James Marsden appears in the sci-fi comedy-drama “Robot & Frank.”
There’s a brave new world in the not too distant future in the low-key and charming sci-fi comedy drama “Robot & Frank.” It is a place where a frustrated adult son at his wit’s end about what to do about his failing father can buy a robot to provide companionship in the place of human family or friends. James Marsden plays Hunter, the desperate son, and he is of two minds about an android solution to very human problems.
“At first glance, it’s a little bleak to me,” the 38-year-old actor says during a chat at January’s Sundance Film Festival, where “Robot & Frank” made its premiere. “It’s subtracting the human element and our connections, which I think are essential to feeling alive, having human companionship. Also, too, the automation of everything — I like doing things manually. I have a stick shift. I like the control of doing things manually. I don’t like home automation, everything automated. We need to keep doing things manually. It’s good for us. So that scares me a little bit.
“In this film, with the automation, you’re essentially creating an artificially intelligent entity to be a companion to this person,” he adds. “But what was nice is that you see how much Frank learns about himself through the robot and how he looks at life and you see him actually turn from the curmudgeonly old man to somebody who realizes his capacity to feel for something or someone. The robot represents a real person to him.”
Frank Langella plays Frank, the aging ex-con, a cat burglar with a fading memory living an isolated rural life punctuated only by his trips to the local library and the weekly visits from Hunter. Peter Sarsgaard voices the robot that becomes Frank’s kind of synthetic lifeline and friend.
A little wariness
Marsden admits to a little wariness when he first read Christopher D. Ford’s script, even though he loved it. He knew that Langella had been advocating for him and wanted him in the role of his son. He also knew that he would be co-starring along with Liv Tyler, who plays Hunter’s sister Madison, and Susan Sarandon as Jennifer, the librarian that Frank is sweet on.
“I wanted to be associated with those people for sure and work with those people,” he says.
“The script I just thought was one of the most unique stories I’ve read,” he adds. “I read scripts all the time and it’s so rare that you read something that is specifically different and new.”
What worried Marsden was how he would characterize Hunter in a film in which the main focus is on Frank and his robot, leaving little time to do much more than suggest the complicated history between father and son.
“The character’s a little bit harsh to me. I want to make sure he’s not heartless, that he’s not leaving this robot because he’s lazy and doesn’t want to take care of his father,” Marsden remembers telling director Jake Schreier.
The filmmaker replied that what he saw was a son stepping up and trying to do the right thing for a difficult parent. He urged Marsden to play the character as a boy who grew up with a dad who spent years in prison and who had a habit of letting his son down.
Condition of discomfort
“You sort of explore this male condition of discomfort in showing emotions, especially male to male,” Marsden says. “I think Hunter cares a good deal for his father and he’s probably in a bit of denial that he’s losing him. Sometimes that manifests itself in maybe a little salty, aggressive way toward him. I think Hunter loves him dearly. I just think he’s like, ‘I don’t know what else to do. You won’t allow me to help you and I have to be with my kids, so let’s try this out. Be excited about it. I’m excited about it. I’m going to make your life richer this way.’ ”
“Robot & Frank” was a short shoot for Marsden. He was only on the set for five days. He arrived exhausted for his fourth movie in a row without any kind of a break but delighted to work with Langella again. The older man played his uncle in “Superman Returns” (2006) and they costarred in “The Box” (2009).
“We’ve been close for a long time, so there was a nice comfort level there,” Marsden says. “He knows I’ve heard his jokes and I don’t get tired of hearing them. And he knows me and how we work together.
“I remember the first day, he pulled me into his dressing room and he said, ‘Listen, just think of this as the typical father-son dynamic relationship where you have areas that you connect with and maybe some competition. I don’t think it’s anything different or new. I think your father drives you crazy in certain regards and you love him in others. Let’s just play with it and have
“As much as Frank seems like he doesn’t really need it or want it, you see him so connect with this robot.”
James Marsden
fun.’ He relished getting on my nerves.
“Jake allowed us to really play with it, so it was nice to go on set and have fun with it. I let Frank sort of take the lead and I followed.”
Ultimately, Marsden sees Hunter and his dad sharing a strong bond, regardless of how strained the relationship between them might be, because Hunter has put in the time with his old man.
“Whether that time is pleasant or not, it is time spent with that person. I think that they do have something special,” he says.
The father of two has been contemplating what is important to him and how he would write his own future after watching the cantankerous Frank’s interactions with his android companion.
“I guess it made me feel like I want family around me all the time, because you see — as much as Frank seems like he doesn’t really need it or want it, you see him so connect with this robot,” Marsden says. “You see that very natural human desire to be not alone.” Pam Grady is a freelance writer. E-mail: sadolphson@ sfchronicle.com