BEING FRANK – A Review by Cynthia Flores
All families have secrets, but this one takes the cake. In this film, Frank Hansen (Jim Gaffigan) is hiding the biggest secret of all – he has two families. That’s right, he keeps two houses, two wives and two sets of children he’s been keeping apart for 15 years. Frank can do this by telling each family that he has to travel to Japan for work. Instead, he just bounces between his families. It helps that Frank’s second family lives across state lines in a charming little lakeside community. So when his teenage son Philip (Logan Miller) discovers the truth, all bets are off as Frank tries desperately to get Philip to keep the secret.
So what starts off as a way for Philip to blackmail his father to pay for the college of his choice and protect his mother from the truth actually turns into something to bond over. You see, Philip was angry like most teenage boys that feel neglected and misunderstood by their inattentive fathers. It also hurt him when he stumbled upon his Dad’s “Perfect” family. Phillip felt like his mom and sister weren’t enough for his dad. But now since Philip is in on the secret and is inappropriately involved with his father’s infidelities, he actually gets to spend real time with his dad. It’s fun to watch these two estranged people actually get to know each other better.
Of course, there are some fast-paced shenanigans where Frank and Philip must work together to keep both families from meeting at an annual picnic event that Philip’s mom has decided to attend. I won’t tell you if they get away with it all so you can watch this one yourself and find out.
Being Frank is a well-balanced mix of screwball comedy and drama. It gives its leads, Jim Gaffigan and Logan Miller a chance to turn something that should be heartbreaking into something funny and bittersweet instead. I give Being Frank a B rating for being a perfect bit of summer movie fluff to enjoy and then forget.
Directed by Miranda Bailey
Written by Glen Lakin
Rated R
Selig Rating B
Running Time 1hr 49min
Comedy
Limited Release June 21st Landmarks Magnolia Theatre and VOD
Starring: Anna Gunn, Samantha Mathis, Jim Gaffigan, Logan Miller, Alex Karpovsky
The Selig Rating Scale:
A – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
B – Good movie
C – OK movie
D – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
F – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
