What They Had
From first-time writer/director Elizabeth Chomko, WHAT THEY HADcenters on a family in crisis. Bridget (Hilary Swank) returns home to Chicago at her brother’s (Michael Shannon) urging to deal with her ailing mother (Blythe Danner) and her father’s (Robert Forster) reluctance to let go of their life together.
Director:
Elizabeth Chomko
Cast:
Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster
Screenplay:
Elizabeth Chomko
Screening Date:
Oct 13, 2018
Studio:
Bleeker Street
Running Time:
1 hour 41 minutes
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.5% | 27.5% | 30.0% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
“Real dialogue funny and dramatic. Best movie of the year!”
“Truthful film. Character development was excellent. Real and
painful. Superior connection to changes in family life since the
50’s. Touching and effective. Demanding, intimate, emotional
and psychological.”
“The relationships between the characters was very touching.
You see their faces up close and get involved intensely.”
“WHAT THEY HAD is a personal movie that remarkably tells my
own story that needs to be told as we need to be reminded of
what life may have in store for us. Excellent performances,
especially Michael Shannon.”
“Not sure why daughter’s marriage failed. Not sure why
granddaughter was unsure about college. She’s clearly not
ready to go out on her own yet.”
“A slice-of-life look at the difficulties a family going through
dealing with a mother with Alzheimer’s, the children and their
choices in life. The screenwriter included many pertinent issues
around identity brother/sister conflicts holding on to vs. letting
go. The shot of the turkey was trite and unnecessary. It
cheapens the ending.”
“Dialogue (and story) this good are not supposed to come from
a first-time screenwriter. Perhaps the thanks goes to Sundance
workshops but wow, what an amazing first film!
“Realistic, sensitive and real. Some understatements made real
points.”
“The timeline for Hillary Swank’s character having children was
a bit confusing. She said she was 20 when she married and that
her younger daughter is twenty and certainly not ready, to be
on her own. When was the older daughter born? Out of
wedlock? May be that is why the father was concerned about
getting her married off, as a single mother already.”
“Important subject, but characters were very formulaic. Acting
was excellent, but the story was too simplistic.”
“This is perceptive storytelling to be sure, but before you obtain
those skills you first have to be grounded in human expression
and interaction. Maybe the film schools helped, but Ms.
Chomko is undeniably talented.”
“Hillary Swank in the towel for several minutes, a crossroads
scene. Will the towel come off in a figurative sense; will she
finally lay her soul bare or dress up into the conventionality of
the roles others see her in? (A dramatic convention the late
Mike Nichols often used.) The use of Catholicism or Christianity
as a backdrop without descending into the religion or lifestyle
was refreshing in modern film.”
“Great film. Could easily have worked as a stage play, maybe it
should. Actors know great writing when they see it, which is
why a first-time filmmaker gets a cast like this!”
“Hillary Swank nailed it!”
“Yes, the dialogue and storytelling were superb – smart,
observant slices of life. But she also did a pretty fair job
directing as well. Can I buy stock in Chomko Inc.?”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you for telling a tale that needs to
be told. The real superheroes of this screen are the sons and
daughters who have no super powers to combat the onslaught
of Alzheimer’s. It’s toll is huge in time and money and
relationships to all those it affects. This was true to life yet
often elevated to art in scenes beautifully, carefully crafted for
the screen.”
“Too close to home. Hard subject to look at.”
“Robert Forster is wonderful, great to see him busy again. And I
still remember Blythe Danner singing as Thomas Jefferson’s
wife in ‘1776.’”
“Too contrived. Hillary Swank sexist stereotypic female role.
Michael Shannon was very good. Nice not to see him as a
villain.”
“Easily the best screenplay of the year, and the actors
delivering great lines made it one of the best films of the year,
period.”
“Clearly this was a labor of love for Ms. Chomko as she explains
in the final on-screen, post credit coda. It’s wonderful that she
did that, and hope the film gets the recognition it deserves and
focuses attention on a fate far too many of us have in store.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
https://youtu.be/rXWVyT3PJsY Here is an interview of 'What They Had' Stars and Director Elizabeth Chomko Discussing The Impact of Alzheimer's | SUNDANCE 2018
https://youtu.be/p1KJsJFwCTU Here is Taissa Farmiga & Robert Forster interview "What They Had" where you get a better understanding of their character roles, as well as similarities they see within themselves through the characters they play.
https://www.agespace.org/dementia/understanding-dementia Here is a website with the understanding of Dementia, what it is, what causes it, etc.
https://www.dementiacarecentral.com/aboutdementia/facts/stages/ Here are the different stages of Dementia
https://observer.com/2018/09/what-they-had-movie-review-reality-alzheimers/ Here is an article about "What They Had" doesn't think Alzheimer's is funny, but some people may need that humor from the film to cope.
http://www.claritypointe.com/article/4/22/2016/%E2%80%9Cinvisible-second... Here's a website that explains how family can prepare themselves for helping a family member go through, and understand what will happen in the future with Alzheimer's Disease.
https://www.aarp.org/health/dementia/info-2018/difference-between-dement... What is the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease?
