Isang babaeng nakasakay namin sa dyip ang nakakilala sa amin at nagsabi: "O, ngayong tapos na ang Star Awards, siguro, isusulat mo na kung sino ang binoto mong best actress. Sinabi mo 'yan sa column mo." O, siya, Gigi (sorry, I forgot your last name), heto na 'yon. Personally, we voted for Vilma Santos (na siya ring nagwagi sa "Movie Magazine" and we have a feeling, siya ring magwawagi sa darating na Urian Awards on March 31). Magaling si Nora Aunor sa "Bilangin" and we believe na ang hindi niya pagkakanominate man lang sa Catholic Awards is a big oversight on their part. Sa gagawin naming paliwanag for our choice, we don't expect na maimpluwensiyahan ang diehard Nora fans dahil kapag fan mentality ang pinairal, no amount of rational explanation will do to change their opinion.
Pero kami, napatunayan na naming wala kaming ganyang kaisipan noong maging nominado si Vi for "Tagos ng Dugo" and we cited our reasons why we favor Lorna Tolentino in "Maging Akin Ka Lamang" over her. To the untained eye, very impressive si Guy sa "Bilangin" dahil ang performance niya is mainly a series of big highly emotional scenes that call for confrontations with Tirso Cruz III, Gloria Romero, Miguel Rodriguez and Ana Margarita. This is the kind of acting that call for grand, tour-de-force manner of emoting, with glaring eyes, flaring nostrils, quevering voice and all. Sabi nga, the works. All stops are pulled to really impress the audience n "Hoy, this is good acting and you should correspondingly be properly impressed." To Nora's credit, she relies entirely on her instincts and this works as Elwood Perez has never been known as an actor's director and Nora naman is the kind of actress na even when she is left to her own resources, still manages to come up with an arresting performance, no matter how florid.
Sa kaso ng pagkakaganap ni Vilma as Juliet in "Pahiram," it is a credit not only to the actress but also the director. Vi's innate talent shines, pero alam mong malaki ang naitulong sa kanya ni Bernal to further hone it and polish it and make it truly oustanding in the totality of its effect. Makikita ito sa succession pa lang ng opening sequences. Nagsimula ang movie na masayang masaya ang tono nito, with Vi rambunctiously singing "Material Girl" sa kanilang Christmas Party, without a trace of the impending tragedy that she will face. Then she goes to the CR, starts to feel bad, and after that ay nalaman na niyang mgay cancer siya't may taning na ang buhay niya. Vi is not shown vehemently reacting to this. Instead, ipinakita lang siyang tahimik na naglalakad, her shoulders hunched na tila ba nasa mga balikat niya ang daigdig. She then attends this family reunion sa parents niya, which ends in disaster dahil inaway lang siya ng ate niyang si Dexter Doria. Wala pa ring reaction dito si Vi kahit nilait siya ng mga kamag-anak niya.
Sa susunod na scene, nagwawala ang anak niya si Billy Joe dahil lumayas ang yaya nito't ayaw nitong pumasok sa school. Vi goes to the kitchen to prepare breakfast at habang nagbabati siya ng itlog, doon pa lang ipinakitang una siyang nag-breakdown. And this is shown nang nakatalikod siya sa camera. No overtly ornate kind of emoting na akting na akting ang dating. Pero damang-dama mo pa rin (if you're a trully perceptive, sensitive viewer) ang mga emotions the character goes through dahil sa buildup nito. This is apparent in various other scenes in the film. Bale ba, ang estilo rito ni Vi ay hindi 'yung trying to ingratiate herself with the audience to please them, which she is went to do in the past. Dito, basta she becomes the part (lalo na sa eksena nila ni Gabbly Concepcion sa simbahan na binalikan nila kung paano sila nagkasira), and if you notice that she is good, well salamat po. Sa second viewing ng movie naming lalong napansin ang subtle nuances ng performance ni Vi, up to her death scene which confirms our supposition that the movie is not really so much about death than a celebration of life, what with all the panoramic shots showing the beauty of nature and the world around us, na enough reason for anyone to want to survive.
So...'yan ang opinion namin. You may agree or disagree but tha is our prerogative kaya you may take it or leave it. - Mario E. Bautista, People's Tonight, 1990
About Mario E. Bautista, is a respectable and popular film critic and columnist in the Philippines. He regularly write articles for People's Journal, Malaya, Pinoy Gazette and his own entertainement website, Showbiz Portal
Weepies are a common movie fare in the Philippines, along with extremely violent action thrillers and trite youth comedies. It is, therefore, a cause for cheer when a filmmaker tries to elevate the very common genre of the melodrama into a rich and intellectually rewarding film experience, such as director Ishmael Bernal has done with his Pahiram ng Isang Umaga. Director Ishmael Bernal has seen in the material an opportunity to put substance to what has often been denigrated as the unthinking man's entertainment, and to a considerable degree, his attempt has been a success.
