The film "The Debut" was a very touching movie for me. It made me change my idea on Fil-Am stereotypes. I know some kids raised in the United States but born in the Philippines with Filipino roots and they were already colonized by the Western culture once they stepped on the foreign land. They act very different, and worst they talk very much different from us. I like the way Tirso Cruz and Gina Alajar struggled to raise their kids in America but still in a Filipino manner. In the film, Ben seemed to be stubborn, always running away from his culture, shouting on his parents and his sister. But in the end he embraced every aspect of a true Filipino family. I also appreciate how proud are they to show our traditions-practiced in the 18th birthday of Rose in a form of lechon (roasted pig) with an apple on its mouth, eating their food using disposable plastic cups, plates, spoon and fork. They had a dance number which is a folk dance, and a song number sung in tagalong. I was expecting a hip-hop dance number or a rap song number but they maintained what the family used to do when they're in the Philippines. Filipinos are also fond of family portraits, and in the film it was shown in three generations. A picture of Eddie Garcia (Lolo Carlos), Tirso Cruz (Roland Mercado) and Dante Basco (Ben Mercado). It also gave me an idea on how Filipinos live their life in the United Status. There are some who are trying hard to speak English, trying to be slang, while there are families who tried to keep their household very Filipino by keeping Filipino souvenirs displayed on their racks and hang on their walls, and still they can speak and understand Tagalog fluently.
Review of The Debut
