A Filipino film that mirrors the situation of many individuals leading a non-traditional family setup held its exclusive premiere night and showing at the SM City Baguio Cinema on March 25.
Joining members of the Baguio press and movie bloggers during the premiere of “Dearly Beloved” were the main cast themselves, award-winning actor Baron Geisler and Cristine Reyes and partner Marco Gumabao, together with director Marla Ancheta and scriptwriter Aileen Alcampado.
Ancheta said the film, which is rated PG (Parental Guidance), revolves around the story of couple Deo and Shel played by Geisler and Reyes who were previously married and had a family with other partners and have built a new family, bringing with them their children from the previous marriage together with their own children.
It showed how they cope with the unusual setup, how they navigated through the challenges and issues in building a family in an extraordinary setup, and how love helped them overcome the challenges.
It is a contemporary take on the iconic 1982 film “Relasyon” which starred seasoned actors Christopher de Leon and Vilma Santos.
Ancheta said the two films made more than 40 years apart present a theme that is very similar to the situation of many families then and nowadays, particularly blended ones, but which is not yet usually portrayed in movies.
“We were faithful in that sense that we are talking about this different kind of relationship na sabihin nating hindi masyadong napag-uusapan, which we retained in Dearly Beloved but giving it a modern take by presenting what is happening in present situations,” Ancheta said.
She said Baron and Reyes were the main choice as main cast for the movie and expressed confidence that the two actors were prepared and were able to portray the roles well along with the supporting cast.
Reyes, for her part,said her role is challenging for tackling the dynamics of a blended family which she never portrayed in her previous movies but can somewhat relate to the theme based on similar experience and from what she observed from the arrangements of people close to her.
Geisler said he hopes people would watch the film, though they may have different takeaways or thoughts about how the story evolved after watching the film.
The film according to Reyes may also enlighten, especially those who are unmarried, about responsibility and being prepared when they build a family, and for those who are in the situation, to value what they have andplacing utmost importance on the welfare of children when dealing with the same issues tackled in the film
Dearly Beloved opened in theaters on March 30. – Hanna C. Lacsamana