Pahiram is both effective as a tearjerker and meaningful as a depiction of people in crisis. Using a traditional element of the genre, the theme of death, Bernal and writer Jose Javier Reyes probe into the life of a woman who has been told that the end is near. Juliet (Vilma Santos, one of the two reigning Philippine female superstars for the past two decades now) is told that she has eight or maybe seven months to live. As a progressive advertising creative director who has been promoted (rather late) as vice president of her company, she has the means to attend to the less mundane demands of life, examine what may have been an unexamined life, and make the most of the limited time left.
In all these, Bernal explores the emotional and psychological condition of the person who lives on borrowed time. Naturally visible here are the many symbols not only of death but also of life to serve as some kind of counterpoint or irony. Sometimes, they blend with each other, and at other times, they contradict. From the peasants' ritualistic rice planting to the backyard harvesting of sun-dried patola cultivated as life-giving seedlings, the evidence of life renewing itself could hardly be ignored. Then there are the more obvious symbols of fire, daybreak and persistent rains (the latter of which are used to reinforce the gloomier mood at the second half of the movie, and also suggest the rains' refreshing and replenishing results). But the most eloquent symbol here of life is the process of artistic creation, personified - again paradoxically - by the expressionist painter Ariel who befriends and then is smitten by Juliet.
There are ironies here. The painter creates life through his art, but at the same time, psychologically tormented, he wants to end his own life. Such a restless, free soul, grappling with the complexities of life. He has a whole life ahead of him, his artistic world limited only by his imagination, and yet he wants to quit. In contrast, Juliet who is dying, wants to live. Here is a woman who saves a man's life (the artist's) but cannot save her own. The idea of art as life or art vs. life is examined at length. Asked by the boy why he has to put on canvas the seascape, the artist makes the clarification that he is not copying the scenery. Ostensibly, he is recreating it on a different plane, art being something else, with a life of its own. This is suggested by the portrait the artist is making of Juliet. The model may soon die, as she will, but the portrait will live on.
Life may indeed be short, an idea which used to be stated directly in previous Bernal movies, but art endures. It is the one thing in this world which is eternal. The briefness of life is suggested with the graphic sight of wet sand dripping down from the hand. Bernal and Reyes go farther by including a scene in which the artist explains the origins of art. By the fireside at the beach, and watching the flame cast a glow on them, he notes that prehistoric men "discovered" art when they made outlines of shadows on the caves. Those artworks, though crude and primitive, still exist. Implicitly, Juliet's death, no matter how saddening, is not going to be the end. Philosophical musings like these are not standard soap opera fare, and may alienate a lot of ordinary moviegoers (even the more cerebral ones who cannot accept the conventions of the soap opera genre). Woven unobtrusively into the plot, however, they add texture and enrich the drama. Juliet in a way will continue to live - in that portrait, in her young son who will survive her and hopefully continue her legacy whatever it may be, and in her good deeds.
In the last scene, the imagery and symbolisms of life and death abound. Juliet dies at the break of dawn, the start of a new day (and life), but not without first making her last sentimental paean to life. Supported by the artist, her eyesight having failed completely and with the waves caressing their feet, the weak and dying cancer victim remarks how beautiful life is. True enough, this dying scene set on a beach, with the woman in white, dainty night gown, is one of the most exquisite, breathtaking moments in Philippine movies. But before giving us this grand, highly emotional death scene, the director has gradually introduced various motifs of death, from the artist's pet black bird which at one point he cruelly squeezes in his hand, to the funeral rituals for Juliet's father. This is a striking part of the movie, Juliet watching intently as morticians work on her father's remains, as everyone weeps when the coffin is lowered to its final resting place, and during the ritualistic pasiyam, the nine-day novena for the dead. It's as though Juliet can see herself in her father's lifeless body while mourners mill around it. The attempts to raise the level of the melodrama and present insights on life and death provide the movie its greatest strength - and wide appeal. How strangely ironic that a movie dealing with death could have so much life. - Mario A. Hernando, Malaya (March 5, 1989) (READ MORE)
