Dear Frankie!

Check out the Dear Frankie Website!

As many of you know I fell in love with Gerard Butler as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. At 6'2" with green eyes, and dark hair (two things I've always wanted) and a delicious Scottish accent who wouldn't think that this man was simply divine. However, there is so much more than meets the surface, and this is truly evident in some of the choices he has made in his career. Many of you who have been reading my blog know that when I first saw the Phantom of the Opera I simply fell in love with the magic of it all. I feel that that film was as close to a "production perfect" piece as you can get. From beginning to end all cast, crew, director, producer and all inbetween did a phenomenal job. I was drawn into the story through the interweaving of the images, the dynamic of the Phantom, and the rich characters that infused every orface of this piece. This love triangle was given such a passion and depth that I had never seen before. Each character bleed into the story and in the end became part of that story. I could easily go on and on and get off topic very quickly. That is when I began to dive into the actors who played these characters. Of course most of you know Minnie Driver, Patrick Wilson is a claimed Broadway Actor who has also made an appearance in Angels in America, I first discovered Emmy Rossum on another one of my favorite films Songcatcher, and that is actually what first caught my eye when seeing previews for the Phantom of the Opera. However, the actor who played Phantom was bathed in as much mystery to me as his character himself. I ventured onto the Phantom Movie Website and listened to an interview "Gerry" did about the film, and was literally floored by what he had to say. He moved me deeply. I knew that the dynamic that we saw on film was due to a great passion to the character itself. Also, hearing that Scottish lilt about made me melt in my seat.

So, I began to see if there was anymore information on the Scottish actor. That is when I found GB. Net. These fine women have done a beautiful job at keeping a site up to date and informative. I will not visit a site for long if there is not updates at least weekly. I found out that "Gerry" was also in Timeline, while not the most amazing movie in the world, he was the most stirring character in the film. I remember that in the previews of that film (the first time I actually saw him) I thought, now there is a man that God spent a little more time on, there is the definition of beautiful. Through my casual stops on the site I ran across a little project that he was doing called Dear Frankie, when I read the synopsis of the film I knew I had to see it.

Dear Frankie is about a young boy who is deaf, his Mother and Father are separated and his father is aboard a ship that has been at sea for several years. Frankie corresponds with his father through letters. His Grandmother, Mother, and himself move quite frequently, but the letters always find him. The day comes when his father's ship is to dock where they are living. This story interweaves the beautiful connection between each character in a simple and beautiful way. I have never seen a more simple BEAUTIFUL...GOOD movie...I mean the storyline is phenomenal, the actors are incredible, and there is nothing bad (harsh language, explicit sex, etc...) in it. It is truly another piece of beautiful art work, that will reach deep down into the core of your soul and touch you in a way that you will not soon forget. It pulls you in as much as the Phantom does, but doesn't need all those frills, make-up, and special effects to do so. It is an extremely stripped down film, back to the basics of that which make up the human heart. It is beautiful and profound, and has a great way of saying something without using words. It is simply and absolutely a perfect film.

I would encourage any of you who have yet to see this work or the Phantom of the Opera to check them out. I am always available to discuss my thoughts and feelings on these works. One of my most favorite things to do is analyze film. Hey, I analyze pretty much my entire life, but film is a unique art to me, and you can often find much more beneath the surface if only you would look.

I just felt like sharing these films. One of the most amazing moments about this experience was that when my sister, Meredith, who lives in Nashville first saw the movie she called me to tell me about it, because it made her think of me. That meant so much. Another ironic point, I had been checking the Kentucky week after week to see when Dear Frankie would be coming, and week after week I came up with nothing. The night that we went Salsa Dancing, we drove by the Kentucky and what do you know...there was Dear Frankie emblazened in black letters. I literally wanted to chunck Salsa Dancing and walk down to see it that moment. My sister, Michelle, and I went the following Thursday, the last night they were playing it at the Kentucky. I feel very fortunate, and I now own it on DVD!