Sharon Cuneta, Alden Richards portrayals in ‘Family of Two’ hit the bullseye

There are two gifts that parents can give their children. One of them is roots, the other, wings. That fave motherhood quote of mine crossed my mind at the advance screening of “Family of Two” (FO2).

Topbilled by Sharon Cuneta and Alden Richards, the film is Cineko Productions’ entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival (opens on Dec. 25). Sharon plays Maricar, a single “superwo-mom” to her dutiful son, Matty (Alden).

Their heartfelt portrayals hit me bull’s-eye. Since I’m a single mom, I could not hold back my tears during the touching scenes. Alden said that doing the film made him recapture the joy of having his late mom around through Sharon. Spotted at the premiere were Jessica Soho, John Estrada, Ogie Alcasid, John Arcilla, Kiko Pangilinan and Coco Martin. FO2 shows that single parenthood doubles the joy.

Kiko (K), John E (JE) and John A (JA) share their thoughts on FO2:

K: The film is genuinely heartwarming and may kurot sa dibdib, ‘ika nga. Nakakatuwa. Nakakaiyak. Nakaka-inspire. It’s a beautiful story of parental love and filial piety. Kwento ng pagmamahal ng ina sa anak at pagmamahal din ng anak sa ina. Simple lang, pero tagos sa puso. Magaling!

Thankful for mom’s sacrifices

JE: The movie made me call my mom right away, and thank her for all her sacrifices and everything she did for me while I was growing up, My mom would always say when I was young na ‘di baleng s’ya ang ‘di kumain basta nakakain lang kami ng sisters ko.

I’m truly a mama’s boy. Mom’s love is unconditional. Naalala ko ang first movie date namin ng girlfriend ko, sumama pa talaga ang mom ko—I was so embarrassed! But now that I’m a parent, I understand why.

JA: It has a simple story, but hindi ka makaka-bitaw because of the magic of Sharon and Alden as mother and son. Their portrayals are spontaneous and free-flowing. The story is relatable because we all have mothers. Very Sharon si Maricar in the way that she loves to bring food on the set. Siya pa mismo ang nagluluto. Ibang klase si Shawie mag-asikaso sa coactors.Shawie calls me “Habby2,” because we played husband and wife in “Kuwaresma.” Before the movie started, Shawie said that maiiyak ka at magngingingit. That’s exactly what happened to me while watching their scenes together.

 

Vilma and Boyet’s reunion project

Vilma Santos could not make it to the grand press con of her MMFF movie with Christopher “Boyet” de Leon, “When I Met You in Tokyo” (WIMYIT) because she was not feeling well. But Ate Vi gamely joined via Zoom.

Someone of her stature could have begged off, but the Star for All Seasons stayed on for the whole media event. Even when she was “antokyo” (colloquial for sleepy) due to her condition, Ate Vi regaled us with her Tokyo stories and more.

According to producer Rajan Gidwani, the movie was first offered to Boyet. After reading the script, he said that Vilma would be perfect for the role of his love interest. And if Vi agreed to do the film, he’d be game. Then, the producer asked me if the younger generation will watch the film. I replied, “Ate Vi and Boyet are movie icons, so even if the Gen Z are not familiar with their immense body of work, they know who the two legends are. But having Darren Espanto and Cassy Legaspi in the cast is a plus factor to lure the “bagets” crowd.

It was so amusing when Boyet and Ate Vi were listing how many movies they have made together.

After four decades of their incredible onscreen chemistry, they have actually lost track. But what they will never lose is their mutual admiration and respect for each other.

In WIMYIT, Vilma and Boyet’s time-tested tandem is out to show that love is for general patronage. The heart does not get wrinkles, indeed.

Rave reviews for ‘Firefly’

Social media is abuzz with netizens clamoring for more cinemas for the MMFF entry, “Firefly.”

With the GMA Pictures- and GMA Public Affairs-produced film getting rave reviews from its special advance screening, more people are now eager to watch it on the big screen. And this is why they are questioning—and even complaining—about the limited number of cinema options for “Firefly.”

As one of those present at its preview, I must say that the endearing film is what we need to make us look away from our gadgets and rediscover the lost art of reading books and the pure joys that childhood stories can bring.