If you’re a Tagalog movie fan, most likely you watched One More Chance, one of the highest grossing films at the local box office in 2007.
After eight years, Popoy and Basha are back on the big screen in the sequel to that monster hit from StarCinema, the movie production arm of ABS-CBN. The film is called A Second Chance, which is another way of saying “one more chance,” right?
But, of course, Cathy Garcia-Molina, the director who helmed the first and her writers will not agree, and I fully understand why. After all, the majority of the fans of John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo will not mind watching another film with synonymous title to the first they had seen on screen.
The producers of the film claim Popoy and Basha and their real life actors Cruz and Alonzo have become icons of pop culture. Really? I didn’t know this, or maybe I didn’t even watch the first movie to be so clueless what they had become to a lot of Filipinos.
One More Chance, say the producers, influenced greatly the millenials’ perception of love as it is about Popy and Basha’s story about love and heartbreak. They recall lines like “Sana ako pa rin.” And “Ako na lang. Ako na lang ulit.” Or “She had me at my worst. You had me at my best…and you chose to break my heart.” They insist these are the beginnings of what the industry now call “hugot” lines.
Perhaps there’s truth to their claim that the characters melted the hearts of those who watched the first movie. The proof, they say, is in the box-office take of the film. That is also the reason Star Cinema was compelled to produce this sequel – to satisfy the thirst of the millions of movie fans that got hooked on One More Chance.
Garcia-Molina commissioned (or Star Cinema commissioned her and her writers) Carmi G. Raymundo and Vanessa R. Valdez to do a sequel-screenplay revolving around the Popoy-Basha tandem. It is seven years after their reconciliation, ergo the continuation of their story after they’ve given love one more chance.
This time, Garcia-Molina says, the film explores the intricacies and realities of married life, depicting the not everything is as peachy as Popoy and Basha thought it would be.
Popoy, in the sequel, is a failure, always struggling to keep his business afloat and his self esteem intact. Basha, meanwhile, is a docile housewife who has given up so much to keep her marriage work.
Garcia-Molina asks, “Does love remain the same even after people gave changed?
This is the premise of the sequel, I think, as even Cruz and Alonzo are wont to say there will still be “kilig” scenes as there will also be drama between the couple Popoy and Basha.
“In the end, we all deserve a second chance,” the two actors chime when asked if in real life they’d give anyone that hurt them another chance.
In the course of the story, Popoy and Basha face a myriad of challenges as a married couple. Basha contemplates on the reality that loving Popoy at his best is easy. But will she love him enough to stay with him even at his worst? So, how many chances will she give him?
That will be the question the fans of the screen tandem will wait when A Second Chance opens today in cinemas nationwide.
John Lloyd, Bea make surprise appearance in noontime show
Popoy and Basha, or John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo in real life, paid dropped by It’s Showtime and gave a kilig treat to the studio audience and those watching at home.
They sang the OPM classic “I’ll Never Go,” the theme song of their box-office hit movie One More Chance, with the madlang people in a grand karaoke session in “Singing Mo ‘To.”
Avid fans of their ultimate hugot movie will once again see Popoy (John Lloyd Cruz) and Basha (Bea Alonzo) on the big screen as the most-awaited sequel A Second Chance hits theaters today.
Meanwhile, also joining the kilig fest were Tommy Esguerra and Miho Nishida (ToMiho) who brought an early Christmas treat to the madlang people. Bailey May and Ylona Garcia (BaiLona) added sweetness to the studio as they sang songs dedicated to each other in a musical skit.
Don’t miss the fun and good vibes in It’s Showtime, Monday to Saturday on ABS-CBN.
★★★★★
Murder suspect escapes
The scenes get more thrilling in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano as Diego (Ping Medina), the suspect in killing Ador (Coco Martin), escapes from prison. This leads to an action-packed battle between Cardo (Coco Martin) and Tomas’ (Albert Martinez) men.
Diego is proven guilty and detained without bail for killing Cardo’s twin.
However, with the help and connections of Tomas, Diego flees from prison.
But as Cardo hears about the incident, he immediately chases Diego and his armed team and tries to stop them.
Meanwhile, having his own new mission, Onyok is set to go to school for the first time. At first, Onyok is hesitant to attend his class but with his Kuya Cardo’s command, he immediately complies.
FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano airs weeknights on ABS-CBN.
★★★★★
Peace laureate
Little Nanay star Nora Aunor, the country’s one and only superstar will be one of 19 laureates honored with the Gusi Peace Prize. La Aunor is the only one from the Philippines and she will be with distinguished ladies and gentlemen from 18 countries across the globe – from as far as the United States to neighboring countries Japan and Cambodia.
The awarding happens tonight at the Philippine International Convention Center, 6 p.m. with the former President of Seychelles, Sir James R. Mancham, as keynote speaker.
The Gusi Peace Prize International is the brainchild of Barry Gusi who claims he was a former honorary ambassador of Northern Marianas, although the Department of Foreign affairs said he was never appointed as one.
★★★★★
Parkmall not newly opened
This column apologizes to the owners of Parkmall in Cebu, which described it as a newly opened mall in the article that appeared in this paper on Sunday. Its public relations guy, Jayce Perlas FB-ed us requesting for correction. The mall has been operational since 2007. That was an oversight on our part.