Garrett M. Brown & Dale Peterson discusses Hello My Name Is Frank on iTalk Movies
iTalk movies is a long-form interview series featuring leading members of the film community. In this episode, host Kylie Hodges interviews the director of Hello My Name Is Frank, Dale Peterson, as well as actor Garrett M Brown in studio on the Popcorn Talk Network.
The Road Within: Hello, My Name is Frank . . . is a sweet and uplifting comedy/drama about Frank (Garrett M. Brown), a hermit with Tourette Syndrome who is thrust into the harsh realities of the world when his caretaker dies. Frank is a sweet and likeable fellow—until his tics come out. Frank suffers from a rare but severe form of Tourette’s–his uncontrollable tics and profane outbursts surface at all the wrong times. After a childhood filled with ridicule and cruelty from those who didn’t understand his condition, Frank gradually becomes a loner and hires a caretaker to insulate him from the world. Frank’s comfortable but lonely life is suddenly shattered when his caretaker dies, leaving Frank with the caretaker’s teenage daughter, Laura (Rachel DiPillo), who is about to go on a graduation road trip with her girlfriends. After seeing that Frank is despondent, the nurturing Laura drags a reluctant Frank along on the road trip with her friends—Alisa (Hayley Kiyoko), a wild and free spirit who lives every day likes it’s her last, and Kim (Mary Kate Wiles), a sweet and naïve teen who is trying to make sense of her life. On their journey, the group meets up with Vinnie (Travis Caldwell), a handsome hitchhiker who invites them to stay in a quaint country farmhouse owned by his Aunt Flossie (Tess Harper). Hello, My Name is Frank . . . is a modern-day Wizard of Oz meets Little Miss Sunshine and Rain Man—a road trip taken by Frank and his slightly imperfect companions that causes them all to grow, bond and come into their own. What starts out as a tragedy ends up as a life-changing journey for Frank and his road trip companions.
HMNIF was shot on location in Eastern Washington, in the cities of Richland, Kennewick and Benton City. The gorgeous farms, vineyards, mountains, rivers and deserts of the Tri-Cities provided a stunning backdrop for this film.