Now that this has officially been dubbed a “widely read education reform-pop culture blog” we had better make sure to keep up the pop culture side of the billing. Let me do so by urging you to see the small, independent film, Robot and Frank. I won’t spoil anything here for those who have not seen it, but I can tell you that this film is more than a sentimental depiction of an aging man’s relationship with a robot. It raises questions about how we are defined by our memories and shared experiences. And what happens if we miss out on those experiences or lose those memories?
But don’t get me wrong. This is not some dreary philosophical thesis. It’s a crime thriller, romance, and quite funny. I particularly enjoyed this effort at social conversation by a pair of robots:
I also enjoyed the depiction of the ultra-modern hipsters who see the past as a quaint amusement rather than the repository of the memories that define us. People like that may not have the attention span to read this far into a post (“tl;dr”), but I think they’ll recognize themselves in the character of Jake.
And Frank Langella is just brilliant in everything he does. Enjoy Robot and Frank.
Posted by Jay P. Greene 
Jay P. Greene's Blog 