Always on the move, nine-year-old Frankie and his single mom Lizzie settle in a Scottish town. Lizzie doesn’t want Frankie, who is deaf, to discover that they’re fleeing from his father. She writes fake letters to convince him that his father is out having wild adventures at sea. When Frankie sees an opportunity for a rendezvous, Lizzie must decide whether or not to tell him the awful truth.
That’s the setup for Dear Frankie, a film starring the talented Emily Mortimer (Lovely and Amazing, Young Adam). The film, making its way to art house theatres around the country, is earning some of the best reviews from Christian press critics all year.
Annabelle Robertson (Crosswalk) said she expected “a rather syrupy story that overflowed with contrivances and schmaltz.” She discovered something entirely different. “Dear Frankie is a wonderful film that conveys great truth about the human heart and the burning need we all have for a father. A worthy, worthwhile movie of great merit.”
Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) calls it “an immensely appealing film. Some minor plot improbabilities aside, the story—and certainly the emotions—ring heartrendingly true. The ending is satisfying, and avoids the expected denouement. This is superlative entertainment for adults and older adolescents.”
Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) blogged about the movie at Film Chat: “Dear Frankie is a modest but charming film. [It has a] somewhat contrived set-up, but once you swallow it, the rest of the film goes down pretty easy. The film, which was written, directed, and produced by women, definitely has the feel of a crowd-pleaser, but it doesn’t push our buttons too hard. I liked it.”
Mainstream critics are mulling it over, generally pleased.