Any one in the field of gerontology knows well that one of the most popular / cutting edge these days in gerontology is "gero-technology". There is quite a "buzz" around new start-ups that try to invent new technologies that will "solve" all the problems of the "elderly": loneliness, care, health, etc. However, it seems that we are still far away from really engaging older persons in these developments.
One of the first popular movies that tries to address these issues is the American science-fiction comedy - Robot and Frank. This 2012 movie, directed by Jake Schreier, is situated in the near future, where robots are sold to older persons and their family members in order to provide them care and companionship. The plot surrounds an aging ex-convict and thief, Frank, (played by Frank Langella), who lives alone and needs care as his cognitive abilities start to decline. Frank's son, purchases a robot to his father, as to relieve the burden of care from the family shoulders and to avoid the need to send Frank to an institution.
Initially, Frank rejects any attempt to "connect" with the robot, but after realizing that the robot does not really understand the border between legal and illegal behaviors, his relations with the robot "warm up", as he recruits the robot to join and assist him in committing petty crimes.
Overall the movie is not too sophisticated and the plot is not complicated. It is enjoyable to watch, and in many times it is genuinely funny.
But more importantly, the movie is important from a gerontological perspective: it raises in a popular manner, some key ethical dilemmas around the meaning and consequences of living in a society that robots take care of older adults. What does it mean to family relationships? What does in mean to the essence of "care" ? Is there "ethics" to technology?
I highly recommend this movie as an educational tool to trigger discussions around the future developments of technology and aging.
USA
2012
Director: Jake Schreier
Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhSYJP9c4IY
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