_What They Had_, the debut film from writer/director Elizabeth Chomko, draws on her personal experiences with Alzheimer’s to portray a family navigating its complexities. The film echoes earlier works like Richard Eyre's _Iris_, Sarah Polley's _Away From Her_, and Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzner's _Still Alice_, aiming to find humor alongside the sadness and focus on familial unity rather than division. While not flawless—the runtime extends roughly ten minutes too long, and melodrama occasionally surfaces—it remains a worthwhile film featuring strong writing and exceptional performances. Set in Chicago, the story begins with Ruth (Blythe Danner) wandering out into a blizzard. Her husband, Burt (Robert Foster, delivering a career-best performance), alerts their son Nick (Michael Shannon) who then contacts his sister Bridget (Hilary Swank). Living in California and struggling in her marriage to Eddie (Josh Lucas), Bridget returns with her daughter Emma (Taissa Farmiga) to find Ruth has been located on a train headed toward her childhood home. The central conflict arises when Nick wants to place Ruth in specialized care, while Burt adamantly refuses, insisting he can provide the best support ("_She's my girl. You're not taking my girl away from me_"). This staunch traditionalist, a devout Catholic and Korean War veteran, resists acknowledging the severity of Ruth’s condition—she is in the sixth of seven Alzheimer's stages; "severe decline"—and insists she isn’t as impaired as others believe. Nick had hoped Bridget would support his plan for care, given her power of attorney

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