Robot & Frank
In the near future, Frank is a retired catburglar living alone while his successful son, Hunter, tries to care for him from afar. Finally, Hunter gets him a robot caretaker, but Frank soon learns that it is as 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 take beyond what any reboot can do for him.
Working with a tight budget of $2.5M, the film achieved a modest success with $3.3M in global revenue (+33% profit margin).
2 wins & 6 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Robot & Frank (2012) reveals carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Jake Schreier's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 29 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Frank, an elderly man with declining memory, walks through town in his worn routine, shoplifting soap from the same store. His isolated, deteriorating life in a near-future setting is established.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Hunter delivers the robot to Frank's home. Frank resists, feeling insulted and stripped of independence. The robot represents everything he fears: obsolescence, dependency, and loss of autonomy.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The Collapse moment at 66 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Frank learns Jennifer has severe dementia and doesn't truly remember him or their connection—their relationship was partly in his compromised mind. The "whiff of death": his fear realized, the loss of memory and identity, seeing his future in her vacant eyes., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 71 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Frank executes his plan, wipes the robot's memory, protects his family from the investigation, and accepts his fate. He faces the consequences with dignity, choosing human connection over escape., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Robot & Frank's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Robot & Frank against these established plot points, we can identify how Jake Schreier utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Robot & Frank within the comedy genre.
Jake Schreier's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Jake Schreier films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Robot & Frank takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jake Schreier filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Jake Schreier analyses, see Paper Towns.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Frank, an elderly man with declining memory, walks through town in his worn routine, shoplifting soap from the same store. His isolated, deteriorating life in a near-future setting is established.
Theme
Hunter tells Frank about the robot: "It's not a person, it's a tool." The theme of what makes us human—memory, connection, and purpose versus mere functionality—is introduced.
Worldbuilding
Frank's world is revealed: his estranged children (Hunter and Madison), his memory lapses, his visits to the library to see Jennifer, his former life as a jewel thief, and the near-future setting with new technology threatening the old library.
Disruption
Hunter delivers the robot to Frank's home. Frank resists, feeling insulted and stripped of independence. The robot represents everything he fears: obsolescence, dependency, and loss of autonomy.
Resistance
Frank debates whether to accept the robot's help. He initially rejects it, tries to disable it, but gradually sees its usefulness. The robot establishes routines, helps with his health, and begins gardening—Frank debates what this new relationship means.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The "fun and games" of an old thief and his robot partner. They plan and execute a heist of Jake's expensive soap, bond through criminal activity, and Frank feels alive again. The promise of the premise: watching this unlikely duo pull off capers.
Opposition
The police investigate the robbery. Madison arrives and wants to take the robot away. Frank's cognitive decline becomes more apparent. Jake suspects Frank. The walls close in as Frank's children, the law, and his own failing mind threaten everything.
Collapse
Frank learns Jennifer has severe dementia and doesn't truly remember him or their connection—their relationship was partly in his compromised mind. The "whiff of death": his fear realized, the loss of memory and identity, seeing his future in her vacant eyes.
Crisis
Frank processes this devastating revelation. He confronts the reality of his condition and what matters. Dark night of the soul: if memory fades, what remains? The robot or human connection—which is real?
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Frank executes his plan, wipes the robot's memory, protects his family from the investigation, and accepts his fate. He faces the consequences with dignity, choosing human connection over escape.
Transformation
Frank in a memory care facility, his children visiting. He's lost much of his memory but is at peace, surrounded by family. The transformation: from isolated and deteriorating to connected and cared for, having chosen human dignity over criminal freedom.