Ang Tanging Ina

It’s almost Christmas and people will soon fill the cinemas as participating movies for the year’s Metro Manila Film Festival will be shown. I think one of the anticipated movies for the festival is the third sequel of “Ang Tanging Ina” series, supposedly the last (but I don’t believe it will be). The first movie, released last 2003, was followed only last 2008, and then now. Well, let’s take a look at the plots of these movies.

Ang Tanging Ina

Three dead husbands and twelve children to take care of. What is the modern day working mother to do? Ina Montecilio is completely clueless on how to be an income provider and a homemaker at the same time given her dwindling finances of her household. As she desperately hides from her children her efforts to make all ends meet, her children grow resentful of her as she becomes a part of their own problems, but it seems that her best is never good enough. Funnily yet, Ina rallies her cause with all the courage she can muster – to be the best mother she knows how.

Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat

With the one, big, happy family that she has, any woman would admire Ina Montecilio as the embodiment of a perfect mother. But after more than 30 years of doing everything for her family, she realizes she hasn’t done anything for herself. Ina then embarks on a journey of finding her self-worth that surprisingly lands her as the President of the Philippines!

Ina revolutionizes Philippine politics by running the country not as a serious and an uptight leader but as a hilarious and caring mother. Because of this, she gained the trust and the support of the Filipino people. But just as she starts to become the president that everyone loves, she also changes and becomes the mother that her children hate. In the end, Ina has to make the hardest choice of her life – becoming the mother of the nation or becoming the mother of her own children.

Ang Tanging Ina Mo (Last na ‘To!)

After stepping down, former president Ina Montecilio became a prominent public figure even though she lives a peaceful life and reunites with her children. She also discovers that she has a rare sickness.

I have watched the two films before. They were really funny and comic. In the first movie, I remember the deaths of Ina’s husband and her job applications; those were the funniest for me. In the 2008 movie, Ina’s quotes were very memorable: “Ako ang nagsaing, iba ang kumain dahil on diet ako,” “Ang taong nagigipit sa Bombay kumakapit,” and “Constant practice makes perfect; but then again, nobody’s perfect, so why practice?”. Remember them? LOL! The movies are really entertaining, though it is not my most favorite nor the best comedy film for me ( “Kimidora” is way more hilarious). But what makes this series very special and charming to the audience is its message – mothers will sacrifice everything for the good of their children. The theme was not expressed in drama form which only attracts a certain genre of audience; instead, it was in comic form, scenes are sometimes impossible or way too exaggerated, which made it more effective, current, and relevant. In simpler words, the movies entertain and educate at the same time.

Just a fact – the two sequels are the country’s top-grossing films on the year they were shown, beating numerous Hollywood blockbusters. “Tanging Ina” was number one movie in 2003, and “Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat” in 2008. The two currently ranks 6th and 3rd, respectively, in terms of all-time blockbuster films in the Philippines. However, the others, namely: “You Changed My Life (2009)”, “Sukob (2006)”, “Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (2006–2007)” and “A Very Special Love (2008)”, respectively, though earned tremendously, were defeated by foreign films as number movie for those particular years.

Now, isn’t that interesting? Hopefully the final sequel will be as big as the first two, and will be as great. Let’s wait and see.

Credits:

wikipedia.com