Module 3 - k. coloma

The film for Module 3 American Adobo. This film is about 5 friends living in America from the Philippines. They are dealing with everyday problems such as marital distress, sex and how people should be treated. They also deal with extra ordinary problems you may not see in every household such as the cruel treatment towards your maids. You see the differences in those characters in regards to how Americanized they have become. You have Marissa and her cousin who have embraced the Americanized way of living. Marissa is an intelligent woman but is blindsided by men. Her cousin is the playboy that finds himself in mess of things when he learns he has aids. Then you have Tere is in search for a mate and is hanging on to her culture by cooking Filipino foods. Then you have Jerry who is hiding his true identity from his conservative and uptight mother. Then you have the man who is married to an uptight and bitchy wife. He has a daughter who is exploring her limits.

As far as the readings go I believe that we do all have rights. The characters in the movie are good examples. Each of them have a right to live their life the way they want to. Each of them have the right to happiness and health. The problem with rights, what we deserve, what we want and people is that the reality is different. Just because it is our right it doesn’t mean that we will get it. There is also the problem of justification. How are actions and rights justified when others have to pay for you and your actions? The only way I see the issue of rights is to do what you have to do for yourself without harming others along the way.

I can understand the film because I am an immigrant as well. Those who have been exposed to a different culture and land before America can appreciate the movie. I only thing I didn’t like about the film was that the acting was horrible. I liked that some of the characters were annoying and awful because it balanced out the good characters in the story. Too many of one thing makes for a bad and predictable movie. I also love that the movie is centered on the food and how it brought the five friends together. There is nothing better than food and friends/family when your life is falling apart before your eyes. All in all, this film was great in portraying the struggles and obstacles people face in a different land all the while still tied to their native land.