‘Frankie’ comes off as fake

Twice a month, little Frankie Morrison writes his father great long letters to be forwarded to wherever his dad’s freighter takes him.

Twice a month, his sailor dad writes back with descriptions of the fantastic things he’s seen and colorful stamps for little Frankie’s collection.

What Frankie doesn’t know is that his father isn’t a merry sailor but a violent – and land-bound – abuser.

And what he also doesn’t know is that it’s his mother who has been writing the replies all along – to keep the fiction going, and to avoid the ugly truth of why Frankie’s dad is never around.

That’s the strongest, fiercest kind of maternal protectiveness, and “Dear Frankie,” a small Scottish import, concentrates on it by keeping its focus very tight. Mothers and sons like that live as if there’s no one else in the world. And “Dear Frankie” lets no one else into that world, apart from a few minor supporting characters.

But then Frankie’s mom finds she has told her stories too well. She gave Frankie’s dad a real ship – and now that ship is coming into port. Suddenly a letter isn’t enough. She has to produce a father.

The awkward situation gives rise to the best scenes in the film as the charmingly reticent Emily Mortimer has to find a ringer – and finally casts a real-life sailor in the job.

Played by Gerard Butler – who seems very happy to have left “Lara Croft” and “The Phantom of the Opera” far behind – he turns out to be a decent sort, and a far better actor than even he realized. The more he pretends to be a father, the more he feels like one.

Unfortunately, “Dear Frankie” isn’t content to just tug at our heartstrings. It has to give them a good, hard yank.

It isn’t enough that Frankie (Jack McElhone) has to be an abused and lonely little boy. He has to be an abused and lonely little deaf boy. The movie has to have the melodrama of Frankie’s father making a reappearance, too, and a twist in the ending that doesn’t convince.

There are some sweet moments in “Dear Frankie,” and a few tears in its overcast ending. But it doesn’t come by them honestly. Like those letters Frankie’s mom sends, it’s a bit of an awkward fake, tricking our emotions out of us – even if its lies come with all the best of intentions.