I’m not sure how Dear Frankie ended up in my queue. I do have a weakness for Gerald Butler ever since Dracula 2000, but that would not be a sufficient reason for Dear Frankie to hit my radar. Dear Frankie is about a Scottish mother and her deaf son. The mother corresponds with her son by pretending to be his father, a merchant seaman, but his ship comes in, and she tries to find someone to pretendto be his father.
Dear Frankie reminded me of CBS Hallmark Sunday night movies, but I didn’t really enjoy it. Dear Frankie constantly creates tension that is higher than what is actually revealed, which was a little disappointing such as the idea that the family is on the run. I suspected what was actually happening, and I was correct so I did not appreciate the mystery as if we were about to break new ground.
Theoretically I should love Dear Frankie. Dear Frankie has a struggling single mom and a kid forced to move around a lot, which is basically my life story as a child. Dear Frankie stars Emily Mortimer, whom I enjoyed in Doll & Em, and Gerald Butler. I just could not suspend disbelief while watching Dear Frankie. Dear white male complete stranger, totally hang out with my little boy who is in dire need of a father figure. Isn’t that catnip to pedophiles? In Dear Frankie’s world, does Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God not exist? Then of course the stranger is Gerald Butler, who has an instant connection with the kid and a burgeoning romantic connection with the mom. Sure. OK. I could never forget that Dear Frankie is a movie and get lost in the emotion and storytelling.
Dear Frankie does a great job of tackling the idea of abusive relationships, traditional norms in certain circumstances and balancing what is the right thing to do in terms of parenting.
Even when I did not bring any expectations to Dear Frankie, I was a little disappointed by the film. Dear Frankie has strong performances, but the story felt too contrived and dissonant with its realistic trappings.