Dear Frankie (2004)

Overview · Where to watch · Cast & crew · Reviews

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...

• Released: 2004-05-18
• Genres: Drama, Family
• Runtime: 1h 45m
• Status: Released
• TMDB rating: 7.1/10 from 225 votes

Directed by Shona Auerbach.

Top cast

• Gerard Butler as The Stranger
• Emily Mortimer as Lizzie
• Jack McElhone as Frankie
• Sharon Small as Marie
• Katy Murphy as Miss MacKenzie
• Jayd Johnson as Catriona
• Mary Riggans as Nell
• Cal MacAninch as Davey
• John Kazek as Ally
• Anne Marie Timoney as Janet

Full cast & crew

Where to watch Dear Frankie

• United States: watch free on Kanopy, Hoopla; rent on JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube; buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
• United Kingdom: rent on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video; buy on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
• India: rent on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video; buy on Apple TV Store
• Australia: rent on JustWatch TV, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube; buy on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube

Movies like Dear Frankie

If you enjoyed Dear Frankie, these movies have a similar feel:

• Julien Donkey-Boy (1999)
• Cowboys (2020)
• This Boy's Life (1993)
• Mothers' Instinct (2024)
• Bird (2024)
• Edge of Winter (2016)
• The Quiet (2006)
• Nebraska (2013)
• Angel of Mine (2019)
• The Etruscan Smile (2018)
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• Hellion (2014)

Can't decide what to watch?

FlickPicker recommends movies from your own taste and the services you subscribe to, and Pick Together lets a whole group vote on tonight's pick. Try the free random movie generator, find movies with AI, or browse trending movies.

Download FlickPicker on the App Store   Explore the iPhone app