Pre-1989 - "...As both Vilma and Nora reaped recognitions from a year full of award-worthy films that some considered, "Golden Year" for both, the coming years would be a test of who can sustain their popularity. Vilma seems to be on a decline after 1984. She only releases two films, the flop, "Doctor, Doctor, We Are Sick" and the smash hit, "Muling Buksan ang Puso." Meanwhile, Nora Aunor's career looks promising. She completed five films, mostly dramas, "Beloved" with Hilda Koronel; "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Till We Meet Again" with Tirso Cruz III; "Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang" in a special guest role; "Tinik Sa Dibdib" with Phillip Salvador and Dina Bonnevie. Then in 1986, both Vilma and Nora did four films each. After the golden 1984 where both produced award-worthy films, critics noticed a decline in their next films which were mostly tired-melodramas. Despite this, both Nora and Vilma earned acting nominations, Nora in "I Love You Mama, I Love You Papa" from FAMAS while Vilma's hit film "Palimos ng Pag-ibig" earned her nominations from Star Awards and FAMAS. The next year, 1987, a slight change of pace, Vilma is now concentrating more on television. She moved her show, VIP to GMA 7 and eventually changed its named to simply, "Vilma!" while Nora struggled with her own television show. It was Vilma who successfully maintained high ratings. Aside from this, she managed to complete four films and even guested on Nora's produced film "Takot ako, eh!" Vilma's other films were three dramas, "Ibigay Mo Sa Akin Ang Bukas," "Saan Nagtatago Ang Pag-ibig?" and "Tagos ng Dugo." The last two earned her some trophies, including her fourth FAMAS. Meanwhile, Nora released only three films, she also guested in "Takot Ako Eh," and featured in "My Bugoy Goes to Congress" and the melodrama, "Tatlong Ina, Isang Anak." Finally, a year before their final showdown, both Vilma and Nora's career focuses on their television shows. They only managed to complete three films, Nora did the forgettable,"Balut Penoy" and "Sana Mahalin Mo Ako" while Vilma's only film was "Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos," a surprised winner in FAMAS and that allowed her to be elevated to their Hall of Fame pedestal. The last year of the decade seems to be the same for both Vilma and Nora, they only produced four films, one for Nora "Bilangin Ang Bituin sa Langit" and three for Vilma, "Imortal," a festival entry; "Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga," her last film with Ishmael Bernal and a special guest role in "Rizal Alih, Zamboanga Massacre." As 1989 ends, Vilma's career seems more brighter, her TV show are reaching its highest peak. On the film side, her filmfest entry, "Imortal" earned several acting trophies including a best actress trophy for her. Come, 1990 Nora and Vilma found themselves fighting it again mano a mano in the acting derby, Nora for "Bilangin" and Vilma for "Pahiram."
After the EDSA Revolution - "...A series of unfortunate events seemed to hound Nora’s career up to this point. October 1, 1989 was to be the last airing date of the 22-year-old musical-variety show Superstar on RPN 9. A month later, it was revived on IBC 13 with a new title, "The Legend...Superstar," but this was short-lived lasting only up to early 1990. Naging mas masuwerte si Vilma Santos sa hinu-host na Vilma! on GMA 7, which started in 1981 as VIP (Vilma in Person) ng lumang BBC 2 (naibalik sa Lopez owners ang ABS-CBN after the EDSA Revolution). Nagbida si Vilma sa isa sa mga pinakaimportanteng pelikula ng Dekada ‘80: Regal Films’ Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga (by Ishmael Bernal), na sinimulan in 1988 at ipinalabas in early 1989. In December 1989, Vilma headlined a period romance-drama (Viva Films’ Imortal, megged by Eddie Garcia) at nanalo sila ng kaparehang si Christopher de Leon ng acting plums sa MMFF. Sa awardings for that year, si Vilma ang nanalong Best Actress sa Star Awards (for Pahiram), her first form the Philippine Movie Press Club. ‘Kumpletung-kumpleto na ang career ko!” nasabi ni Vilma as she accepted her trophy. Later, it was Nora’s turn to get a Best Actress trophy for the first time from the Film Academy of the Philippines, for Elwood Perez’s three-year-in-the-making Bilangin Ang Bituin Sa Langit. ‘Kumpletung-kumpleto na ang career ko!” sabi rin niya in her acceptance speech. Na-elevate si Vilma sa FAMAS Hall of Fame, for having bagged five Best Actress statuettes: Dama de Noche, Pakawalan Mo Ako, Relasyon, Tagos ng Dugo, and Elwood Perez’s Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos. Nora won her fourth Best Actress plum sa FAMAS, also for Bilangin. Walang itulak-kabigin sa dalawa, kaya marapat lang na mag-tie sila for Best Actress, as in the 1990 Gawad Urian, na ‘pantay na parangal ”ang ipinagkaloob ng Manunuri kina Nora (for Bilangin Ang Bituin Sa Langit) at Vilma (for Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga)..." - William Reyes (READ MORE)
Nora Aunor's Films (1): (Bilangin Ang Bituin sa Langit) - Nora's only film directed by Elwood Perez and with perennial love team Tirso Cruz III turned out to be a big hit.
