‘Buddy’ stars Michael de Mesa, Elisse Joson share lessons on parenthood

MANILA, Philippines — Erwin “direk Lucky” Blanco’s family comedy-drama “Buddy” feels like a super early Father’s Day offering.

The film puts fathers — and what makes their relationships with their children unique — at the center of a story that’s both funny and familiar to many Filipino families.

In a recent interview with The STAR, cast members Michael de Mesa and Elisse Joson, who play a father and his only daughter in “Buddy,” shared perspectives on parenthood that one can glean from the MAVX Productions, Inc. film.

Michael portrays Jojo, a retired seaman and widower who travels to Finland with his best buddy Ben (Benjie Paras) to make up for lost time with his now-grown children (EA Guzman, Elisse and Elijah Canlas) after years of working overseas. (Cast also includes Empoy Marquez and Shaira Diaz.)

Life appears to be treating the children well, as successful OFWs themselves just like their father. But Jojo soon discovers that it’s all a pretense. His kids have been masking deep-seated problems while living, ironically, in the “happiest country in the world.” And it turns out, he’s the last person to know, with Ben, their godfather and father figure growing up, being more privy to their struggles than their own parent.

‘Buddy’ stars Michael as a retired OFW who wants to make up for lost time with his now-OFW children (Elisse, Elijah Canlas and EA Guzman) by visiting them in Helsinki, Finland with his best buddy Ben (Benjie Paras).

The film leaves you thinking about how the most well-intentioned sacrifices still come at a cost. Especially when they mean prolonged absence, something is inevitably lost along the way. But perhaps, the biggest takeaway is that families still hold the power to resolve their own issues, with or without a “buddy” coming in to help.

Asked by The STAR how he himself related to the story, Michael said, “More of... a father will do everything for his children, especially for his children’s future.”

He continued, “In this movie, we show that the good intentions of what the father’s responsibility is, pero meron pala siyang consequences and that the realization comes later on.

“Despite the sacrifice, meron siyang consequence na nasaktan mo pala yung mga iniwan mo. Dahil sa nag-sakripisyo ka, hindi mo na-realize na meron kang mga napabayaan.

“(Like) meron kang hindi na-attendan na mga moments na importante sa kanila. Para sa ‘yo, you are doing your job, pero hindi mo naisip na ano yung mahalaga sa kanila.”

He pointed to Ben’s role in the family as an example of how an emotional gap developed between Jojo and his kids due to years of not being physically present.

“Siya yung palaging nandun eh… siya na yung tumatayo na parang ama… Kasi kung nandun naman ako, hindi naman manyayari yan,” Michael added, speaking from his character’s point of view.

On the other hand, Elisse as the character Abby sees another message in “Buddy,” which is learning to appreciate the unseen sacrifices fathers make.

“Malaki din ang sakripisyo na ginagawa nila para sa pamilya. And it’s not always — it’s not every day that we thank them. Kaya maganda rin na napanood natin ‘to. Kasi nakikita natin how much they really love and sacrifice and how much they give for the family,” she said.

As a mother now herself, Elisse got to reflect on the value of nurturing her own daughter’s relationship with her father, regardless of what has had happened between the adults.

“I will never speak bad about the dad when it comes to my daughter. Masaya ako na meron silang relationship na strong. They love each other. Ang anak ko sobrang lapit niya sa tatay niya eh. So, I’m happy to see that,” she said.

And Elisse wants to protect that bond, stressing: “Kasi yung bata naman, always naman, whatever happens with the parents, wala namang kinalaman yung mga bata.”

When asked about the possibility of reconciliation with her ex-partner McCoy de Leon, Elisse brought the discussion back to continuing to fulfill their roles as mother and father despite their current situation.

“Being a mom and dad, yun ang pinaka-importante for our kids,” she said. “Pagdating sa bata, we really (sit down and) talk.”

Although “Buddy” explores family issues, particularly in the context of OFWs, it makes ample room for humor, much of it bursting from the friendship between Jojo and Ben, as well as Empoy’s character, Abby’s bestfriend/best buddy who secretly harbors romantic feelings for her.

Michael shared that he and Benjie had never worked together on a movie before this project, despite the easy rapport they display onscreen.

“Benjie and I, we’ve never really worked together before. This is our first movie together. I only requested for one dinner before we started shooting. But you can tell na parang ang tagal-tagal na tayo (friends)... So, I guess, we have chemistry,” he quipped.

Asked how much of their banter was ad-libbed, he revealed, “A lot! Lalo na si Benjie. A lot of improvisations.”

Helmed by MAVX producer Lucky in his feature directorial debut and filmed in Helsinski, Finland, “Buddy” is still showing in cinemas nationwide.