yup thanks to all who positively reviewed the movie......
nakatulong kayo ng malaki para sa tagumpay sa box-office ng
catch me i'm in love.....................................
Love in the Time of Community Immersion
Written by: Ruivivar , Patmei Bello-
Tuesday, 05 April 2011
THIS should have been the movie they entitled “You Changed
My Life” because clearly when an American-educated, bratty only
son of a Philippine President goes to Cauayan, Isabela for an
“immersion” and gets transformed so profoundly that it also alters
his mind on the kind of woman who should be worthy of his attention
and affection, that is definitely a life-changing experience. And when
that presidential son falls for a middle-class NGO worker from
Caloocan who has been “single since birth,” surely that womanʼs life
would never be the same again. For one, the entire Filipino people
get to make commentaries on her lovelife — in real time, no less.
” But they called the movie “Catch Me…Iʼm In Love” instead
because “You Changed My Life” was already that box-office hit
movie of Sarah Geronimo with John Lloyd Cruz. Thatʼs probably
why there were several scenes in the movie
where Sarah and Gerald Anderson had to
literally fall and be caught — to justify the
movie title.
” Yes, I watched the Sarah and Gerald
movie with my mom on its second week last
Sunday. And we both really enjoyed it. We
are now certified fans of the new love team
who had more onscreen chemistry with each
other than they ever had with their previous
partners (John Lloyd Cruz for Sarah and Kim
Chiu for Gerald). Sarah and Gerald really
sold the story to us. They had us convinced.
And to think I actually worked in Malacañang
and had been up close and personal with
Philippine Presidents and their children.
Having a Presidentʼs son fall in love with an
NGO worker is not really that far-fetched, if
you come to think of it. Actually, it makes
more sense that I wonder why it doesnʼt
happen all the time. Oh, wait, we never had
a President like Christopher De Leonʼs
character, thatʼs why. Just imagine how
different PNoy would have been had Cory
Aquino sent her only son to live in a rural
community more remote than Tarlac with an
NGO worker who was as inspiring and
charming as Sarahʼs character in the movie.
” This got me thinking. Most children of
powerful politicians resent their parentsʼ role
as public servants because that made them absent fathers/mothers.
As a consequence, these politiciansʼ kids grow up either shunning
any kind of community involvement or having a sense of entitlement
and abusing their privileged position as a form of revenge against
the country. That is why a community immersion program facilitated
by an enlightened, committed, and attractive person from the
opposite sex of the same age could be an effective strategy to bring
about their “Aha!” moment. Maybe it would be a worthwhile project
for the Congressional spouses or the National Youth Commission. In
a system where political dynasty is the norm, perhaps it would be
wise for politicians to have their children go through a community
immersion summer camp. Aside from it could help resolve some of
their childrenʼs angsts and make them better appreciate what their
parents are doing for the bigger community, it would also better
prepare them for public office should they choose to go into the
“family business” later in life.
” Maybe this is a strategy NGOs should explore, too, as they
try to engage the government in their development work. Instead of
projecting a self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude towards
politiciansʼ brats, they should try to be more understanding rather
than condescending. Perhaps, they can develop ways to make
public service more attractive and exciting to these resentful,
wounded kids. I am sure we can make community development
work a cool thing to do for young people living privileged lives. We
only need to get them into it even for a brief period and trust that the
experience, no matter how short-lived, will change them. Because it
will. I havenʼt heard of anybody who volunteered in the Peace Corps
or in any similar program who was not transformed by the
experience.
” I believe it was his immersion program experience that
enabled Geraldʼs character to fall in love with Sarahʼs character in
the movie. He was moved first by the social before he was moved
by the personal. Becoming socially aware heightens your sensitivity
to the problems and issues of humanity. It makes you a better
human being. And a better human being loves deeper, falls harder.
Prior to Geraldʼs characterʼs social awakening, he viewed women as
mere conquests and sex objects. When his eyes and mind were
opened to realities other than his own, his perception of women has
also broadened. The NGO worker
character Sarah plays made Geraldʼs
playboy character realize that women can
be powerful catalysts for social change,
too, and he starts to respect women more
because of what he saw in Sarahʼs
character. And only when he started
seeing Sarah as a strong, empowered
woman capable of raising funds for the
rural communityʼs irrigation system and
being loved by the people sheʼs helped
(“Big time ka pala dito,” said Geraldʼs
character) did he begin looking at her in a
different light and entertain the idea that
he could fall in love with this woman. That
just goes to show that true love can only
happen between equals. The presidentʼs
son may enjoy a higher social status than
the NGO worker but she definitely evens
the imbalance by being the more socially
and politically involved one. If you ask
me, she had more social value.
” But despite all of her significant
a c c omp l i s hme n t s i n c ommu n i t y
development work, the NGO worker still
measures her worth by superficial
standards like physical appearance and
economic status. She still could not see
how ridiculous it is to be insecure of the
pretty but inane and ignorant (she
actually believed a bad travel advisory
against Caloocan) socialite played so unimaginatively by Sam Pinto.
And this is something that the presidentʼs son could not understand
because, to him, nobody could be more important and more worthy
of his love than the woman who made him appreciate his father and
his country more. Which just proves that most women, even the
strong and smart ones (or especially the strong and smart ones),
still believe that our society gives more premium on physical
appearance over character and personal accomplishments. She
was not intimidated before when she was put in charge of the
presidentʼs sonʼs immersion program. She never doubted herself
and, in fact, was proud of what she does and who she is. But when
the relationship dynamic changed from trainer-trainee to girlfriendboyfriend,
the dysfunction started to kick in.
” What is it about romantic relationships that bring out the
worst, instead of the best, in us? I think itʼs those darn Cinderellatype
love stories which promote the myth that belonging to different
social and economic backgrounds is automatically a problem. You
know, the “langit-at-lupa” syndrome. It is not. It is oneʼs lack of selfesteem
that is often the problem. That is why it is always a bad idea
to get into a romantic relationship with someone if you do not love
yourself in the first place and are not proud of who you are (and you
have to know who you are, of course). Good thing the NGO worker
got over her self-doubt fast enough, with the help of a loving and
affirming family. Because finding true love starts with loving yourself
(and this also applies to the presidentʼs son, by the way).
[color="#0000FF"][size="5"][font="Comic Sans MS"]
Thanks for sharing..very well said and written article about CMIIL..more power to sarah..bring back all the glory to GOD..GODBLESS... [/font][/size][/color]
Comments
nakatulong kayo ng malaki para sa tagumpay sa box-office ng
catch me i'm in love.....................................
Thanks for sharing!
pero seriously. ganda ng review
[color="#0000FF"][size="5"][font="Comic Sans MS"]
Thanks for sharing..very well said and written article about CMIIL..more power to sarah..bring back all the glory to GOD..GODBLESS...