Hilary Swank's 'What They Had' is a homecoming drama about denial, memory and love
The first trailer of 'What They Had' was recently released by Bleecker street on Monday, July 23, and let's just say it has broken some hearts already. The film, starring Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster and Blythe Danner, is the debut feature film venture from writer-director Elizabeth Chomko. Following the story of Swank's character, Bridget Ertz, who returns home after her Alzheimer's suffering mother, Ruth (Danner), wanders off into the blizzard on one fine Christmas Eve, the plot is an emotional rollercoaster documenting what ensues next.
The concerning developments lead Bridget to reunite with her family meaning she must work and cooperate with her brother Nicky (Shannon) and father Burt (Forster) to decide how to best go about the situation and to decide what's best for Ruth. And of course, in all of this, Burt continues to struggle with letting go of their life together, as he knew it.