andrea Gibbs's writing, Shona Auerbach's direction and the actors' performances give it heart. They don't spoonfeed the viewer but instead they leave it up to the viewer to draw conclusions. The cinematography wonderfully captures the beauty and simplicity of Glasglow. Emiliy Mortimer is excellent as the desperate mother who finds an unusual way to connect with her son. Jack McElhone is equally remarkable in the title role. Gerard Butler too does a terrific job as he downplays his part effectively. The supporting cast, especially Mary Riggans and Sharon Small, is superb.In a way, 'Dear Frankie' could be described as a film you didn't know you wanted to see. That's reason enough to watch it.

A gentle drama that would have deserved far better, in terms of reviews and box office. Auerbach depicts perfectly the mother-son relationship, makes that pair's relationship not a minor concern but something secondary. The affecting life of Mortimer and McElhone is described wisely, it's certainly an appropriate setup for a feel-good family drama, with Lizzie and her stranger getting together for a possible happy ending. Dear Frankie is a pleasant and agreeably told film with a surprise as well as a plot twist there. It reminds and resembles I'm Not Scared, both focusing on the foolishness of the adults and the intelligence of the sons. Definitely it's about an enjoyable film.

I saw Dear Frankie recently and never having heard about it, was pleased that TV Ontario had televised this little gem of a motion picture. On this side of the Atlantic, we often miss out on some of the better movies that come out of the British Isles and this one is no exception. All the actors are excellent and the atmosphere of the Scottish coastal town has a wonderful sense of location, grim and majestic at the same time.The movie is realistic and heart-warming with an understated sense of humor. The child in the role of Frankie, performed by Jack McElhone, is an absolute delight. He is bright and imaginative child with a severe hearing impairment but not completely deaf (he is using a hearing aid). Yet he can stand up to the bullying tactics of the other kids at school. His mother Lizzie (Emily Mortimer) is coping with the responsibilities of being a single mother, while longing to find a husband. The surrogate father (Gerard Butler) seems to be a natural as the missing link in the family unit, while Lizzie faces the torture of dealing with the real father. The rest of the cast, including Lizzie's mother and her best friend, are all worthy of mention.The ending is bittersweet but hopeful. It is rare to find a movie that tells a story so well and is yet so down-to-earth. This is fine movie. Don't miss it.