Robot & Frank

Robot & Frank

Sloan Foundation Film

Release Date

2012

Director

  • Jake Schreier

Cast

  • Peter Sarsgaard
  • Frank Langella
  • Susan Sarandon

Awards

  • Sundance Film Festival, 2012

In the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.

In the near future, Frank (Frank Langella) is a retired catburglar living alone, while his successful son, Hunter (James Marsden), tries to care for him from afar. Finally, Hunter gets him a robot caretaker (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard), and Frank soon learns that the robot is useful as a burglary aide. As Frank tries to restart his old profession, the uncomfortable realities of a changing world and his worsening dementia threaten to go beyond what any robot can do for him.



Possible Topics

  • Advances in the field of robotics
  • What will the robots of the future look like?

Past Programs

2012

Interactive Robots

Athens Ciné, Athens, GA

Current State of Robotics

The Nickelodeon, Columbia, SC

2013

Turning Fictional Robotics into Reality

The State Theatre, Modesto, CA

2014

Robo-Pets

MSP Film Society, Minneapolis, MN

A Hopeful Reimagining of Man-Machine Relations

The Cinefamily, Los Angeles, CA

2015

Having Fun with Models and Robots

The State Theatre, Modesto, CA

The Science of Building Robots

The Dairy Arts Center, Boulder, CO

2017

What will the robots of the future look like?

Martha's Vineyard Film Society, Tisbury, MA

2018

Robots on screen: Mechanics vs. special effects

The Art Theater, Champaign, IL

Will a robot be your friend?

Cameo Cinema, St Helena, CA

2024

Get off my lawn! Aging + AI

California Film Institute, San Rafael, CA