Dear Frankie

2004 1h 45m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

🍅

82%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.7

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 227🍅82%Rotten Tomatoes●63Metacritic★7.7IMDB · 22,799

DramaFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Nine-year-old Frankie and his single mum 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 truth 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 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 or finding the perfect stranger to play Frankie's father for just one day...

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Gerard Butler
The Stranger
Emily Mortimer
Lizzie
Jack McElhone
Frankie
Sharon Small
Marie
Katy Murphy
Miss MacKenzie
Jayd Johnson
Catriona
Mary Riggans
Nell
Cal MacAninch
Davey

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shona Auerbach
Writers: Andrea Gibb
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, Ireland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, Ireland.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shona Auerbach, shot by Shona Auerbach. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alex Heffes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Oral Norrie Ottey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Gerard Butler and Emily Mortimer and Jack McElhone carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0377752 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shona Auerbach directs. Shona Auerbach behind the camera. Alex Heffes scores. Oral Norrie Ottey cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, Ireland. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 22 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, Ireland.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Shona Auerbach, shot by Shona Auerbach. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Alex Heffes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Oral Norrie Ottey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Gerard Butler and Emily Mortimer and Jack McElhone carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0377752 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 12 themes, including "ship", "single parent", "parent child relationship", "scotland".