“She’s going to forget everything,” says Hilary Swank in a new trailer for “What They Had.” Bridget (Swank) has returned home to Chicago to help navigate a family crisis: her mother (Blythe Danner) has dementia, and her behavior is becoming increasingly erratic and unsafe. Ruth is shown wandering off in the middle of a winter night wearing nothing but a nightgown, referring to her husband Burt (Robert Forster) as her boyfriend, and chatting about being pregnant.
Bridget’s brother Nick (Michael Shannon) has been helping their parents out by driving them to church and running errands, but his questions about the future have gone unanswered by his father, who is adamant that Ruth belongs with him, and not in a home. “Love is commitment,” Burt explains, citing his vows to love Ruth “in sickness and in health.” He pleads, “You can’t take my girl away from me.”
“What They Had” marks actor and playwright Elizabeth Chomko’s feature debut as a screenwriter and director. She told us that the film is about “shifting dynamics as we grow older, the cultural rifts between generations, and how parenting your parents prompts a new coming of age.”
“The story is inspired by people I love and the realization that memory is a gift,” Chomko revealed. “Making the film was like controlling time — being able to hang out with people I wasn’t ready to let go of and memories I didn’t want to lose.” She added, “[‘What They Had’] examines gender dynamics within families, and how they’ve shifted quickly from one generation to the next. It looks at the impact childhood narrative has on one’s identity, and the ways we can be held hostage by it or held accountable for it.”
Chomko’s acting credits include “Common Law” and “Terriers.”
Swank is a two-time Oscar winner who’s taken home Best Actress honors for “Million Dollar Baby” and “Boys Don’t Cry.” “Trust,” “55 Steps,” and “Logan Lucky” are among her recent credits.
“What They Had” premiered at Sundance in January to positive reviews. The drama opens in select theaters October 12. Taissa Farmiga (“American Horror Story”) co-stars.
