You're so correct—someone (who had not watched Interstellar) dismissed it offhand as fantastic science fiction that has no bearing on real life since no one (in our lifetimes) will be undergoing time dilation from travelling at near-c… I could only think of my daughter who left for uni at 17 and hasn’t lived at home for the past 13 years. (Damn invisible ninjas cutting onions just came back…)
This nails what makes Interstellar so special. It's time passing for the people you love while you're not there. Nolan is very intentional about stealing time with Cooper and his kids at the specific age they can least afford to lose time together.