MAQUINTO, Zymon Andrew M.

JD3 - Wills and Succession

“Laughter in Paradise”

The film Laughter in Paradise features a fictional case of wills and succession.
From its plot, it can be recalled that an imaginary estate is the stem of the storyboard
where the surviving relatives would have to fulfill with some conditions which would
perfect their entitlement to the fortune left by Henry Russell. Essentially, the estate will
be given to them provided they first perform prescribed tasks that are completely
contrary to their natures. The characterization of each surviving relative would imply that
it would be very burdensome for each of them to challenge their personality and nature,
so that will of Henry may be realized. Towards the end of the film, they learned that their
individual journeys have all been just part of a transformation because there is in fact no
estate or money and the whole exercise was Henry's last practical joke.

One personal takeaway I have for this film is that a will or testament is not just an
instrument that would establish how the property of someone who died would be
distributed. It can also be a reflection of the life and character of a testator, particularly
for Henry Russell who even remained to give people a good laugh even after he
entered our common concept of “paradise”. I also appreciated that a will or testament is
not just about money, but it also includes instructions or guidelines that may help the
survivors have direction and appreciation about life and the real “fortune”. Sometimes, a
will or testament leaves the survivors having ill feelings between and among each other
particularly if there is an instruction which they think is prejudicial to their interest, but it
would never be the intention of the testator. After all, the personal wish of the one who
left this world is for their loved ones to have a fruitful and meaningful lives while they are
still alive.