Seasoned screen actress Sylvia Sanchez stars opposite former senator Jinggoy Estrada in the latter’s comeback movie, Coming Home, a heartwarming story about family, reconciliation, and redemption.
Touted as the perfect Mother’s Day/Father’s Day offering because of its focus on core Filipino family values, the lead stars play husband and wife—the pivotal characters in the inspiring family drama.
“This is the kind of film that I would want my family to watch. The lesson that the film wanted to convey, on my perspective, is that even if you’re a part of a broken family dapat magsumikap ka sa buhay. Being part of a broken home gives you a better reason to change your life. Dapat nga na mas magsumikap ka sa buhay at sa personal mong buhay kasi you know how hard it is to be part of an incomplete home,” Sylvia told Manila Standard in an interview.
Joining Sylvia and Jinggoy is Ariella Arida who is making her silver screen debut. She plays the reluctant mistress whose own family issues put her relationship to the test when faced with a moral dilemma.
Coming Home also features a formidable ensemble led by award-winning actors Martin del Rosario and Edgar Allan Guzman, Jake Ejercito, Shaira Diaz, Vin Abrenica, Janna Agoncillo, and Julian Estrada, together with Smokey Manaloto, Samantha Lopez, Almira Muhlach, Luis Hontiveros, Alvin Anson, Chanel Morales, and Orlan Wamar, with the special participation of Geneva Cruz.
Line produced by ALV Films and produced Maverick Films, Coming Home is directed by Adolfo Alix, Jr., with screenplay by Gina Marissa Tagasa. The award-winning director also penned the story’s initial concept.
Coming Home tackles the complex dynamics of a Filipino family dealing with issues and challenges that threaten to tear it apart, but eventually brought together, in the end, thanks to the prevailing power of love, forgiveness, and redemption.
The story revolves around the triumphs and travails of Benedicto “Benny” Librada (Jinggoy) who rises from his humble beginnings to further his studies and eventually provides for his family’s brighter future as he works as an OFW in Qatar.
But even the toughest and most loyal patriarchs can stumble and succumb to temptation.
Away from family and caught at his most vulnerable moment, Benny soon finds himself smitten by the charm of Mercy Dungca (Ara Arida), a registered nurse working in a Qatar hospital, who eventually ends up as Benny’s “reluctant mistress.”
Through all her family’s turbulent storms, Salve Librada (Sylvia) threshes out her role as martyr wife to the hilt—maxing her strength and sacrificing her own interests just to keep her family together, and even doing her best to conceal her terminal illness until it’s too late.
Adding more color to the compelling family drama are the equally intricate relationships the Librada siblings Ned (EA Guzman), Yuri (Martin del Rosario), Enji (Jake Ejercito) and Sally (Shaira Diaz) get embroiled in.
Inspired in part by true-to-life events, Coming Home climaxes with a heartwrenching twist that will surely leave viewers in tears, as it brings to fore the indomitable Filipino family spirit, tempered by faith and forgiveness.
It’s a timely silver screen comeback for the former senator who bagged the FAMAS Best Actor award for his role in Katas ng Saudi (2007), which also won Best Picture that same year.
During the movie’s story conference held last Jan. 14 at Discovery Suites, Ortigas Center, Estrada expressed his excitement about working with a dynamic cast and crew.
“I’m very excited about working alongside all these very good actors and actresses, and above all, of course, I feel inspired by this heartwarming story about the triumphs of the typical Filipino family. That’s something that always reflects our core values,” he points out.
For his part, Coming Home line producer ALV Films producer Arnold Vegafria is greatly excited about the movie’s star power and box-office potential.
“I’m confident that our family pic will be a worthy summer offering for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, because it’s a story that resonates strongly with Filipino viewers, and of course, because of our great cast and production team,” he says.
Coming Home opens in major local cinemas this summer.