>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY. LOVE, LOSS, AND CAREGIVING FOR
AN AGING LOVED ONE IS SOMETHING
MANY ADULTS FACE.
IT IS THE HEARTBREAKING TIME
AND SOMETIMES A HUMOROUS
SUBJECT OF A MOVIE CALLED "WHAT
THEY HAD".
THEY HAD". THEY RETURN HOME TO DEAL WITH
AN AILING MOTHER PLAYED BY
BLOOD THINNER.
BLOOD THINNER. WE HAVE ELIZABETH CHOMKO,
WELCOME.
WELCOME.
WELCOME. YOU ARE A FIRST-TIME WRITER-
DIRECTOR.
DIRECTOR.
DIRECTOR. YOU GOT ALL THESE WONDERFUL
ACTORS.
ACTORS.
ACTORS. >> SO MANY.
YOU KNOW, I GOT LUCKY I THINK.
TO HAVE THEM ON THIS ONE WAS
QUITE EXTRAORDINARY.
QUITE EXTRAORDINARY. THEY REALLY LOVED THE SCRIPT.
IT WON THE ACADEMY OF NICKEL
FELLOWSHIP.
FELLOWSHIP. THEY HAD A GREAT REPUTATION SO
HILLARY CAME ABOARD FIRST.
>> THAT IS SO AWESOME.
I HAVEN'T SEEN HER IN A WHILE.
I FORGOT WHAT A MAGNIFICENT
TALENT SHE IS.
>> THERE'S GREAT PATHOS AND
HUMANITY IN THIS.
WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?
>> IT WAS PERSONAL FOR ME.
I DIDN'T WRITE IT TO BE IN THIS
MOMENT, I WROTE IT BECAUSE I
WAS OPEN WITH GRIEF AND DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
AND WHERE TO PUT IT.
SO I WANTED A SHORTCUT AROUND
GRIEF, YOU ARE KIND OF CLAWING
YOUR WAY OUT.
I WAS THE OLDEST GRANDCHILD IN
THE OLDEST SIBLING IN MY FAMILY.
I WANTED TO SOMEHOW FIX IT.
SO WRITING THIS ABOUT MY
GRANDPARENTS REALLY BECAME THIS
WAY OF CHEATING TIME AND TIME
TRAVELING AND BEING ABLE TO
SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEM.
>> AS A FAVOR TO THE REST OF
THIS, AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE, I
SPENT TWO YEARS WITH MY MOTHER
BEFORE HER DEATH.
SO THERE ARE ASPECTS TO THE
STORY THAT HER PERSONAL.
NOBODY PREPARES YOU FOR THIS.
YOU DON'T LEARN ABOUT IT AND
EVERYBODY SEEMS TO GO INTO THAT
WITHOUT PREPARATION.
WITHOUT PREPARATION. WE HAD A CHANCE TO ABSORB THIS.
JUST EXPLAIN THE GENERAL STORY
FOR PEOPLE.
FOR PEOPLE. >> IT IS THE STORY OF A FAMILY,
IT IS AN ENSEMBLE PIECE ABOUT A
FAMILY STRUGGLING TO MAKE
DECISIONS AROUND CAREGIVING FOR
THE MATRIARCH OF THE FAMILY,
PLAYED BY BLYTHE DANNER WHO HAS
MEMORY LOSS.
MEMORY LOSS. IT KIND OF PROMPTS THE CONFLICT
, THE RECKONING WITH WHAT YOU DO
WHEN THERE IS NO GOOD THING TO
DO AND NO RIGHT ANSWER.
AND THE WAY IT PROMPTS ALL OF
THEM. AT 17 I KNEW NOTHING AND
I STILL KNOW NOTHING.
>> AND YOU DISCOVER THESE NEW
THINGS AND YOU HAVE THE SIBLINGS
WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIPS.
>> AND THERE IS COPARENTING
WITH YOUR SIBLINGS.
>> I HAD A PAUSE LAST NIGHT AND
I WANTED TO LOOK AT THIS AGAIN.
>> I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL HER.
YOU SHOULD BE HOME WITH YOUR
HUSBAND.
HUSBAND.
HUSBAND. >> IS SHE ALL RIGHT?
>> SHE IS FINE.
>> I KNEW YOU WOULD START
SMOKING AGAIN.
SMOKING AGAIN. >> HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR BLOOD
PRESSURE?
PRESSURE?
PRESSURE? >> I AM FINE.
>> GO TAKE A LOOK AT HER.
>> WHAT?
>> WHAT?
MOM?
MOM? >>
MOM? >> I
MOM? >> I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!
>> THERE IS SO MUCH THERE.
I REALLY APPRECIATED THE FACT
THAT THE GRANDPARENTS IN THE
MOVIE ARE NOT JUST OLD PEOPLE.
THEY ARE RECKONING WITH THEIR
LOVE, THEIR LIFE, THEIR
MARRIAGE AND HOW THEY WANT THIS
TO GO.
TO GO.
TO GO. >>
TO GO. >> YES, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME
TO DO THAT FOR BOTH OF THEM.
HER ALZHEIMER'S IS NOT ALL SHE
IS.
IS.
IS. THAT
IS. THAT KIND OF DIAGNOSIS DOESN'T
TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE
INFINITE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT
MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE.
YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A BIT
PERSONAL FOR ME.
I JUST WANTED TO CAPTURE ALL
THE COMPLICATIONS ABOUT IT AND
HOW WE COPED WITH A LOT OF
LAUGHTER, WE GREW UP IN CHICAGO
SO WE LAUGH AT EVERYTHING.
NEW MAP AND YOU DO THAT WITH
LOVE.
LOVE.
LOVE. YOU
LOVE. YOU JUST TRY TO DO IT WITH LOVE.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU?
THIS IS SUCH A CATHARTIC AND
EMOTIONAL PROJECT.
EMOTIONAL PROJECT. >> THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT
I HAVE PERCOLATING IN DIFFERENT
STAGES.
STAGES.
STAGES. I
STAGES. I AM WRITING AN ADAPTATION OF A
MEMOIR OF A MUCH DIFFERENT
STORY ABOUT A FAMILY DEALING
WITH THE FATHER'S CRIMINALITY.
>> SO RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILY.
SO SINCE THIS IS YOUR FIRST
MOVIE, WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE?
>> I WAS AN ACTOR AND A
PLAYWRIGHT.
PLAYWRIGHT. I AM A VISUAL ARTIST.
SO I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN THE
FIELD.
FIELD.
FIELD. I
FIELD. I HAVE BEEN ATTRACTED TO THAT
CHANNEL AND NOTHING ELSE.
>> THIS IS REALLY EXCEPTIONAL.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
"WHAT THEY HAD" OPENS ON
NOVEMBER 2.