One more Tanging Ina coming up?

Curtain-raisers:

• Some people don’t understand why Dolphy won Best Actor (for Fr. Jejemon) and Best Supporting Actor (Rosario) in the just-concluded Gabi ng Parangal of the ongoing Metro Filmfest. Simple: He did so for two different films. In the 2008 Oscars, Kate Winslet also won Best Actress (for The Reader) and Best Supporting Actress (Revolutionary Road). And why a Best Supporting Actor trophy for a virtual cameo (as Hesus, son of Rosario, narrator of the story) that lasted a few minutes on the screen? Simple: What matters is not the length of time an actor appears in a movie but the quality of his performance. Dame Judi Dench won an Oscar Best Supporting Actress award in 1989 for a very brief appearance (not even five minutes) in Elizabeth.

• Star Cinema/ABS-CBN missed a chance to gain media mileage from the Gabi ng Parangal by turning down the rights to its “live” coverage which went to GMA. Star Cinema’s three entries — the Kris Aquino starrer Dalaw; the 3D animated feature RPG: Metanoia; and Ang Tanging Ina Mo (Last Na ‘To), without “Rin” after “Ina,” contrary to what was written on the cue cards for the presenters, boo to whoever was at fault who also wrongly wrote “Magic Bibe” instead of “Golden Bibe” as the title of the Regal entry Super Inday and the Golden Bibe — figured prominently in the awards, so they could have played it up. Sayang. BFFs Ai-Ai delas Alas and Kris Aquino were supposed to host the ceremony but, according to reports, ABS-CBN pulled them out when management learned that it was GMA covering the event and they were replaced by Ruffa Gutierrez and her twin brothers Richard and Raymond.

• And here are the grosses so far of the eight Metro Filmfest entries:

• Second Day: 1) Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote, P25.7M; 2) Ang Tanging Ina Mo (Last Na ‘To), P17.8M; 3) Dalaw, P11.3M; 4) Shake, Rattle & Roll XII, P8.1M; 5) RPG: Metanoia, P4.8M; 6) Super Inday and the Golden Bibe, P3.1M; 7) Rosario, P2.3M; and 8) Fr. Jejemon, P1.0M.   

• Third Day: 1) Agimat, P18.)M; 2) Tanging Ina, P16.5M; 3) Dalaw, P9.3M; 4) Shake, P5.6M; 5) RPG, P3.5M; 6) Super Inday, P2.2M; 7) Rosario, P2.1M; and 8) Jejemon, P800,000.                                                

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The title of the fourth installment in the successful Star Cinema franchise says with finality — Ang Tanging Ina Mo (Last Na ‘To), following Ang Tanging Ina, Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat and Tanging Pamilya (which marked Pres. Erap Estrada’s movie comeback).

But with the success of the fourth (and last?) one at the tills (second only to top-grosser Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote) and at the awards night (Best Actress for Ai-Ai delas Alas, Best Director Wenn Deramas and Best Picture, etc.), I’m sure Star Cinema guys are having second thoughts about ending the franchise. Why kill the golden goose that continues to lay golden eggs?

In Funfare’s pre-filmfest interview, Ai-Ai said in passing that if Tanging Ina made money (as it did) in the Metro Filmfest, she could always change her mind and request Star Cinema for a fifth sequel — “After all, I am a woman and I am entitled to change my mind,” said Ai-Ai.

I was on the phone with Ai-Ai at presstime yesterday afternoon and we talked about that possibility. I suggested to Ai-Ai that, as Kris did with Dalaw, she should co-produce the next (if there will be one) Tanging Ina flick and call it Ang Tanging Ina N’yo sa Amerika (Talagang Last Na ‘To), still with Wenn as director.

I told Ai-Ai that she should play an ordinary single parent who wins round-trip tickets to the US for her and her kids. While there, wide-eyed like a promdi in the Universal Studios, Disneyland and other tourist spots, she will meet a Filipino old-timer (to be played by a senior actor based in the US) who offers her marriage and a chance to be a US citizen. But she will turn down the offer and come back with her kids because she loves Inang Bayan more than Uncle Sam. And, why not, she can get US-based actors (Muñoz brothers Carlo and Leandro, Michael de Mesa and her ex-lover Miguel Vera, among others) to do “guest” roles (as the movie fan Ina’s idols she will bump into in her California wanderings).

“Good idea,” agreed Ai-Ai. “Sige, I will credit to you the story idea.” (Oops! That’s on record huh. Hehehe!)

Easy to shoot, too.

“I can bring along my real kids at magbabakasyon na kami tuloy,” added Ai-Ai. “Maganda pang-Mother’s Day offering.”

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Little Asia on Sharon at Home

Little Asia manager Charlemagne Lim (in checkered shirt) and his brother Charlson (in chef attire) recently guested on Sharon Cuneta’s (in white) Sharon at Home to show the restaurant’s new dishes. Also present were the brothers’ mom Teresita Lim (in light blue) and Sharon’s children KC Concepcion (in yellow), Frankie (in dark blue) and Miel. Check out Little Asia’s new dishes at three outlets: Tomas Morato, Quezon City (telephone 410-4937); Promenade, Greenhills, San Juan City (727-5265); and Venice Piazza McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio (798-0354). For catering service, call 0917-8334223.

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