Vilma Santos' Films (3): (Imortal; Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga; Rizal Alih, Zamboanga Massacre) - Like Nora's sole film, Vilma's three films were all a commercially success.
Nora Aunor's 1989 acting recognition (4) - Best Actress from FAMAS; FAP; URIAN and a nomination from Star Awards, all for "Bilangin Ang Bituin sa Langit."
Vilma Santos' 1989 acting recognition (5) - Best Actress from Metro Manila Film Festival and Channel 2 Viewers Choice for "Imortal;" Best Actress from URIAN; Star Awards; and nomination from Film Academy of the Philippines, all for "Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga."
Complex Transformation - "...Tirso Cruz III, never known for Great Moments in Acting, does have his moments here. The very idea that he is not overshadowed by his blinding co-star speaks well of his talent as well as of his rapport with his perennial screen partner. But "Bilangin" is clearly a Nora Aunor vehicle. The actress is in almost every frame of the movie, showcasing her awesome talent and exhibiting gradations of emotions---sad and pathetic, one moment, flippant and impetuous the next; loving and pleading now, then seething and raging like a woman scorned. Not only does she essay the complex transformation of a woman in a time period spanning her mid-teens to middle age. She also plays dual roles---those of Magnolia, a strong and determined woman, and her youthful, exuberant daughter. This was the same theme which the recent trashy "bold" picture, "Virginia P.," aspired to dramatize, but failed, because, in that other movie, not only slapdash effort was visible; the filmmakers could not contain their contempt for the audience. In an accident in which her husband (Miguel Rodriguez) falls from a horse carrying a baby, the man dies but the tot miraculously survives..." - Mario A. Hernando, Malaya, 1989 (READ MORE)
Another Blockbuster - "...Topping Vilma Santos’ showbiz career for 1988 was her winning the “best tv host” title and her tv program Vilma as the best musical variety show from the Star Awards of the Philippine Movie Press Club. Vilma is a constant top rater. Nobody can question the result of the survey for its popularity, because everybody could see the glitter of the show with all the grand setting, artistic costumes, and selected celebrities as guests plus Santos’ vibrance, enthusiasm and untiring efforts in entertaining her audience. The actress is meticulous even in the selection of the color scheme of her costumes. For 1989, Santos promises a much better show for Vilma with more expensive props, more interesting musical numbers and some attractive numbers and novelties to render it a delightful viewing. The actress is now resuming shooting of Pahiram ng Isang Umaga which did not make it at the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival due to certain delays, like Ibulong Mo sa Diyos her current movie Pahiram… is supposed to be Regal Films’s first main attraction for 1989. Some of the scenes were filmed in the virgin forest of Botolan, Zambales. The serenity of the rustic place enabled the actress to re-evaluate her life before the New Year sets in. Santos has Gabby Concepcion and Eric Quizon for leading men in the movie. Quizon has admitted that so far this is his most challenging role in his entire movie career. The drama flick is expected to be another blockbuster and will reap acting honors for the actress. She is back with Ishmael Bernal in this movie, the same director who made possible her bagging all the best actress awards in 1982 for the movie Relasyon..." - Eddie O. Libo-on, Manila Standard, Jan 9, 1989 (READ MORE)
Post-1989 - The following year, Vilma and Nora battled it out in several acting award contests. Vilma was elevated to the FAMAS Hall of Fame making her ineligible to compete with Nora. With this, Nora won her fifth trophy, making her elegible for the Hall of Fame next year. There's "First" in both Vi and Guy, Vilma's Star Award best actress was her first from the PMPC while Nora's Luna Award was her first academy award. At the URIAN, they tied as their best actress. When the award seasons ends, Nora and Vilma completed and releases three films, Nora Aunor released the much loved, "Andrea, Paano ba ang Maging Isang Ina" while Vilma tapped A-1 list directors, Lino Brocka for "Hahamakin Lahat" and Laurice Guillen for "Kapag Langit Ang Humatol." It was a repeat in 1991, Vilma and Nora remained prominent in the acting contest, with Nora taking a landslide advantage for "Andrea...," winning nine nods while Vilma received only four nominations. Then the next year, it was almost an even outcome for both, Nora's "Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M." earned her seven recognitions, six wins and a nomination from URIAN. The Urian award went to Vilma for "Ipagpatawad Mo." She also recieved several nominations. The following year, Nora did not complete any film while Vilma releases "Sinungaling Mong Puso," an acting triumph for co-star, Aga Muhlach. She also appeared in cameo role in fantasy festival film "Engkanto." In 1993, both Nora and Vilma releases two films each. Nora did the forgettable "Inay" and tired "Ligaw-ligawan, Kasal-kasalan, Bahay-bahayan." Vilma was more successful with the socially relevant AIDS film, "Dahil Mahal Kita, The Dolzura Cortez Story" and her first Chito Rono film and the smash hit, "Ikaw Lang."
