Parents' Guide to Finch

The end of the world is as terrifying as ideas come, but this stormy dramedy softens the blow with a robot, a dog, and the always appealing Hanks. Steven Spielberg's production company, Amblin, and Walden are both leaders in creating exceptional entertainment for families, and director Miguel Sapochnik follows the path they've forged. Sitting smack in the middle of a four-way genre stop, Finch is a sci-fi dystopian special effects drama, a buddy road comedy, and, unexpectedly, a robot's coming-of-age story. Android Jeff, who is a newborn of sorts, takes on the traits and attitudes of an intelligent child, providing an avenue for relatability for tweens and teens. And as the inventor who crafted Jeff, Finch is somewhat of a father; parents will connect with his moments of frustration, amazement, and pride in his creation.

Casting Hanks as the last known human is a stroke of brilliance. Part of the actor's talent is the ability to craft entirely new characters while retaining enough of his Hanksian familiarity that viewers start off already caring about him. He's proven himself the master of singular solitude, playing solo characters who must rely on their own skills to survive -- whether facing down pirates in Captain Phillips, regaining control over a careening plane in Sully, or literally surviving alone on an island in Cast Away. Hanks doesn't need no stinkin' fellow human actors: He's a one-man show. Like Hanks, aerospace engineer Finch is self-reliant. He trusts no one but must rely on someone -- or something -- else so that his progeny (in this case, his dog), can survive. The greater takeaway here is that he's leaving a legacy, teaching the next generation how to rebuild. Which really means that this entertaining spectacle is a roadmap for adults to understand how to cultivate and educate those who come after them, and for young people to understand that if they listen to the lessons of those who've come before and learn from mistakes (both theirs and adults'), they'll have the tools they need to build a better future.