Donny Pangilinan pays tribute to late grandmother in new movie

Donny Pangilinan as Seth

Actress Maricel Laxa said that it was while shooting the climatic ending of Prime Cruz’s movie “GG” with son Donny Pangilinan that she realized her son is indeed “a gifted actor.”

The scene features an extremely emotional hug between the mother and son characters, Iya and Seth. “That was the scene where I forgot most of my lines, but I was amazed at Donny because he was very much in the moment. That’s when I realized that he’s really good. Nasabayan pala n’ya ako (He was able to match my performance). Mayroong pinagmanahan (He takes after me)!” Maricel told reporters during a short Q&A after the barkada esports-themed movie premiered at SM Megamall on Tuesday night.

“I was really close to my late grandmother. She passed away a couple of years ago. She was all I could think of while doing the scene. Prior to that hug with my mom, we didn’t speak to each other the whole day because we knew that we would be doing an emotional scene. That’s where I really let my feelings out. That was for Mamang,” recalled Donny.

Maricel Laxa as Iya

‘Surreal experience’

The film, which also features Baron Geisler, Gold Aceron, Iggy Boy Flores and Johannes Rissler in the main cast, has been screening in theaters nationwide since Jan. 24. “GG,” which means “good game,” centers on Seth, an aspiring gamer who immerses himself in the world of video games while navigating the various challenges within his own family.

Both Donny and Maricel said on Tuesday night that it was their first time to watch the film in full. “It’s such a surreal experience to see it with all the music and VFX. I’m so proud of the team and everything they’ve gone through. It wasn’t an easy ride. I’m so happy that the people who watched it with me enjoyed the movie, as well,” said Donny.

Behind the scene of an extremely emotional sequence where Donny paid tribute to his late grandmother. —PHOTOS FROM GG THE MOVIE/FACEBOOK

“I can’t believe that we’ve finally arrived at this time when we’re already screening the film. More than anything, I’m excited to know what viewers will say about it, and what they will feel while watching. I hope that we’ll all pick something good from the story and eventually share with people we care about,” added Maricel.

Baron, who played Seth’s gaming coach Kurt, agreed. “This is something that we Filipinos can be proud of. Aside from the scenes that will educate us about the world of gaming, there’s also the story between a son and his mother that tugged at my heartstrings. Donny and Maricel did an amazing job. For sure, a lot of people will feel inspired by this,” he said.

Inspiration

Prime, who revealed that he once tried to be a video gamer, said the film was actually inspired by the stories of his gaming teammates. “The most important character here, Seth, is actually my own brother,” added Prime, who cowrote the story with Donny’s sister Hannah.

Pangilinan (third from left) with main cast: Iggy Boy Flores (left), Gold Aceron, Baron Geisler,Kaleb Ong and Johannes Rissler

After watching the film on the big screen for the first time, Prime said he was very impressed with his cast. “Ms. Maricel, Donny and his dad Anthony were very involved in the casting process, so it was really a team effort. I appreciate all of them now. When I was still editing it, there were parts that I had wanted to cut because, technically, they’re considered narrative excess, but the performances—even from the minor cast—were so moving that I decided to keep them. I’m so glad I did, based on the outcome.”

He said working with the real-life mother and son was a gift. “What an experience! A lot of times, their script would have revisions on the day of the shoot itself, but this wasn’t a problem to them. Give them the script and in five minutes, they’re game!” he recalled.

Aside from the other members of the Pangilinan family, also present during the premiere were Donny’s uncle Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, costars Boots Anson-Roa, John Arcilla, Kaleb Ong, along with industry friends like Belle Mariano, Andrea Brillantes, Jeremiah Lisbo and Edward Barber. “GG” is a coproduction of Mediaworks, Cignal Entertainment and Create Cinema.