The next year, Vilma Santos earned more trophies (seven best actress awards and two nominations) while Nora received a life-time achievement at FAP and her sole acting trophy for "Inay" from the Young Critics Circle. Then in 1994 Vilma followed the massacre trend with "Lipa: Arandia Massacre," a big hit and the forgettables, "Nag-iisang Bituin" and "Relaks ka Lang, Sagot Kita." Theres no Nora movie in 1994. Her big screen absence were a blessing because the following year, she released two hit films, "Muling Umawit ang Puso" and "The Flor Contemplacion Story." Theres No Vilma movie in 1995. As Nora Aunor reaped the rewards of the previous year, she won eight trophies plus international recognition, she released the critically acclaimed "Bakit May Kahapon Pa?" while Vilma teamed up for the last time with FPJ as her comeback movie after her absence in the forgettable and flop movie, "Ikaw Ang Mahal Ko." The next year, Nora Aunor releases two film. She teamed up with Judy Ann Santos in the disappointing film, "Babae" and much more disappointing, "Mama Dito sa Aking Puso." If 1997 was a big disappointment for Nora, Vilma also has a film slump, her only film, "Hanggang Ngayon Ika'y Minamahal" with perennial love-team, Christopher de Leon was a big disappointment too. There is no Nora movie the following year, while Vilma finally came-up with a more serious project, Lualhati Bautista's "Bata, Bata...Paano Ka Ginawa?" and gamely appeared in a cameo role in "Ang erpat kong Astig."
The following year, Vilma reaped more acting trophies plus international recognition for "Bata, bata..." and at the same time, becoming more like a seasoned politician as she entered politics during the last few years of this decade. For Nora, 1999 started her becoming the darling of indie films, she released "Sidhi" co-starring with Albert Martinez. While there is no Vilma movie in 1999, the coming of new millennium turned out to be a lucky year for her. She did "Anak" with Claudine Barretto, a record-breaking film of year. It was clear by this time that Nora Aunor's film career is on decline, there is no film for her in the next three years. If Nora's film career is on decline, it seems like Vilma's film career is experiencing the same but her camp explained, due to her tight schedule as politician, her tight schedule doesn't allowed her to do film projects. On occasion she find time to do special one, in 2002, she entered the local festival via Chito Rono's in "Dekada 70," in another Lualhati Bautista novel. Her rare film excursion were fruitful as she earned nine acting trophies and another international recognition in 2003. Despite this, there's no more new film for her and also for Nora. The following year, their fans rejoice as both came up with a respectable projects, an indie film for Nora and a commercial mainstream film for Vilma. Perhaps a final showdown is brewing?
“…Irene, ayoko ng mahabang burol kung maari kinabukasan rin ipalibing mo na ako.” – Juliet Espiritu
“Irene…Di ko kaya ang walong buwan! Kung mamatay rin lang ako…mamatay na ako ngayon o bukas o sa linggo pero hindi ko kaya ang walong buwan!” - Juliet Espiritu
“Ayoko ko pang mamatay…paano si Chad?…hahanapin ako ng anak ko, hindi siya sanay ng wala ako…Ariel…gusto ko pang mabuhay, kahit ilang araw lang, kahit konting oras lang, kahit isang umaga lang…” – Juliet Espiritu
“Ariel maliwanag na ba?...anong kulay ng langit?...at ang dagat?...ang mga mangingisda nandiyan na ba?...Ariel…ang ganda ng mundo!...ang sarap mabuhay!” – Juliet Espiritu
Basic Information: Direction: Ishmael Bernal; Adapted Screenplay: Jose Javier Reyes; Original screenplay: Jose Javier Reyes; Cast: Vilma Santos, Gabby Concepcion, Eric Quizon, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Billy Crawford, Olivia Cenizal, Tita Muñoz, Gil de Leon, Dexter Doria, Vicky Suba, Subas Herrero, Cris Vertido, Toby Alejar, Tony Angeles, Symon Soler, Gina Perez, Alma Lerma, Roy Alvarez, Becky Misa; Original Music: Willy Cruz; Cinematography: Manolo Abaya, Eduardo Jacinto, Nonong Rasca; Editing: Augusto Salvador; Production Design: Elmer Manapul; Sound: Joe Climaco; Theme Song: "Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga" sung by Zsa Zsa Padilla; Producer: Lily Monteverde, Regal Films; Other Info: some web-sites indicates its film title as, “To Live Another Day,” “On Borrowed Time” or “Lend Me One Morning”
