REACTION TO AMERICAN ADOBO - A. Flores

SUMMARY: The film is a story centered on a group of Filipino “close friends.” The story focuses on each individuals “drama” as they endeavor to reach their mission or personal goal. As they go through a life-changing ordeal they get to see a different perspective of themselves. In the end, the characters seemed to have corrected perceptions of themselves by others and they become “at peace” with themselves.

REACTION: I will start my reaction with two questions. Is the movie a correct portrayal of migratory Filipinos? Were they honestly at peace with themselves at the end? Before I proceed, just agree with me that, historically, the movie made an impact in some major American cities. My rationale: attentions were given to American Adobo by being nominated in some major categorical movie-award. With all the attention given to the movie, many non-Filipino viewers may have had (excuse the pun) a taste of the Filipino lifestyle.

The old saying is true. “Birds of a feather flock together,” meaning people are attracted to others who are like themselves. In the film context, all characters were somewhat affluent Filipino professionals living in a large American city. This setting is plausible. Here is my reservation.

Beside World War II films, I can’t remember any big-budget film portraying Filipinos. If such is the case, won’t Mr. John Smith, who lives in New York, never been to the Philippines, never been exposed to any Pinoy-movies or Filipino culture, develop some sort of stereotypes of Filipinos. Filipinos who comes to America always makes it – they become materially wealthy. The danger in the portrayal may push the thousands of migrated Filipinos in the United States who are living paycheck-to-paycheck into the world of shame since they “did not make it.” It may lead them or encourage the Filipinos to pursue the character’s lifestyle, to get caught up in materialism - even if you cannot afford it.

Other stereotypes in the subtext of the film include the Filipinos to be carnally interested in people with Nordic-stock. This is shown from the plot lines were one of the character questions whether to maintain a relationship with her unfaithful white-boyfriend. A gay-male “lives for” a sickly white-male-friend. A character who is supposedly to be the most intuitive, keeps asking what sounded like an uninterested white-male on the phone for dates (she marries a white-Amerikano in the end). And lastly, a sexually active young man is first seen with a “clueless blond” and also end up with a blond. Except for the last, this plotline just sounds like a marketing ploy to all white-men to go to the RP where they can easily find a “partner.” And not only can they find a “more than willing” or a desperate partner, they can find (what all Filipinos are) - sadist. All Filipinos will tolerate anything in a relationship.

Through American Adobo, Mr. Smith is programmed to believe that he will have the freedom to engage in infidelity with a Filipino partner. Just sing her a song and she will forgive. When you are old or if you get sick, your Filipino-partner becomes an instant nursemaid. They are as devoted to their partners as they are devoted to their religion.

And the final stereotype, there are three “sexes” in the Philippines – male, female, and gay. I have many Filipino-gays inform me that they are convinced homosexuality is tolerated in the Philippines. “Normal dayta [it’s normal], why do you think all Filipino movies always have a gay character in it?” My question then (based on the movie), it is okay to have a Filipino-White gay relationship, but not Filipino-Filipino gay relationship? The newspaper editor somewhat suggested to his male friend that he was not interested in a platonic relationship. However, he could be a “mommy-partner” by checking on his friend’s children now and then.

From this thought, comes this thought. Are Filipinos only needed for favors? Yes, I know enough of the culture why the editor asked his gay friend to look after his children, but it is the subtext from that scene. First he angrily preached to his wife that the maid is a human being, a better human being although a maid, because of the goodness in her heart. His psychotic, materialistic, bossy wife should not treat the maid as sub-human. But then, the gay character is just a person who can do him a favor, not some he can return his love to, what his friend really wanted for years. The editor and his wife become, in subtext, both masochists. Must all Filipinos be portrayed as living a life of drama, as sadist, or sadist-dramatist? Could character in Filipino films be really at peace when they are still performing task for neo-colonialist who now have different tactics? That is my problem with American Adobo

I will end this paper referring to one of my initial questions. Were the people in the film honestly at peace with themselves in the end? Can the portrayals of Filipinos in American Adobo affect how Filipinos (in the worldwide diaspora) can honestly find peace in themselves?