Anna Hepburn, Emily Mortimer, Gerard Butler

Nine year-old Frankie and his single mother Lizzie have been on the move ever since Frankie can remember, most recently arriving in a seaside Scottish town. Wanting to protect her deaf son from the tr...( read more  read more... )uth that they've run away from his father, Lizzie has invented a story that he is away at sea on the HMS Accra. Every few weeks, Lizzie writes to Frankie a make-believe letter from his father, telling of his adventures in exotic lands. As Frankie tracks the ship's progress around the globe, he discovers that it is due to dock in his hometown. With the real HMS Accra arriving in only a fortnight, Lizzie must choose between telling Frankie the truth and finding the perfect stranger to play Frankie's father for just one day.

Flixster Users

91% liked it

26,654 ratings

Critics

80% liked it

106 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 42 min.

Directed by: Shona Auerbach

Release Date: March 4, 2005

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DVD Release Date: July 5, 2005

Stats: 1,976 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,976)


  • November 3, 2008
    A goodie from back when Gerard Butler was not a public display of drunk Scottish testosterone.
  • October 9, 2008
    Dear Friends: If you haven't already seen this heartwarming story then see it now. Highly Recommended.
  • October 8, 2008
    at the risk of being a totally jaded prick... i've seen too many films of this nature in recent times. they all merge into one another in my head. however, it's still a pretty decent film. it's about a deaf boy who's longing to see his old man. emily mortimer looks pretty in it a...( read more)nd the story is told slowly but with depth of character. do i ever wanna watch it again? no. once is enough
  • August 20, 2008
    Utterly charming, family drama about a mother who, out of love for her 9 year old son, maintains a deception designed to protect him from the truth about his father. Bittersweet and touching, this film tugs at your emotions, not in a manipulative way, but genuinely, with a hear...( read more)twarming story. British Shona Auerbach is a director to watch.
  • June 15, 2008
    Dear Frankie is truly a masterpiece of film making. The script is superbly written with just enough charm, wit and compassion to move any viewer. The plot may be a bit fanciful for some, but it is not unbelievable. The cinematography is subtle and beautiful. The acting from...( read more) the entire cast is stellar. Jack McElhone was outstanding as Frankie. A film that tugs at your emotions...
  • November 5, 2009
    awesome movie pretty sad, superb acting, great story, wonderful music
  • September 27, 2009
    Charming, moving and just generally brilliant. Gerard Butler = awesome and cuute :)
  • September 20, 2009
    Charming and sweet. Let's laugh and cry with it...

    73/100
  • September 13, 2009
    A beautiful movie about a woman who lies to her deaf son via writing him letters from his father. Then, when he wants to meet his father, she hires a stranger to pretend he is him. Great ending.
  • September 11, 2009
    one of the best movies i have ever seen

Critic Reviews


April 15, 2005
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

The pain that's evoked in this small, warm film -- the deep and unspoken yearning of child -- is as universal as it is heartbreaking. full review

March 11, 2005
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

A wrenchingly sweet and beautifully acted film that keeps surprising us -- it never takes us where we think it's going, but always where we want to go. full review

March 11, 2005
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This sounds, I know, like the plot of a melodramatic tearjerker, but the filmmakers work close to the bone, finding emotional truth in hard, lonely lives. full review

March 11, 2005
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

This wee Scottish drama takes a mawkish premise and, by playing its cards close to the vest, imbues it with quiet, careworn dignity. full review

March 10, 2005
Claudia Puig, USA Today

An endearing, occasionally sentimental story told with depth and substance. full review

March 10, 2005
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

It rings true at heart. full review

March 4, 2005
Kyle Smith, New York Post

The film is soft and sticky, but it deserves a (small) audience. full review

February 24, 2005
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Unhurried, unslick and easy to hold dear. full review

View more Dear Frankie reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • xxxEmilyGxxx
    May 14, 2007
    was anyone else weeping when lizzie and "the stranger" are talking about why fankie is deaf? gerards reaction is so moving and special
  • xxxEmilyGxxx
    March 9, 2007
    awsome movie! so beautiful and moving.
  • Tadia
    November 25, 2006
    To put it simply. It was so beautiful I cried.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Dear Frankie Trivia


  • In the movie dear frankie what does frankies mom give to his father right before he died?  Answer »
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