Plot Description: Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga revolves around Juliet (Vilma Santos), who finds herself struggling against an ever-escalating series of problems. A determined single parent, she manages to raise a child while remaining successful in her career as an advertising executive. Everything in her life seems to go well until she is diagnosed with a terminal disease. For her son’s sake, and without revealing her condition, she is forced to resolve her most important life relations: rekindling first her connections with her parents, and then with the very man who fathered her son. In the twilight of her life, she meets and falls in love with a beleaguered artist, Ariel (Eric Quizon), who is constantly depressed and perpetually contemplating suicide. She slowly loses her health but unknowingly reawakens Ariel desire to live, and they both engage in a meaningful affair – one that makes each day they live through together more meaningful than the last. – Regal Films
To Live Another Day (Pahiram ng Isang Umaga) revolves around Juliet, who finds herself struggling against an ever-escalating series of problems. A determined single parent, she manages to raise a child while remaining successful in her career as an advertising executive. Everything in her life seems to go well until she is diagnosed with a terminal disease. For her son's sake, and without revealing her condition, she is forced to resolve her most important life relations: rekindling first her connections with her parents, and then with the very man who fathered her son. In the twilight of her life, she meets and falls in love with a beleaguered artist, Ariel, who is constantly depressed and perpetually contemplating suicide. She slowly loses her health but unknowingly reawakens Ariel's desire to live, and they both engage in a meaningful affair - one that makes each day they live through together more meaningful than the last. - Cine Filipino/Unico Home Entertainment
Film Achievements: FAMAS: Best Musical Score - Willy Cruz, Best Theme Song - Willy Cruz; FAP Best Sound - Joe Climaco; Gawad Urian: Best Actress - Vilma Santos, Best Cinematography - Manolo Abaya, Eduardo Jacinto, Nonong Rasca, Best Director - Ishmael Bernal, Best Picture - Lily Monteverde, Regal Films, Best Screenplay - Jose Javier Reyes, Best Supporting Actor - Eric Quizon; STAR: Best Picture - Lily Monteverde, Regal Films, Best Actress - Vilma Santos, Best Cinematography - Manolo Abaya, Eduardo Jacinto, Nonong Rasca, Best Director - Ishmael Bernal, Best Musical Score - Willy Cruz, Best Supporting Actor - Eric Quizon
Other Film Achievements: FAP Best Actress nomination - Vilma Santos; Gawad Urian: Best Actor nomination - Gabby Concepcion, Best Editing nomination - Augusto Salvador; Best Music nomination - Willy Cruz, Best Production Design nomination - Elmer Manapul, Best Sound nomination - Joe Climaco, Best Supporting Actress nomination - Vicky Suba, FAMAS: Best Child Actor nomination - Billy Crawford, Best Director nomination - Ishmael Bernal, Best Picture nomination - Lily Monteverde, Regal Films, Best Supporting Actor nomination - Eric Quizon
Premiere Night - "...As usual, the Vilma Santos starrer, Pahiram ng Isang Umaga, will be premiered on February 22 at the New Frontier Theater, sponsored by the Philippine Movie Press Club. Last year, the PMPC also raked in plenty of moola when they sponsored "Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos" also starring Santos. The proceeds will go to the different charitable projects of the PMPC one of which is Ospital ng Maynila..." - Eddie O. Libo-on, Manila Standard, Feb 18, 1989 (READ MORE)
Film Reviews: Weepies are a common movie fare in the Philippines, along with extremely violent action thrillers and trite youth comedies. It is, therefore, a cause for cheer when a filmmaker tries to elevate the very common genre of the melodrama into a rich and intellectually rewarding film experience, such as director Ishmael Bernal has done with his Pahiram ng Isang Umaga. Director Ishmael Bernal has seen in the material an opportunity to put substance to what has often been denigrated as the unthinking man’s entertainment, and to a considerable degree, his attempt has been a success. Pahiram is both effective as a tearjerker and meaningful as a depiction of people in crisis. Using a traditional element of the genre, the theme of death, Bernal and writer Jose Javier Reyes probe into the life of a woman who has been told that the end is near. Juliet (Vilma Santos, one of the two reigning Philippine female superstars for the past two decades now) is told that she has eight or maybe seven months to live. As a progressive advertising creative director who has been promoted (rather late) as vice president of her company, she has the means to attend to the less mundane demands of life, examine what may have been an unexamined life, and make the most of the limited time left. In all these, Bernal explores the emotional and psychological condition of the person who lives on borrowed time. Naturally visible here are the many symbols not only of death but also of life to serve as some kind of counterpoint or irony. Sometimes, they blend with each other, and at other times, they contradict.
