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By: ReniMV Valenzuela
The character of a nation cannot be far from the kind of movie it produces, watches and rewards with accolades.
On New Year's Day, I watched the movie Family Matters with my family and we liked it very much as we enjoyed every bit of it. There was no dull moment. It has depth. Everyone in the theater seemed to be in perpetual anticipation of what will happen next, and how might the story end. There were a few laughs in between and sometimes tears in the eyes.
I seldom appreciate a movie for its overall quality, but this one, for me, takes the awards if the awards were to be given based on correct criteria. Though, in fairness to the other Metro Manila Film Festival entries, I haven't seen any one of them. But having said that, it's a huge, huge wonder why Family Matters didn't win a single award except for Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award, whatever that award means. Worse, its actors and actresses didn't even get to be nominated when they performed so well and I thought they had very good chances of winning the best acting and best supporting acting awards as they are all natural before the camera, including the children.
Family Matters can be likened to the 1975 movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It was a light but poetic drama. There were no spectacular scenes and acting in the movie but it was aptly applauded in the Oscars as a runaway winner, having bagged 35 awards, including best picture, best actor and best actress. The only difference is that Family Matters lost, and lost big, during the MMFF awards night.
It's curious. Could there be manipulation or corruption among the festival's organizers/people?
Family Matters is an excellent drama movie without being excessively dramatic. It has profoundness in its story and script, and in the manner it was directed. The movie is intentional in teaching moral lessons and imbibing good values to its viewers. It is a drama about a fairly big family to which every Filipino family today can relate.
I liked the portions wherein some scenes would have evolved to transform the movie into a heavy drama flick, but each one was prevented from making the heavy drama happen because everyone involved in the squabble/fracas knew how to forgive.
The movie is a rebuke to the children who are uncaring to their elderly parents, to the busy parents who are irresponsible, and to the modern youths who are addicted to gadgets. The plot's heavy drama is left in the imagination of the viewers. Watch well every scene, listen intently to the words of the characters and fathom the message - and thus it is expected that one would leave the movie house a better child, a better father, a better parent, a better husband and wife and a better grandchild.
Actor Noel Trinidad's words rang a bell when he collected the phones and gadgets of every member of his entire family for a three-day special family bonding occasion: "In order to connect, you have to disconnect."
You lost, Family Matters, but cheer up! You won big in much greater aspects/categories, and in Heaven's eyes. You are the real winner.
Congratulations!
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