Director: Shona Auerbach
Cast: Emily Mortimer, Gerard Butler, Jack McElhone, Sharon Small
Cert: 12.
A warm-hearted story of deception for the right reasons and the
consequences of the deception, Dear Frankie is handled with skill and
charm by debutante director Shona Auerbach.
Mortimer plays the mother of a young boy (McElhone) who believes his
father is a sailor and, therefore, never around.
The boy sends a stream of letters to his “missing” dad but when the ship
he believes his father is on turns up in port, mum has to do some quick
thinking. She hires Butler to pretend he is the homecoming father.
Such a plot could have so easily been overly-sentimental but while there
are moments in the film when one is required to make allowances this is
a good little film made with heart.
Star Rating: 4/5.