From the peasants’ ritualistic rice planting to the backyard harvesting of sun-dried patola cultivated as life-giving seedlings, the evidence of life renewing itself could hardly be ignored. Then there are the more obvious symbols of fire, daybreak and persistent rains (the latter of which are used to reinforce the gloomier mood at the second half of the movie, and also suggest the rains’ refreshing and replenishing results). But the most eloquent symbol here of life is the process of artistic creation, personified - again paradoxically - by the expressionist painter Ariel who befriends and then is smitten by Juliet. There are ironies here. The painter creates life through his art, but at the same time, psychologically tormented, he wants to end his own life. Such a restless, free soul, grappling with the complexities of life, he has a whole life ahead of him, his artistic world limited only by his imagination, and yet he wants to quit. In contrast, Juliet who is dying, wants to live. Here is a woman who saves a man’s life (the artist’s) but cannot save her own. The idea of art as life or art vs. life is examined at length. Asked by the boy why he has to put on canvas the seascape, the artist makes the clarification that he is not copying the scenery. Ostensibly, he is recreating it on a different plane, art being something else, with a life of its own. This is suggested by the portrait the artist is making of Juliet. The model may soon die, as she will, but the portrait will live on. Life may indeed be short, an idea which used to be stated directly in previous Bernal movies, but art endures. It is the one thing in this world which is eternal. The briefness of life is suggested with the graphic sight of wet sand dripping down from the hand.
Bernal and Reyes go farther by including a scene in which the artist explains the origins of art. By the fireside at the beach, and watching the flame cast a glow on them, he notes that prehistoric men “discovered” art when they made outlines of shadows on the caves. Those artworks, though crude and primitive, still exist. Implicitly, Juliet’s death, no matter how saddening, is not going to be the end. Philosophical musings like these are not standard soap opera fare, and may alienate a lot of ordinary moviegoers (even the more cerebral ones who cannot accept the conventions of the soap opera genre). Woven unobtrusively into the plot, however, they add texture and enrich the drama. Juliet in a way will continue to live - in that portrait, in her young son who will survive her and hopefully continue her legacy whatever it may be, and in her good deeds. In the last scene, the imagery and symbolisms of life and death abound. Juliet dies at the break of dawn, the start of a new day (and life), but not without first making her last sentimental paean to life. Supported by the artist, her eyesight having failed completely and with the waves caressing their feet, the weak and dying cancer victim remarks how beautiful life is.
True enough, this dying scene set on a beach, with the woman in white, dainty night gown, is one of the most exquisite, breathtaking moments in Philippine movies. But before giving us this grand, highly emotional death scene, the director has gradually introduced various motifs of death, from the artist’s pet black bird which at one point he cruelly squeezes in his hand, to the funeral rituals for Juliet’s father. This is a striking part of the movie, Juliet watching intently as morticians work on her father’s remains, as everyone weeps when the coffin is lowered to its final resting place, and during the ritualistic “pasiyam,” the nine-day novena for the dead. It’s as though Juliet can see herself in her father’s lifeless body while mourners mill around it. The attempts to raise the level of the melodrama and present insights on life and death provide the movie its greatest strength - and wide appeal. How strangely ironic that a movie dealing with death could have so much life. Written by Mario A. Hernando, “A Look at Death and the Affirmation of Life,” Malaya, 5 March 1989
Vi goes to the kitchen to prepare breakfast at habang nagbabati siya ng itlog, doon pa lang ipinakitang una siyang nag-breakdown. And this is shown nang nakatalikod siya sa camera. No overly ornate kind of emoting na akting na akting ang dating. Pero damang-dama mo pa rin...she becomes the part (lalo na sa eksena nila ni Gabby Concepcion sa simbahan na binalikan nila kung paano sila nagkasira), and if you notice that she is good, well, salamat po...Sa second viewing ng movie namin lalong napansin ang subtle nuances ng performance ni Vi, up to her death scene which confirms our supposition that the movie is not really so much about death than a celebration of life..’yan ang opinion namin…” Written by Mario Bautista, “Mas Mahusay si Vilma Kaysa kay Nora,” People Journal 1989
