The first trailer and poster for Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black’s (Milk) directorial debut, Virginia, have gone online.  The film was originally titled What’s Wrong with Virginia? and screened at TIFF 2010 to scathing reviews.  Black went back into the editing room and retooled (and retitled) the film, and now the new cut is set to open next month.  The film stars Jennifer Connelly as a single mother who runs into a bit of trouble following a string of events: her longtime affair with the married Mormon Sheriff (Ed Harris) comes to an end as he decides to run for office, then her son (Harrison Gilbertson) starts having an affair with the Sheriff’s daughter (Emma Roberts).  Tonally and plot-wise, this trailer is kind of all over the place.  There are some good ideas throughout, but I’m unsure as to how Black coalesces everything into a cohesive story.  It’s no wonder that this was a tough one to put together, but hopefully Black’s new edit is superior to the previous cut.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster.  The film opens on May 18th and also stars Amy Madigan, Yeardley Smith, and Toby Jones.

Click over to Apple to watch in HD.

Here’s the synopsis for Virginia:

Written and directed by Dustin Lance Black (MILK), VIRGINIA stars Jennifer Connelly in the title role as a beautiful yet unhinged single mother who struggles to raise her son Emmett (Harrison Gilbertson) while dreaming of escaping her small Southern boardwalk town. Her long time affair with the very married, Mormon Sheriff Richard Tipton (Ed Harris) is thrown into question when he decides to run for public office. Things are further complicated when Emmett begins a romantic relationship with Tipton’s daughter (Emma Roberts). Virginia and the town—populated by Amy Madigan, Toby Jones, Yeardley Smith—are full of secrets and everyone knows Virginia can only keep things together for so long. VIRGINIA is a funny, touching drama that looks at the American Dream and what it takes to keep it together.