A Holy Week drama special, “God Gave Me You,” on “Eat Bulaga” last March 23 turned out to be a thespic showcase for Maine Mendoza, Alden Richards and guest star Jake Ejercito. So, how did they fare?
Despite their best and most earnest intentions, the drama’s young leads were foiled by its flawed scripting and overlush staging and performance style.
In the special, Jake is cast as a pilot who dies in an accident, causing extreme grief and loss in his loved ones—girlfriend Maine, best friend Alden, and dad Michael de Mesa.
For a time, their shared grief creates a healing bond between them—but it is soon revealed that Alden may have unintentionally had a hand in the accident—or inadvertently—“positioned” Jake for the accident to happen to him.
The scripting flow that drags most everybody down is the special’s predictable unfolding of events, which is exacerbated by relatively stereotypical characterization that relies on “type” and not on detailing specific motivations and pertinent and clarifying backstories. Also a drag is the production’s implied goal of enabling its young leads to show that they’re good actors, not just phenomenal faves.
Maine is given too many weepy and dolorously anguished scenes that turn out to reveal, not her thespic gift and depth, but her limitations, due to sheer extended repetition.
ALDEN Richards and Maine Mendoza win big at the Dabarkads Awards. Facebook
Jake comes off better, because less is expected of him.
For his part, Alden ends up as the special’s biggest loser, because he’s given the most to do and plumb as the story’s resident “flawed” hero.
Yes, he’s Jake’s best friend, but he’s taken much more than he’s given, causing his best buddy to “cover” for him too often.
Now, we’re usually in favor of imperfect characters, but to do justice to this one, Alden had to come up with a correspondingly “conflicted” and even occasionally “contradictory” portrayal—and this is precisely where he fell short. Instead of digging really deeply and insightfully into the textured character assigned to him, the actor simply and simplistically went on “tulala” (emotionally dazed) mode.
He expressed his grief and guilt in a long “aria”—without coming up with the conflicted emotions required.
Better scripting and direction could have helped him over the hump, but little of that was forthcoming. All told, therefore, the EB drama special was unsuccessful in firmly establishing Maine and Alden’s thespic credentials.
For that to happen, another dramatic showcase should soon be created, with better creative support. The follow-up showcase’s story should be more eventful and less reliant on long and “poetic” dialogue that bares its character’s deepest, darkest and most melodramatic emotions. Keep it active and brief, so the actors can perform naturally, instead of (phonily) “artistically”—with similarly believable and dynamic direction for good, “organic” measure!