The only thing I can say about this film is that of its performances - from Vilma Santos (as the woman who spends her last days on earth looking for love) and Eric Quizon (as the ill painter who falls in love with Santos). This film is best fitted for a made-for-TV slot, considering its premise (which may attract mothers). Passable. Written by Oscar 99, “Just passable,” IMDB, September 13, 1999
“…In Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga, Ishmael Bernal’s very competent handling of the material, coupled with Santos’ intelligent portrayal of Juliet, a terminally ill cancer victim, saved the film from becoming a glorified soap opera…” Jojo Devera, “THE ACTRESSES OF THE 1980′S”, Sari-Saring Sineng Pinoy 3 Nov 2009
"...Topping Vilma Santos' showbiz career for 1988 was her winning the "best tv host" title and her tv program Vilma as the best musical variety show from the Star Awards of the Philippine Movie Press Club. Vilma is a constant top rater. Nobody can question the result of the survey for its popularity, because everybody could see the glitter of the show with all the grand seting, artistic costumes, and selected celebrities as guests plus Santos' vibrance, enthusiasm and untiring efforts in entertaining her audience. The actress is meticulous even in the selection of the color scheme of her costumes. For 1989, Santos promises a much better show for Vilma with more expensive props, more interesting musical numbers and some attractive numbers and novelties to render it a delightful viewing. The actress is now resuming shooting of Pahiram ng Isang Umaga which did not make it at the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival due to certain delays, like Ibulong Mo sa Diyos her current movie Pahiram... is supposed to be Regal Films's first main attraction for 1989. Some of the scenes were filmed in the virgin forest of Botolan, Zambales. The serenity of the rustic place enabled the actress to re-evaluate her life before the New Year sets in. Santos has Gabby Concepcion and Eric Quizon for leading men in the movie. Quizon has admitted that so far this is his most challenging role in his entire movie career. The drama flick is expected to be another blockbuster and will reap acting honors for the actress. She is back with Ishmael Bernal in this movie, the same director who made possible her bagging all the best actress awards in 1982 for the movie Relasyon..." - Eddie O. Libo-on, Manila Standard, Jan 9, 1989 (READ MORE)
"...Koronel is all set to do a film for Viva and we're sure her fans are all agog about it. Will she be a threat to the throne now occupied by Vilma Santos as "The Actress" to be reckoned with? If we'd make a guess, Lino Brocka's the right director for the first comeback film of this actress. There's a certain chemistry between them in the same way there's an "artistic symbiosis" between Santos and Ishmael Bernal. And speaking of the last duo, we finally got to see "Pahiram ng Isang Umaga" and it's true what they were all raving about. It's Vilma's best to date and we're willing to bet that she'll garner another grand slam next year for this movie. Ditto with Bernal. It's not only an artistic movie; It's very commercial. Only we should have brought a towel instead of a hankie..." - Nena Z. Villanueva, Manila Standard, Mar 2, 1989 (READ MORE)
"...Eric's role in "Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga" is the manic-depressive love of Vilma Santos. He was contrapuntal to Vilma's existence who wanted to prolong her life while he wanted to end his. But the Method Acting-oriented scribes at teh Philippine Movie Pres Club saw in Eric the mere physicality in his attack of the role. No anxiety in the eyes; all overt body movements to the point of the Nora Aunor anxiety-laden eyes. Eric rationalizes; "That was exactly how I was supposed to attack my role according to Direk Ishmael Bernal - overacting at physical level lang talaga. Wala nang pa-anxiety-anxiety pa. All the other major characters in "Pahiram..." were already making lupasay na with heavy emotions. From Vilma to Zsa Zsa Padilla to Vicky Suba to Gabby Concepcion - silang lahat emotionally loaded na. If I do the same, boring di ba? Ayaw ni Direk Bernal na pa-heavy emotion approach for my role. But you know my homework for that role was to watch several English sad movies on tapes and was told to cry with the characers if I wanted to or feel like crying. I felt so stupid talaga, but that exercise paid off I tell you." If you have watched "Pahiram...," the scene where Eric has to strangle a Myna bird was such a memorable highlight. Eric recalls; "I had to do an improvisation for that scene. Sabi ni Direk Bernal, don't plan anything with the bird. Basta you just confront the bird at bahala ka na sa sarili mo. So what I did was to make mura and kind of strangle pero acting lang out of my supposed madness. You know what happened? The day after, nagpakamatay 'yung bird. Nagtampo siguro 'yun. Kasi raw ang Myna bird ay very sensitive, di ba? Sayang 'yung bird, ano?..." - George Vail Kabristante, Manila Standard, Feb 20, 1990 (READ MORE)
