In
American Adobo, directed by Laurice Guillen,
we obtain a window into the varied lives of Filipinos in Queens,
New York, who went to college together in the Philippines.
When the film begins, each character has a relationship problem
of some sort, so the drama centers on how each person will
cope with conflicts between personal ambitions and cultural
expectations. The film’s title, of course, refers to
the national dish of the Philippines, a delicious stew of
chicken or pork and tomatoes marinated in garlic, soy sauce,
and vinegar. The language of the film is Taglish, that is,
a combination of English and Tagalog with subtitles (often
subtitling words spoken in English with a Filipino accent).
The first question posed in the movie is whether the dish
being prepared by Tere (played by Cherry Pie Picache) is American
or Philippine adobo, but as the story moves along, the answer
is that the Filipinos have retained nearly all of their culture
but are not entirely successful in achieving happiness within
American society. For Tere, the problem is that she is a talented
but unattractive young single woman. Her sister Marissa (played
by Dina Bonnevie) is being romanced by an unfaithful Jewish
narcissist. Gerry (played by Ricky Davao) is trying to hide
the fact that he is gay from his family, although he had confided
in Tere. Mike (played by Christopher De Leon) no longer has
a normal family life, as his wife Gigi (played by Susan Valdez-LeGoff)
inherited a huge fortune and plays mahjong all day while his
teenage daughter wants her independence instead of paternal
control. Raul (played by Paolo Montalban) is an extraordinarily
handsome Filipino Don Juan, who drops girlfriends as soon
as he is bored with screwing them, enjoying as he does the
sadistic pleasure of breaking their hearts, until he receives
a Christmas card that tells him that one of his former tricks
has HIV. Frustrations lead to the shouting of harsh words,
a no-no in a culture that values soft-spoken sweet talk, even
white lies to avoid unpleasantness. Tumultuous displays of
emotion often erupt as the various characters vent their frustrations.
Eventually, Tere gets a decent boyfriend, Marissa dumps her
prevaricating Lothario, Gerry gains family acceptance for
being gay, Mike decides to return to live in the Philippines,
and Raul settles down with a blonde girlfriend. Just how the
transformation occurs is the genius of the story. The film,
thus, points out that Filipino Americans should not abandon
their culture in their pursuit for success, American style.
But perhaps the most profound purpose served by American
Adobo is to promote awareness to Filipinos in the
Philippines about just how their relatives abroad are suffering
on their behalf. MH
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