Dear Frankie

Dear Frankie follows nine-year-old Frankie and his mother Lizzie, who have moved repeatedly for as long as Frankie can remember, most recently settling in a Scottish coastal town. To shield her deaf son from the truth about his father, Lizzie has told him the man is away at sea aboard a ship called the Accra, and she writes him letters supposedly sent from far-off places. When the real Accra is due to dock nearby within a fortnight, Lizzie must either tell Frankie the truth or find a stranger willing to pose as his father for a single day.

The 2004 British and Irish drama was directed by Shona Auerbach from a screenplay by Andrea Gibb, produced by Caroline Wood. It stars Emily Mortimer as Lizzie, Jack McElhone as Frankie, Gerard Butler as the stranger, with Sharon Small, Katy Murphy and Jayd Johnson in supporting roles. The film runs 105 minutes and was made with backing from the UK Film Council, Scottish Screen, Sigma Films and Pathé Pictures International.

Dear Frankie took about 3 million dollars worldwide, a modest return for a small-scale release. On IMDb it holds 7.6 from roughly 23,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7.1 from far fewer votes; the larger IMDb sample is the stronger signal. A critics' rating of 6.9 from 111 reviews places it slightly below the audience scores.