Camille M.

Marasigan

200810182

B.s. Nursing 3 – 2

September 7, 2010

World Civilization

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Ded na si Lolo’

The movie ded na si lolo was directed by Soxy Topacio who make us
laugh out loud, and tug some heartstrings in this movie. The setting was in the
residence of one typical Filipino family who showed us how they coped with the
death and the wake of their father. This family knew different superstitious beliefs
that surround death, the wake and the funeral practices. Their family was not
considered perfect but they still keep the good relationship among the family
members. They are family of vendors who had an overwhelming reaction about
their father. This movie is very realistic because in the real life this situation is
always seen.

Without the excellent casts this movie wouldn’t be this interesting and
amazing. Director Topacio had a right choice that he had these veteran actors
and actresses. Tony Cruz plays the role of Lolo Juanito. He is a very brave man
who allows to put himself inside the coffin which I think some people were not
brave enough to do that so. He has two wives and six offspring, one on his first
wife and five on his second wife.

Dick Israel who plays the role of the eldest sibling, Syano made this movie
funny and worth watching for. He is the only one who knows the biggest secret of
their family which is the fact that they we’re the second family of their father. He
keep the good relationship among his siblings since they do not have a parents
anymore.

Ms. Elizabeth Oropesa who plays the role of the second child, Dolores
was very much emotional. It was so happened that she had a big
misunderstanding to her father. Dolores felt that she was not loved by his father
because his father is always absent on her birthday. Later on she will just knew
the reason why it is so.

Ms. Gina Alajar plays the role of Mameng, who is the one taking care of
Lolo Juanito. Lolo Juanito let Mameng stay in their ancestral house. Mameng is
married to Mr. Froilan Sales who plays the role of Domeng. He is the one who
joined Lolo Juanito in the funeral house. He is also the one who arranged things
from the hospital to the funeral house up to the wake of their father in their
house. They had a child named Jimmy which is played by Mr. Ranier Castillio.
Jimmy was gay which was only discovered by his uncle Junee. Later on in the
story Jimmy will show to her mother that he really is a gay. His uncle Junee
promised Mameng that he will guide his nephew to be a productive and
responsible in spite of the situation.
 Ms. Manilyn Reynes plays the role of Charing. She is a very talkative but
responsible mother and wife. She is married to Mr. Richard Quan who plays the
role of Kiko. He is a very hardworking father that even during the wake of his
father-in-law he has to work for his family. They had two children named Lucring
and Bobet. Lucring was played by the very young actress Iren Liel Escaño. She
was in high school this time. Lucring was a kikay girl who always corrects her
mother about her name. She wants to be called Lucy rather than her real name
Lucring. She always has with her, her makeup kit and comb to fix her. The other
one is Bobet an elementary student, who was played by the very good child star
Bj Forbes. He was very obedient child who is always in demand every time
someone in the family members had loss of consciousness. He had a cotton
balls with ammonia in his pocket to act as Boy Scout every time needed.
Ammonia is a solution that helps the person to be conscious especially in times
of shock.

Mr. Roderick Paulate plays with his flamboyant role as the gay son named
Junee. He works as entertainer in a comedy bar. He steals all his scenes, even
when he does not have dialog. Junee is very irritable hearing those belief which
he think is not true. Roderick Paulate made this movie very interesting, funny and
worth watching for, who made his audience laugh every time he had a scene. For
me, Mr. Paulate must receive an award for this big and one of his best
performing movie. Junee had two gay friends played by Diego and Phil Noble.

Ms. Perla Bautista named Pillar in the movie is the first wife of Lolo
Juanito. She had one child with him. She was a very understanding, considerate
and helpful women that she even helped the second family of his husband.
Syano, the eldest child narrates that Aling Pillar, is the one who helped them
every time they do not have money to pay for their tuition fee. She is also the one
who give the money for the funeral services.
 Mosang plays the role of Kapitana, who leads the community in helping
the whole family in facing this difficult problem. She is also the one that leads in
the funeral proper.

