And the Breadwinner Is… Heartfelt though Cliché

Report by Chino Brendon Tangonan | Layout by Mary Jane Cuevas

The movie And the Breadwinner Is... is a family comedy-drama film directed by Jun Robles Lana, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Daisy G. Cayanan and Jonathan "Jumbo" Albano. The film aims to serve as both a tribute to the underappreciated OFWs and breadwinners who selflessly sacrifice their ambitions to provide for their families and a call-out to idler family members who live off their breadwinner's remittances. While And the Breadwinner Is... effectively delivers an emotional experience for its viewers, it lacks on presenting a revolutionary perspective on the social issue it aims to address.

The story follows Bambi Salvador, a hardworking queer OFW in Taiwan who is also the breadwinner of her family in Pampanga. When she returns home expecting an intimate birthday party, she is instead surprised with the shocking revelation of her family's years-long deceit.

And the plot is…

The movie's plot is easy to comprehend; a mirror of the heartbreaking reality faced by Filipino breadwinners. The plot shows a relevant and painfully reoccurring scenario in almost every Filipino family which makes it very timely. However, it feels like a collection of Filipino family movie clichés sewn into one. Bambi's emotional scene with her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's, closely resembles Sasha's (Kris Aquino) reconciliation with her father Cesar (Ronaldo Valdez) in I Love You, Hater (2018). Similarly, several moments throughout the film feel reminiscent of other Filipino family films such 7 Sundays, Anak, and Four Sisters and a Wedding.

This does not imply that the plot was plagiarized, but rather that it follows the same path that many family movies have already taken. Despite this, the core message of the movie's plot remains powerful and relevant to Filipino society, as this situation really occurs. The film effectively sparks a question to the viewers: Does one really have to bear the full weight of financially supporting an entire family alone?

The movie's take on gender issues was also admirable as it presented "respect begets respect" in terms of acceptance for queer people. However, it failed to represent the unique struggles that queer breadwinners go through as part of the LGBTQ+ community. It failed to show what it really is like to be the gay breadwinner. Despite this, it was still remarkable how the film showed the importance of acceptance especially within family.

And the characters are…

Among all the characters, Bambi is the most well-developed. Her struggles and intentions are easy to comprehend, making her pain and resentment towards her family and herself deeply relatable. Throughout the film, she is exploited and disrespected despite her sacrifices for her family. When she finally expresses her pain and frustration, she is accused of guilt-tripping—a common occurrence with breadwinners.

Meanwhile, the way the supporting characters are written was lacking. Baby's, the eldest sibling, abandonment of her responsibilities with their family was pivotal to the plot as it was its foundation. The movie fell short in presenting a visual portrayal of this particular scene; hence, it failed to adequately explain the gravity of what caused her to run away or why she chose to return. Exploring this could have added more depth to Baby's character and made her more sympathetic to the viewers.

Biboy suffers from the same lack in terms of writing. His clear neglect and failure to keep the family alive financially as the eldest sibling left at home goes unexplained. This made his character very unlikeable, painting him as a shallow figure.

On the other hand, Boy's character was one that's truly evocative. His apparent ungratefulness was revealed to be coming from a place of fear. He was seeing his reflection in Bambi—unthanked, self-sacrificing, and burdened—which fueled his fear of ending up just like her. His identity as a closeted gay man also adds depth to his fear, given the cultural stigma suggesting that LGBTQ+ individuals must care for their families since they are unlikely to start their own.

Buneng's character, stuck between childhood and adulthood as her family crumbles, was also a believable reflection of how young people cope while their family is falling apart.

And the script is…

The movie's script was well-utilized in conveying its message, particularly through gut-wrenching dialogue. Bambi's emotionally charged monologue was truly powerful, with lines like: "Akala ko breadwinner ako, pero bakit talunan ako?" This raw line is enough to encapsulate the whole emotional weight that the film was carrying. Another line, "Hindi ako pwedeng magpahinga, dapat tuloy-tuloy!" may lack complexity in creativity, but in its simplicity, it was enough to represent the lives of burnt-out breadwinners. The metaphor comparing breadwinners to an alkansya (piggy bank) was truly ingenious as well. The alkansya metaphor presented breadwinners as something that once broken, they become "useless". It mirrored a heartbreaking yet accurate reflection of how breadwinners are usually viewed by their families.

