The Criticism of the Debut - Movie Review Example

Introduction The Debut is an American multi-cultural movie that brings to fore the issues of ethni assimilation, and identity crisis. Directed and written by first-time director, Gene Cajayon, the Debut is a one of its kind movie to have a wide theatrical release. The story is a about a Filipino young man, Ben Mecardo (Dante Basco), who torn between two cultures (Rhodes, 2002). Ben, the protagonist shuns his Filipino background and sets out to carve a niche for himself adapting the American culture. Unlike his sister, Ben can’t speak his native Tagalog, knows little of Filipino culture, and hangs around with his white friends. He cannot appreciate Filipino food, culture, and heritage either. The cast has some legendary Filipino as well as some American actors. Other actors in the cast are Eddie Garcia as Ben’s grandfather, Tirso Cruz III as Ben’s father, Gina Alajar as Bens mother, Bernadette Balagtas as Ben’s sister, Joy Bisco as Ben’s love interest, and Jayson Schaal and Brandon Martin as Ben’s friends. It was after a decade of hard work of director Cajayon, and his co-writer John Masal Castro, that the film could see the light of the day. Synopsis The movie is woven around the tension between the father and son over the latter’s career prospects. Though his father wants to give his children a better life than he had gone through, Ben is convinced that he would be able to make a living out of his creativity. Ben Mecardo is, thus, caught between his own dreams and the aspirations of his parents. Ben has reached a decision to not accept a scholarship from UCLA that would lead him to a career in medicine, but decides to use his savings from his after school job, and money generated from the sale of his comic books, to pay for joining Cal Arts. Roland, his father, who has sacrificed his youthful dreams for his family, is not happy with the decision of Ben. Hence he is adamant on making him a doctor. Whereas on one hand, one tends to empathize with his father, realizing that he is the product of his circumstances, on the other hand, one tends to sympathize with Ben also (Rhodes, 2002). As the movie progresses tension builds up between the father and the son. The second focus of the movie is two parties, one white and one brown that happen simultaneously (Rhodes, 2002). The ongoing tension between Ben and his immigrant father Roland comes to a head in this party of 18th birthday of Ben’s sister Rose, which is entirely Filipino. A lot of distant relatives are also invited to the party. At the party, Ben is fascinated by Annabelle. In the process, he picks up a fight with Annabelle’s ex, Augusto. In fact, Augusto is jealous of the budding relationship of Ben and Annabelle. Augusto accuses him of being a sell-out, a coconut for he has no Filipino friends and interest in Filipino heritage and culture (Karten, 2002). Augusto had been close to Ben, when they were children. Finally, Ben makes his way through the confusion and learns to respect his culture. In fact, a sub-plot of the story revolves around Roland’s relationship with his father, which is shown to resemble the relationship of Ben and his father. It is also discovered that Ben’s father too has a contemptuous relationship with his father that ultimately leads to sobering of his relationship with Ben. However, the sub-plot fails to thicken as things are hastily resolved by Roland and his father. Ben arrives at his sister’s debutante party, where he feels solitary and left out. Two of Ben’s friend who had come to pick him up for the party chooses to stay on and enjoy the festivities. This leaves him confused and left-out and peering upon everybody else’s fun as an outsider. It signals Ben’s realization that perhaps, he is wrong in distancing himself from his own heritage. Though initially Ben had planned to duck out of the party to join the keggar of his friends but he confronts his heritage (Van Gelder, 2002) and chooses to stay back. The thought of ditching his relatives to be at the plays on, for sometime, in Ben’s mind till he finally decides to be at the Filipino ball. It is at the party that the Ben’s mindset begins to change. The party emerges as interplay of Filipino traditional lifestyle, the contemporary American life, the identity crisis, and the conflict of Ben with his father. Ben Mercado Ben Mecardo a high school senior enrolls himself in a school of art against the wishes of his father, a postal worker, who wants him to become a doctor, which is not liked by his father. Throughout