Dear Frankie
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Time, Space and the Universal
So far the choices have been:
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— an English Novel (and related television and film industry), as
well as certain other loosely-related Novels;
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— a 180-episode American television comedy series;
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— a 78-episode American television science fiction series;
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— a six-episode British television miniseries;
And finally, Dear Frankie,
a Scottish film of a mere one hundred or so minutes, offering scant
competition to its hefty neighbours. If this were a
competition, Dear Frankie would find itself in a
precarious position. But it isn't competition.
And Dear Frankie has the virtue of pushing us to
examine more carefully certain of the common elements mentioned
earlier:—
1 — Context, as in belonging to one
specific place
and time. Though no one could argue Dear Frankie's
resolute belonging to its distinctive place or setting of
a seaport community on the windswept Scottish coast, still it is
more the indefinable pull of an earlier time that rules,
when archaic laws and half-remembered customs exert their iron grip,
and nothing is given away readily, including speech. And generosity,
when it occurs, assumes strange and bewildering sizes and shapes;
2 — Examination of what it is to be
a man. If we don't
know after watching Dear Frankie, we never will. More
next page, Introduction:—
If I Ruled the World.
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Introduction
- Introduction —
If I Ruled the World.
No, I wouldn't remove children from their television set,
and vice versa. In fact, I'd make them
watch Dear Frankie.
Part One
- Part 1A — Category
Creep
Question: Is it necessary for us to
assign categories in order to absorb and enjoy what we read, and watch,
and listen to? Answer: Definitely. We're not shallow.
We're selective.
- Part 1B —
Benevolent Impersonation
Because The Stranger chosen to carry out the
imposture by definition is perfect for the role, we wait
with anticipation and pleasure for the predictable romantic
comedy plot to resolve itself. Except that Dear Frankie
isn't predictable. Isn't comedy. Isn't romantic either.
- Part 1C:— Neither Fairy
Tale nor Myth; It's Just Itself.
We meet Lizzie, Frankie and Nana Nell as they leave their old
apartment and set out for a new life. 'Right on the edge
of sea. Right on the edge of the world,' as Frankie
tells his Da in the letter he is mentally drafting. We also
meet Marie and her fish shop, Marie's.
- Part 1D:— A New Life?
Or Continuation of the Old?
We see Lizzie enroll Frankie at school and later writing
to Frankie in the guise of his seaman Da. We also meet
Librarian at local Public Library.
- Part 1E:—
Best-Laid Schemes
Reality in the form of things she's been running away
from finally catches up with Lizzie Morrison.
Part Two
- Part 2A:— Friday
Lizzie meets The Stranger in a coffee bar; he agrees
to act as Frankie's dad for one day, next day,
Saturday.
- Part 2B:—
Saturday
The Stranger spends the day with Frankie, invites
Lizzie to join them next day, Sunday.
- Part 2C:— Sunday
Lizzie, Frankie and The Stranger spend Sunday together.
Part Three
- Part 3A:—
The Favour
Lizzie goes to hospital to meet Frankie's father Davey.
- Part 3B:—
The Old, Old Story
Wrap-up.
- And that's it, except for an acknowledgement that
Dear Frankie was only dessert, and invitation to come back
for the rest of the Sandsifter Five Retrospectives
reverse-order dinner party.
[June 2006 text only]
[WebPage last amended
April 14th, 2012]
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