'Dear Frankie': Well-done milquetoast
by Hap Erstein

A tangled web of deception is at the heart of this slight, but charming film. The title refers to the letters that a 9-year-old lad, deaf and almost mute, receives from his father who is sailing the seas for the merchant marines. Only that story is not true. It is a fiction fabricated by Frankie's weary mum, who is trying to keep the reality of his abusive father from the boy and is constantly on the move, staying a few steps ahead of the father. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
After having responded to her son's numerous letters in the guise of his father, a woman hires a stranger to pose as his dad when meeting him.

FILM FACTS ...
Miramax
'Dear Frankie'

Director: Shona Auerbach
Starring: Emily Mortimer, Jack McElhone, Mary Riggans, Sharon Small
Run time: 105 minutes
Release date: March 30, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for language.
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READ THE REVIEW

The Palm Beach Post: B+
"...a gentle story, well told, and worth seeking out."


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