Frankie Starlight (1995)

This is a story of a man (Walker), suffering from dwarfism, who writes an autobiographical account of his life. In flashbacks, we see how he was conceived to a woman (Parillaud) at the end ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Lindsay-Hogg

Writers:

Ronan O'Leary, Chet Raymo (novel),

Stars:

Corban Walker, Gabriel Byrne, Anne Parillaud

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Corban Walker	...	Frank Bois
Niall Toibin	...	Handy Paige
Owen Roe	...	Senior Customs Officer
Gabriel Byrne	...	Jack Kelly
Anne Parillaud	...	Bernadette
Alan Devine	...	Boy On Beach No. 1
Edward Naessens	...	Boy On Beach No. 2
Laurent Mellet	...	Boy On Beach No. 3
Ulrich Funke	...	German Officer
Guy Verame	...	Interpretor
Christine Keane	...	Mother Of Sick Child
Victoria Begeja	...	Anne Marie Bois
Julian Negulesco	...	Bernadette's Uncle
Jean-Claude Frissung	...	Albert Bois (as Jean Claude Frissung)
Corine Blue	...	Bernadette's Aunt

Storyline

This is a story of a man (Walker), suffering from dwarfism, who writes an autobiographical account of his life. In flashbacks, we see how he was conceived to a woman (Parillaud) at the end of WWII as she attempts to smuggle herself to America on a troop ship. Caught, she is put ashore back in her homeland of Ireland where she struggles to bring up her dwarfed child. Then comes an ongoing affair with a man (Byrne) who becomes a surrogate father to the boy, teaching him about the stars and planets... and calling him "Frankie Starlight." After that affair she meets with a man (Dillon) who takes her and the boy to America, but they are misfits in the prairie lands of the West and soon return home to Ireland where the boy grows to manhood as a writer.

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Plot Keywords:

boy | ireland | flashback | troop ship | writer | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes the brightest star is the one that shines within.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line

Country:

France UK Ireland USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 November 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

A csillagok szerelmese

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Box Office

Gross:

$78,168 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bórd Scannán na hÉireann, Canal+, Channel Four Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Irish Cinema: Ourselves Alone? (1995)

User Reviews

As someone said, "Be kind, for everyone has a tough road to travel."

Elmer Bernstein's music for this outstanding motion picture is superb. The main character displays courage in the face of what life has given him (dwarfism and family despair). As for the girl he loves and adores in his early life, she too overcomes the horrors of a traumatic experience (seeing her father with another woman) during her early childhood. The supporting cast did just that (magnificent support to make the main characters believable). And for a change, even though there are so many sad moments in the life of Frankie, the conclusion is a happy one for those who persevere. Love doesn't conquer all, but it makes life beautiful.