Just like real life

Film review: I’ll Be There

MANILA, Philippines - Star Cinema’s Father’s Day release I’ll Be There highlights the onscreen pairing of Gabby Concepcion and daughter KC. And while the studio may talk about the film standing on its own merits, the presence of Jericho Rosales — back on the big screen in a major studio release, and what have you; the fact remains that for most viewers, the conscious decision to watch the film will be spurred by the real-life drama surrounding Gabby and KC, and what the viewers will construe as movie dialogue substituting for true emotions and those that are left unsaid in real life, finally being exchanged as celluloid drama between the father and daughter. And let’s face it, that’s not a bad thing in itself. The film has to follow formula, sparks have to fly between the two, hurt and resolution given their fair share of the spotlight, and we have the requisite, and predictable, happy ending. So having said all that, it’s to the credit of director Maryo J. de Los Reyes, and the lead triumvirate of artists, that the film still manages to charm and entertain.

The film opens in NYC, where Maxie/Mina de la Serna (KC) is a budding fashion designer, given a break to open her own boutique, thanks to the patronage of a financier. She trusts her boyfriend to handle the financial end, and he dumps her by Post-it, leaving her in a quandary on how to complete the project, or at the very least, return the money. She’s lived in the USA for the past 15 years with her late mother. Her father abandoned them years ago to return to the Philippines, and it’s to Manila she flies to reconnect with dad, Poch de la Serna (Gabby), who owns and runs a small plantation and lambanog distillery. She proposes to either claim her share of the land, or get the cash equivalent. Poch, on the other hand, is more than happy to reunite with his long lost daughter, and the protracted battle of wills between the two, is complicated by the presence of single father, Tommy (Jericho Rosales), architect for the businesses and home of Poch.

While the film calls for KC to first play arrogant, hard as nails, “Noo Yawk bitchy” Maxie; the gradual transformation, the frailty of her emotions, and the fear of getting hurt by losing that hard edge, are all etched in her face, and this is a new, vastly improved KC in the for-movies acting department. Gabby plays charmer to the hilt, and it doesn’t matter whether he’s wooing a girlfriend, or in this case, an estranged daughter. The real nice, unexpected, bonus of a surprise is being reminded just how consummate an actor Jericho is. He’s such a natural, and the scenes with Echo are all testament to the fact, that while he may love the music scene, the movie and TV industry truly needs him, and he shouldn’t turn his back on his onscreen persona.

So while the film’s storyline may have its fair share of predictability, this is one of those films where the journey, the getting there, is what it’s all about. There is no expiry date or shelf life with fatherhood — and the film would suggest, that even if it’s been placed in the “freezer” for years, the father-child bond is truly a special one as well. Whether it’s the characters played by Gabby and KC, or those of Jericho and his onscreen son, the film is a celebration of fatherhood.