American Adobo

American Adobo
This movie was about the struggles and tribulations of a group of immigrant Filipino Americans who find themself longing to maintain their Filipinoness while trying to belong and become accepted into American society. Each character has very distinct and different views on lifestyle and life in general. However their one common thing is that they enjoy gathering together to have a Filipino meal every so often. This ritual of having dinner together is the only thing that connects them all with being Filipino and the Philippines. Although their lifestyles and perspectives differ they treat each other like family.
One of the men in this film is a struggling writer for a newspaper. Although his life might seem perfect it really isn’t. He has a family, a spoiled daughter, a son, and a very materialistic wife who exemplifies being colonized by the U.S. Because the wife has struck it big and has lots of money she doesn’t do anything but play cards. She doesn’t help with raising the kids and relies on the nanny to raise her own children while her husband is at work. IN the film this man decides to leave his family and pursue his dream in the Philippines, he soon realizes it is not the life for him and heads back to the U.S.
The second man is a playboy. He drives fast cars and chases beautiful women. Life is good for him until one of his one night stands writes him a letter saying that she is HIV positive. At this point his lifestyle and attitudes change. He is forced to get tested and reevaluates the way he lives and the kind of women he chases. In the end he changes for the better.
The third man is very successful in the U.S. Everything for him seems perfect, except his mother wants him to get married and have children. But he is gay. In the U.S. he is able to live his life without shame but with his Filipino friends and his mother he is forced to hide his true self. Not until his partner is near death because of AIDS he reveals not only to his friends but also his mother that he is gay. In the end he is able to show his true self knowing that people will or will not forgive him.
The first woman is also a very successful and powerful woman but she allows men to control her. She is used by her boyfriend and finally with the urging of others leaves him for good. Although she is powerful and strong in the business world, she settles for less when it comes to her love life. She sticks with the same man because she is not strong and believes she is vulnerable when in fact she is a strong woman.
The second woman seems like a saint/ nun. She is extremely religious and is the envy of the first woman because she can cook well, and is good at house making. (a virtue sought after by men) although she has all the virtues and potential of becoming a great wife she cannot seem does not seem to attract any men. For one she is still a virgin and two she isn’t at all very good looking. “She has what it takes but nothing to back it up.” Kind of like, “all the money in the world but no one to spend it on”.
This movie seems to good to be true, and it doesn’ represent any Filipino I know, for one we all aren’t Tagalog. Number two not everyone that comes from the Philippines have good jobs, they are usually low paying, and physically demanding jobs. This movie also seems to have some sort of dramatic turning point for each member of the group and it changes their life for good. In any society, not only Filipino society, we don’t have fairy tale endings.
If I were to make my own version/ ending of American Adobo the fist man would eventually marry the first woman. The second man would still be a playboy and maybe have HIV or do drugs. The third man would be unwanted by his mother and also would have contracted HIV from his boyfriend. Last but not least the second woman would still be an old hag.

James Funtanilla