Crying Ladies
| Crying Ladies | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mark Meily |
| Written by |
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| Screenplay by | Mark Meily |
| Story by | Mark Meily |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Lee Meily |
| Edited by | Danny Añonuevo |
| Music by | Vincent Abenojar De Jesus |
Production company | Unitel Pictures |
| Distributed by | Asian Crush (USA) Digital Media Rights (USA) |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Languages |
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| Box office |
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Crying Ladies is a 2003 drama comedy directed by Mark Meily. It stars Sharon Cuneta, Hilda Koronel and Angel Aquino as professional mourners while dealing their very own problems as well. The story revolves around 3 mature women who are in badly need of cash for their family. They would do everything, from crying to funerals to dirty work just to make both ends meet. They were hired by a rich Chinese business family to cry for the patriarch, who died recently. The film also stars Eric Quizon, Ricky Davao, Julio Pacheco, Shamaine Buencamino, Sherry Lara and Raymond Bagatsing in their supporting roles.
Crying Ladies was released in December 25, 2003 in the Philippines as an official entry in the 2003 Metro Manila Film Festival where it received critical acclaim and favorable reviews for Meily's directing and the performances. It won a total of 5 awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Quizon, Best Supporting Actress for Koronel and Best Child Performer for Pacheco. It was also nominated for several categories in the FAMAS Awards and the Gawad Urian Awards. It was the Philippines' submission to the 77th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.[1][2]
Plot[]
Wilson (Eric Quizon) is in search for a funeral crier after the untimely death of his father. Despite the waning of professional mourners, his family insists to find one and thus.
Stella tags two of her friends, Aling Doray "Rhoda Rivera" (Hilda Koronel), a former B-star actress who happens to cling onto the fading memory of her career and Choleng (Angel Aquino), a religious woman who is vowing to avoid sinning after having an affair with her friends husband (Raymond Bagatsing). Stella decides to try her luck by applying as a singer in Japan and joins TV show contests in order to have a stable job but she fails to do so.
The three friends bond and talk about each of the crisis in their lives which deals with acceptance and relationship. During the burial of Wilson's father, he decides to eventually seek reconciliation by appreciating all of the things that his father has done way back when he was still alive. Each three of the women also have their own healing as well with Aling Doray eventually reminiscing and seeking acceptance about a career who has since diminished long before, Choleng who finally breaks free from the chains of being imprisoned as a mistress and eventually does her own good deeds by serving the foundation and charities. Stella, whose son is being sent away to Cagayan de Oro grieves that she has been a failure as a mother but despite that, she still enjoyed the few moments she was with her son.
Stella receives a call from Wilson saying that a Japanese promotion company is hiring entertainers to which she immediately applies and tries her best to fix her life. She applies as a karaoke actress and eventually got the job. Aling Doray as well received her luck after the film she used to star in received a sequel to which she reprises her role. Choleng who was falling for the wrong guy all along gets engaged to someone she truly loves. Stella, who now has a stable job sends letters to her son and tells him that one day they will soon be reunited.
Casts[]
Main cast[]
- Sharon Cuneta as Stella Mate
- Hilda Koronel as Rhoda Aling Doray Rivera
- Angel Aquino as Choleng
Supporting cast[]
- Eric Quizon as Wilson Chua
- Ricky Davao as Guido
- Julio Pacheco as Bong
- Shamaine Buencamino as Cecile
- Sherry Lara as Mrs. Chua
- Raymond Bagatsing as Ipe
Extended cast[]
- Gilleth Sandico as Becky
- Joan Bitagcol as Grace
- Edgar Mortiz as Mang Gusting
- Bella Flores as Lost Lady
- Johnny Delgado as the priest
- Lou Veloso as Brgy.Chairman[check spelling]
Reception[]
Critical response[]
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 13 reviews.[3] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 54% based on reviews from 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[4]
The story was praised by several critics. A.O. Scott of the New York Times wrote "Its most winning attribute is a kind of sloppy, unassuming friendliness, a likability aptly reflected in its characters.."[5] Eddie Cockrell of Variety wrote "Unlike many Filipino pics, which run at a fevered emotional pitch to Western sensibilities, “Crying Ladies,” moves smartly and evenly under the direction of debut helmer Mark Meily. Perfs sparkle, with each thesp comfortable navigating between broad comedy and legitimate pathos."[6] The film received some negative reviews. V.A. Musetto from the New York Post wrote "There aren't many surprises as the story unfolds in soap-opera fashion, with a happy ending for all concerned."[7]
Music[]
Soundtrack[]
| Crying Ladies: Official Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | December 25, 2003 |
| Genre | Pop/rock, R&B, OPM |
| Label | Unitel |
The film was accompanied with a soundtrack during its release for the promotion of the album. The album contains pop/rock, r&b and OPM songs from artists such as Kuh Ledesma, South Border and Parokya ni Edgar.[8] It's carrier single Rainbow became a radio smash hit in 2004.
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rainbow" | South Border | |
| 2. | "Idlip" | Barbie's Cradle | |
| 3. | "Inner Strength (Love & Faith)" | Aliya Parcs | |
| 4. | "Magbabago" | Parliament Syndicate | |
| 5. | "My Imagination" | All-Star | |
| 6. | "Stay" | Boom Dayupay and Angel Jones of Kulay | |
| 7. | "With You Around" | Art Strong | |
| 8. | "Para Sa Iyo" | Serendipity | |
| 9. | "Goodbye" | 604 | |
| 10. | "Father" | Kuh Ledesma | |
| 11. | "Madapaka" | Parokya ni Edgar |
Accolades[]
| Year | Award-Giving Body | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Metro Manila Film Festival[9] | Best Picture | Crying Ladies | Won |
| Best Director | Mark Meily | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Eric Quizon | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Hilda Koronel | Won | ||
| Best Child Performer | Julio Pacheco | Won | ||
| 2004 | FAMAS Awards | Best Actor | Eric Quizon | Nominated |
| Best Actress | Sharon Cuneta | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Hilda Koronel | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Mark Meily | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| Gawad Urian Awards | Best Picture | Crying Ladies | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Mark Meily | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Eric Quizon | Nominated | ||
| Julio Pacheco | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Hilda Koronel | Nominated | ||
| Nominated | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Mark Meily | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing | Danny Añonuevo | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Lee Meily | Won | ||
| Best Production Design | Norman Regalado | Nominated | ||
| Best Music | Vincent De Jesus | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound | Danny Añonuevo | Nominated | ||
| FAP Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Eric Quizon | Nominated | |
| Kerala International Film Festival | NETPAC Award | Mark Meily | Won | |
| Golden Crow Pheasant | Nominated | |||
| Silver Crow Pheasant | Won |
See also[]
- Cinema of the Philippines
References[]
- ^ "50 Countries in Competition for Oscar". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2004-10-22. Archived from the original on June 11, 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
- ^ "2005 Oscars 77th Academy Awards Nominees". Yahoo! Movies. 25 January 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
- ^ ""Crying Ladies" (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ "Crying Ladies Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ Scott, A.O. (February 20, 2004). "FILM IN REVIEW; 'Crying Ladies'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ Cockrell, Eddie (September 27, 2004). "Crying Ladies". Variety. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ Musetto, V.A. (November 22, 2019). "Crying Ladies Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ "Crying Ladies (2003) Soundtrack". IMDb. November 22, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ "Metro Manila Film Festival:2003". IMDB. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
External links[]
- Crying Ladies at IMDb
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- 2003 films
- English-language films
- Filipino-language films
- Philippine films
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