Lizzie (played by Emily Mortimer) is a single mom raising her deaf son Frankie (Jack McElhone) in Scotland with the help of her mother. When the family relocates to a Scottish seaside town Lizzie begins working as a waitress and Frankie starts a new school. In order to protect her son from the fact that his father was an abusive lout who caused Frankie's hearing impairment, Lizzie has established a story about his dad being a sailor who travels around the world aboard the HMS Accra. Lizzie and her mother have set up a p.o. box whereby they send letters to Frankie (and pretend they're from his dad) and receive the ones he thinks he's writing to his dad. Frankie is full of joy when he receives letters from his dad; their pen pal relationship is a major part of his life.
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When Frankie's bratty classmate tells him that his dad's ship is set to anchor in their city in a few days, Frankie is full of expectation. Although Lizzie ponders telling Frankie the truth she has built such a house of lies that she fears crushing all of Frankie's hopes and dreams. On the recommendation of her boss Marie, Lizzie makes a financial arrangement with a stranger (Gerard Butler) whereby he will impersonate Frankie's dad for one day. As the stranger bonds with Frankie and ignites feelings within Lizzie's dormant heart, Frankie's real dad makes a deathbed request to see his son.
The review of this Movie prepared by Sandra Calhoune
