The holidays are right around the corner. The days around Thanksgiving and Christmas are known for many things: pretty lights, hearty food and lots of time with family members.

But what do we do when quality time with family becomes contentious? Do we confront the situation head on and work through the tension, or do we pretend the tension doesn’t exist? That’s one of the key questions the new film from Detroit filmmaker Christine Swanson asks.

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“Albany Road,” debuting Nov. 15, stars Renée Elise Goldsberry (“Hamilton,” “Anything’s Possible”) and longtime actress Lynn Whitfield (“The Retirement Plan,” “The Chi,”). The story follows a high-powered woman on her way to the most important meeting of her life and while on her way is forced to share a rental car during a snowstorm with the mother of her ex-fiance.

Swanson joined The Metro on Friday to discuss the project. As writer and director of the film, Swanson said she wanted to explore some serious themes, but in a comedic form.

“It’s almost like a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down-type of approach. So when you have someone who has great comedic timing — like Renée Elise Goldsberry, who’s the original Angelica Skylar from ‘Hamilton,’ — and then you match her up with the legendary Lynn Whitfield, most people are gonna walk away thinking I did not know Lynn Whitfield was just funny, but then the humor takes a serious turn,” she said. “So is equal parts hilarious and equal parts gut wrenching.”

More headlines from The Metro on Nov 8, 2024: 

• It’s Detroit Documenters Friday on The Metro. The Detroit Documenters play a crucial role in improving our access to public information. They’re at all the city’s public meetings, taking thorough notes on what local officials and community members are saying. Recently, they spent some time at a different kind of meeting than what’s normally on their docket. The meeting was part of University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions series. This one focused on community violence intervention. Detroit Documenter Perry Sylvester and Noah Kincade, coordinator for the Detroit Documenters, joined the show to tell us more.
• Starting a business can be tough especially if you aren’t familiar or understand how to get started. Some don’t have the connections that could support their growth. For the last three years Creator Con has stepped up to fill in the gaps. This year, the two-day conference will convene at the Cambria Hotel in Detroit. Attendees will learn about branding, the creative process, and more. Creator Con Founder Robert Courtney joined The Metro to share more about the event.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.