‘iMordecai’ brings together two generations

Category: Movies

It’s nice that Hollywood is focusing more on seniors these days instead of 20-somethings. Judd Hirsh stars as Mordecai, a Holocaust survivor living in Florida with his wife Fela (Carol Kane) and near his son Marvin (Sean Astin) and his family. The two generations are often at odds, with Mordecai being stuck in the past while Marvin is trying his best to push him into the 21st century. He begins with his cell phone.

Mordecai’s old flip phone is still working, on and off, so when Marvin buys him a new iPhone the confusion sets in. Where are the buttons?

Suddenly the old man feels, well, he feels old so he decides to learn about all the new technology. And after awhile he forges friendships with the tech gurus at the store and they help him join the modern world and Mordecai feels young again. He is having fun for the first time in a long time.

In the mean time, Fela is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, which begins to affect her thinking. Fela is jealous of her husband’s new hobby but supports him in his effort to learn new things and get closer to their son.

Marvin’s business is about to fall apart and take his investment and his father’s investment down the drain. But what the son learns is that the father has much to teach him while the son has much to teach his father, although Marvin’s help to his dad is mainly in bringing him into the modern age.

Mordecai’s new friends, “the Einsteins” from the Apple store, enjoy his company and have fun watching him embrace modern technology. Nina (Azia Dinea Hale) takes him under her wings and her friendship with the old man adds spunk to his life. But does Nina have another motive for spending her spare time with Mordecai? While Mordecai’s world opens up, Fela’s world begins to close in, however she still has enough love and intelligence to inspire both her husband and son.

This is a bittersweet story. On one hand it shows that we are never too old to embrace new things and technologies and we do not have to be stuck in the past. We don’t have to feel our age. Seniors are still vital members of society. The human connections between the characters take viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

iMordecai opens in select theaters February 24, 2023.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.