his life, Roland has sacrificed his personal comforts for the betterment of his family slogging as a postman and now he conceives a better life for Ben. As he feels that it is impossible to make a living out of art, he tries to steer him away from his hobby and meeting his aspirations in art. On his part, Ben is ashamed of his Filipino background and his culture (Karten, 2002). He is not willing to take his friends to his home with its traditional arts and cooking aromas. Ben’s father considers him spoilt and disrespectful. Ben prefers American friends over Filipinos. He has little knowledge of his own heritage and culture. Ben cannot speak Tagalog and he feels uncomfortable in the Filipino society. Ben’s father is stern yet well-meaning, who disapproves of his leanings for American culture and sensibilities. Due to the depth in his character, Ben plays exceedingly well. The film portrays him as selfish and stubborn, who likes to hang with his Caucasian friends, while preparing for his sister’s debutante bash. Although, Ben is portrayed as an artist it is only toward the end of the movie that one gets to see the talent of Ben Mercado. Apparently, the story of debutante party of Ben’s sister, it is a tale of the inward journey of Ben, whereby he realizes that he needn’t give up his Filipino roots to achieve his independence. Criticism The film is among the first of Fi-Am movies, where much of the scenery is taken up by a debutante birthday ball and protagonist makes his entry into the Filipino society through this ball. It is also a debut venture of Cajayon. Thus, the Debut is a debut in many ways (Karten, 2002). The storyline, of Debut, is not smooth all the way. According Blackwelder, the director stumbles when he tries to cram incidental racism issues in the story. Toward the end of the movie, the initial purity of the identity crisis of Ben gets diluted by influences of Hollywood. It is an honest, heart-felt crowd pleaser movie though the storyline borders around being clichéd with spells of amateurish acting. Gajayon could avoid the pitfalls of clichés while successfully inserting depth defining details in the movie. But the most remarkable effort of Cajayon lies in the fact that though he realizes that the movie is drifting towards unoriginal he doesn’t let it get trite. From one perspective, every Asian-American can relate to Ben’s quest for identity. Debut’s success is owed to its universal approach through which immigrants and racial minorities can relate to racial and ethnic emotions The Debut" is a warm, appealing and meaningful effort that both respects tradition and earnestly characterizes the difficult cultural fusion faced by frustrated children of fiercely dogmatic immigrant parents (Blackwelder, n.d, para, 12). Blackwelder (n.d.) also describes it as a warm, appealing and meaningful effort. The film is as illuminating as entertaining and the director is successful in maintaining a balance between humor and tension (Thomas, 2001).The director could successfully weave in emotional veracity in contrived circumstances. Though the film has a regular plot of an immigrant child struggling against the conservative mindset of his parents, but the strong cast of actors at their performing best is able to make a point differently with the audience (Blackwelder, n.d.). Conclusion The Debut is an apt commentary on the American multi-culturalism. On the whole the movie is successful in bringing to fore the ethnic issues and issues of inter-generational gap. The racial issues are also delicately touched upon by the director. The story of Ben is such to which every Asian-American youth can relate. Through The film is able to vividly portray the mental and social turmoil in Ben’s family. All actors justify the portrayals of their characters. References Blackwelder, R. (n.d.). Americanized teen asserts himself with conservative Filipino pop in warm, earnest, elementary Debut Accessed November 2, 2009, http://splicedwire.com/01reviews/debut.html Gelder, V. G. (2002). FILM IN REVIEW; The Debut. Accessed November 2nd, 2009, http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=950DE5DD133DF93BA25753C1A9649C8B63 Karten, H (2002). The Debut Review Accessed November 1, 2009, http://www.all- reviews.com/videos-5/debut.htm Rhodes, S. (2002). The Debut Review Accessed November 1, 2009, http://www.all- reviews.com/videos-5/debut-2.htm Thomas, K. (2001). The Debut. Accessed November 2, 2009. http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl- movie000079482oct05,0,1587763.story Read More