Noel Cabangon is the one who sang during the wake of Lolo Juanito to
comfort the family and visitor and of course as a sign of respect and sadness for
what happened.

Their interactions among the cast are quite carefree and natural, in both
funny and dramatic situations. That is why this movie was successful and
received a lot of awards.

The movie starts with the morning ceremony of Charing, who always
starts the morning with a loud voice to wake up her family until her niece went
into their house to give her the bad news. After hearing the bad news she had an
overwhelming reaction with what happened that is why she had loss her
consciousness for a minute. After some time when she was already stable, she
prepares herself and went in the wake of his father. Upon entering the house she
called her ate Mameng who is busy cleaning the house. They emotionally
embraced each other for comfort. After some time the other siblings came into
their house. After a long time of waiting for their father finally he came along with
Domeng who organized every thin in the hospital and in funeral homes and
Kapitana who leads the community.

The coffin entered the house through the large window because of small
space in the door area. Upon entering the house the family had a difficulty in
arranging the coffin because of the different belief that their family are following
such as “hindi dapat nakatapat sa pinto at bintana ang kabaong”.
 After that Dolores the second child have five, one hundred peso bill and
placed it on her father’s hand. Which later on, they will be keeping that bill
because of the superstitious belief of the old that it was a good luck for a
business as well as to the person keeping it. They also place a rosary in the
hands of their father which was believed that it must be cut so that the death in
the family was also cut.

Bobet place a chick above the coffin but Lucring advised Bobet to remove
that chick because she said that chicks were only placed above the coffin of
those who were killed by somebody.

Junee came in the wake of his father wearing his red long gown. The
other sibling got angry with Junee because of his colored outfit. The family
believed that the family members of the dead shouldn’t be wearing color red
outfit, because this color symbolizes joy which was not appropriate in the given
situation.

During the wake, the family should not take a bath at their house. At the
same time the family member should not accompany his or her visitor to go
outside of their house. It is so because of the bad luck that might come in their
family.

During the wake of their father, Aling Pillar came in their house and Syano
welcome her. Other siblings are asking who she really is until finally Syano
revealed the biggest secret of their family. The four other siblings don’t have
difficulty accepting instead they treat them very well. This is also the time when
Dolores knew why her father was not always there during her birthday. Aling
Pillar explained it to Dolores very well. After that, Dolores asks for the
forgiveness of her father as she had a misinterpretation of how her father treats
her as a child.

“Bawal din matuluan ng luha ang patay”, this is also one of the beliefs of
the Filipino nation. The other superstitious belief that has been shown is the
breaking of the pot along with the carrying of the coffin.

While in the burial procession somebody throws his coins because he

believed that it was a good luck for him and for his business. He believed that he
would have a lot of money after that.

In the burial ceremony proper, they let the child family member to cross
over the coffin as a sign or respect to the dead and so that the dead will no
longer visit the child.

The traditional “saklaan” was also seen in this movie. Which most of us
Filipinos does it in the wake of our relative as other source of money for the
expenses of the funeral services. it can really help the families even though it
was not that good.

This movie has shown a lot of superstitious belief of the Filipino

community with regards to death, wake and funeral services. Which when you
think of it all you can say is that “wala namang mawawala kung sususnod na
lamang ako “. And for me these superstitious beliefs are one of the things that
make our country interesting and different with the other country. This movie
helped a lot of people to understand these beliefs that somehow we really didn’t
know the connection or the reasons behind it.

Indeed a lot of people are practicing some of this superstitious belief yet
they do not even know the purpose or reason of doing so. I think this movie is
dedicated to the elders who give us or influenced us with regards to this beliefs.

All in all I enjoyed watching this movie. It was not only funny, interesting
but it is very educational and worth watching for, for us teenagers because I
know most of us didn’t know the reasons behind every superstitious belief that
we are practicing. As time passes by, this superstitious beliefs are somewhat
forgotten but with the help of this movie it refreshed our minds and reminds us
that this beliefs must still be practiced. And this movie gives importance to this
information which was provided by the elders.