However, the balance between comedy and drama in the film was inconsistent. Some comedic moments felt forced, relying on cheap jokes and degrading puns that clashed with the film's emotional tone. Furthermore, the pacing of certain dramatic moments felt off, particularly the delayed confrontation scene. It would have been more realistic if the confrontation had occurred right after Bambi discovered her family's betrayal. When the confrontation finally happened, it was emotionally powerful but slightly forced. The scene attempted to give every character their "moment" to speak, stretching it too long, making the scene feel staged rather than organic. However, that doesn't take away from the emotional weight that it delivered through its dialogue, paired with the actors' and actresses' immaculate performances. It was truly iconic to witness, especially with Vice Ganda doing heavy drama.

And the casting is…

The casting choices were outstanding. Vice Ganda as Bambi proved her versatility, balancing both comedy and intense drama. Her emotional delivery during the confrontation scene carried much of the film's weight. She was able to deliver the emotional baggage that Bambi was carrying, while giving us classic Meme laughable scenes despite the movie's poor taste in comedy. She truly is the highlight of this film. Eugene Domingo, despite limited material for her character, especially in writing, delivered a heartfelt performance as Baby, conveying pain with subtlety in her limited screen time. Jhong Hilario and Gladys Reyes were well-suited as the husband and wife, while Kokoy de Santos stood out as Boy, portraying the fear and vulnerability of a closeted young man with nuance. Maris Racal and Anthony Jennings also added charm with their undeniable chemistry during the film's kilig moments.

And the technicality is…

The movie was technically impressive in certain aspects. The lighting was well done, reflecting the narrative's emotional tone. The cinematography was well-executed too, with smooth panning and thoughtful camera angles. The highlight of the movie was the bold decision to film the 14-minute confrontation scene in a single, uninterrupted take. This choice benefited and highlighted the raw emotions of the scene and made the audience feel as if they were inside the Salvador home, witnessing the argument firsthand. However, the single-take approach had limitations—it couldn't capture the full range of every character's facial expressions and body language, which are crucial in the delivery of this particular scene. Still, they were able to decently deliver the height and weight of this climax, of course, with excellent performances from the cast. The musical scoring was another strength of this film, amplifying its emotional impact. The use of SB19's "MaPa" during that specific scene was particularly effective, adding a layer of creativity and depth to the film's emotional climax.

And the moral lesson is...

The film succeeds in delivering a heartfelt message, especially through its emotional resonance with Filipino breadwinners. Its portrayal of family dynamics and financial struggles is highly relatable for Filipino audiences, as it reflects the lived experiences of many. The depiction of how familial betrayal adds layers of burden to the emotional exhaustion and baggage that breadwinners carry was truly eye-opening. This was truly the beating heart of this movie

Overall, And the Breadwinner Is... successfully mirrors the heartbreaking reality of breadwinners, both abroad and locally. However, its reliance on cliché tropes and underdeveloped subplots prevented it from being truly groundbreaking. It was just not ambitious enough. The film's emotional core driven by strong performances is its true asset. To elevate the film further, the plot could have explored more of Bambi's struggles abroad, and her homecoming could have been where the —climax— confrontation scene happened. In the movie, the plot took a downturn after she arrived back home because it was forced to be stretched before giving the grand burst-out of the main character towards the near end.

Additionally, a smoother transition between comedy and drama could have created a more cohesive narrative. Also, the movie could elicit laughter from its viewers without resorting to insensitive jokes, had it been well-written. Despite these issues, the film remains very appealing, making it a meaningful watch for Filipino families. The film's value still depends on the intention of the viewers in watching because the movie did great in translating an entertaining and deeply emotional plot while being a typical story. Then again, typical is not necessarily a negative here if looked from a perspective that this issue is something that must be tackled more, making it truly relevant and provocative to viewers.