*My capsule review of What They Had was originally published on Film Inquiry as part of my second report from Film Fest 919. Click here to read the original post and check out more great reviews from this awesome site!*
I have no real desire to get too personal in this brief review, but when it comes to decisions made near the end of life, I've seen firsthand how difficult it can be. Writer/director Elizabeth Chomko's What They Had captures these tough choices with honesty and authenticity, shining as a prime example of universal experiences brought to life through a very specific story. Led by an excellent cast, the film delivers a strong blend of light humor, emotional tenderness, and dramatic stakes, only until the finale fails to stick the landing. Still, this movie is going to touch a lot of people in a significant way.
Oscar winner Hillary Swank stars as Bridget, the daughter of a Chicago couple who moved out west to California to jump-start her own life. One Christmas, she's called back to the Windy City by her brother Nick (Michael Shannon), who informs her that Ruth (Blythe Danner), their fading mother, has wandered off somewhere into the city. Ruth suffers from Alzheimer's disease, which Burt (Robert Forster), the love of her life and a devoted husband, has long been reluctant to deal with. Along with struggling daughter Emma (Taissa Farmiga), Bridget packs her bags and flies home as quickly as she can.
Things end up being okay, but Ruth's brief disappearance into the freezing cold of the Chicago winter starts a new round of discussions about the proper future for her. Nick wants to put his mother in a nursing home, where she can be taken care of as her time here winds down. His father refuses. Bridget supports, even offering a situation where the loving couple can live next door to each other. Her father also refuses that offer.
The situation thus becomes a battleground for family squabbles and personal strife. The former is rendered brilliantly by Chomko, who understands that these battles over crucial decisions regarding care can bring out both empathy and anger, a constantly fluctuating mix of passionate emotions that almost always come from a place of love. The early stages of the film have a cold, almost improvisational feel, as these discussions end up existing somewhere between acidic wit and reflective openness. The entire ensemble is quite strong, with Swank, Shannon, and Forster standing out amid the crowd.
When Chomko delves into the personal lives of her protagonists, the film loses its footing a bit. It's established early on that Bridget is feeling pretty discontented with her marriage to Eddie (Josh Lucas), a nice suburban guy who still seems a little too passive and vanilla. Plus, Emma is having a hard time in college, Nick is increasingly at odds with his father, and Bridget is struggling to hold it all together. What feels so authentic in the early stages begins to feel a bit too contrived; it's like these real, grounded characters are suddenly in an Oscar-y showcase of dramatic grandstanding and epic monologues.
Finally, the film's ending pulls a bait-and-switch that comes off as an unnecessary twist, jerking around its audience for no apparent reason. The solemnity and strength of the first act makes the ultimate conclusion all the more frustrating, as it dips into territory that doesn't quite ring true in execution. What They Had is genuine and moving in its depictions of hard moments near the end of life, but I just wish that raw, unadulterated emotion operated on a more consistent current throughout.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.9/10)
Images courtesy of Film Fest 919/Bleecker Street
I have no real desire to get too personal in this brief review, but when it comes to decisions made near the end of life, I've seen firsthand how difficult it can be. Writer/director Elizabeth Chomko's What They Had captures these tough choices with honesty and authenticity, shining as a prime example of universal experiences brought to life through a very specific story. Led by an excellent cast, the film delivers a strong blend of light humor, emotional tenderness, and dramatic stakes, only until the finale fails to stick the landing. Still, this movie is going to touch a lot of people in a significant way.
Oscar winner Hillary Swank stars as Bridget, the daughter of a Chicago couple who moved out west to California to jump-start her own life. One Christmas, she's called back to the Windy City by her brother Nick (Michael Shannon), who informs her that Ruth (Blythe Danner), their fading mother, has wandered off somewhere into the city. Ruth suffers from Alzheimer's disease, which Burt (Robert Forster), the love of her life and a devoted husband, has long been reluctant to deal with. Along with struggling daughter Emma (Taissa Farmiga), Bridget packs her bags and flies home as quickly as she can.
Things end up being okay, but Ruth's brief disappearance into the freezing cold of the Chicago winter starts a new round of discussions about the proper future for her. Nick wants to put his mother in a nursing home, where she can be taken care of as her time here winds down. His father refuses. Bridget supports, even offering a situation where the loving couple can live next door to each other. Her father also refuses that offer.
The situation thus becomes a battleground for family squabbles and personal strife. The former is rendered brilliantly by Chomko, who understands that these battles over crucial decisions regarding care can bring out both empathy and anger, a constantly fluctuating mix of passionate emotions that almost always come from a place of love. The early stages of the film have a cold, almost improvisational feel, as these discussions end up existing somewhere between acidic wit and reflective openness. The entire ensemble is quite strong, with Swank, Shannon, and Forster standing out amid the crowd.
When Chomko delves into the personal lives of her protagonists, the film loses its footing a bit. It's established early on that Bridget is feeling pretty discontented with her marriage to Eddie (Josh Lucas), a nice suburban guy who still seems a little too passive and vanilla. Plus, Emma is having a hard time in college, Nick is increasingly at odds with his father, and Bridget is struggling to hold it all together. What feels so authentic in the early stages begins to feel a bit too contrived; it's like these real, grounded characters are suddenly in an Oscar-y showcase of dramatic grandstanding and epic monologues.
Finally, the film's ending pulls a bait-and-switch that comes off as an unnecessary twist, jerking around its audience for no apparent reason. The solemnity and strength of the first act makes the ultimate conclusion all the more frustrating, as it dips into territory that doesn't quite ring true in execution. What They Had is genuine and moving in its depictions of hard moments near the end of life, but I just wish that raw, unadulterated emotion operated on a more consistent current throughout.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.9/10)
Images courtesy of Film Fest 919/Bleecker Street
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