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| Waikiki
Sa loob at labas ng bayan kong sawi... mga kataga mula sa Florante At Laura ni Francisco Baltazar. Isang sa maraming mithiin ng mga Pilipino ang maglakbay o manirahan sa ibang bansa. Makailang ulit itong naging paksa sa pelikula noong dekada '70 at '80. Kabilang dito ang Waikiki (Regal Films, Inc.) ni Elwood Perez. Ang makawala sa labis na kahirapan lamang ba ang nagtuulak sa mga Pilipinong lasapin ang magandang kinabukasan sa Amerika? Ang panonood ng sine ay hindi lamang pagbibigay-aliw kundi kapupulutan din ng aral. Tulad ng pangarap ni Juan (Raoul Aragon) na dalhin sa Hawaii ang kanyang buong pamilya. Isinalaysay sa Waikiki ang karanasan ng iba't-ibang persona ng kababaihan, si Idad (Alicia Alonzo), ang asawa at ina, anak na sina Michaela (Alma Moreno), Ella (Lorna Tolentino) at Carmela (Rio Locsin). Mga personang malikhain at maingat na nailugar sa malawak na sinapupunang panlipunan kung kaya't nasiyasat din, kasabay ng personal na karanasan ang mga isyung pang-ekonomiya at pangkultura samantalang nagkakabisa ito sa buhay ng babae. May ilang mga tagpong kakikitaan ng malay na tangkang lumihis sa pagsasatipo at gasgas na pagsasalarawan sa babae bilang sex symbol.
Kuwento ng pag-asa ang Waikiki na naging mabuway sanhi ng distansiya. Naiwan si Idad sanhi ng sakit na tuberculosis at ayaw siyang iwang mag-isa ni Michaela kaya't hindi ito sumama sa ama at dalawang nakababatang mga kapatid patungong Hawaii. Nakalunan sa dalawang magkaibang espasyo, nilinaw ng pelikula ang mga personal at pang-ekonomiyang salik na naghahatid sa mga tauhan sa ibang bansa at inilalantad din ang dislokasyong ibinubunga nito gaya ng madamdaming pagsasadula ni Alicia Alonzo. Pagsunod ni Idad sa Hawaii ay malaking pagbabago nina Carmela at Ella ang sumalubong sa kanya, mulat na sa kalakaran ng mundo, sa pagkakataong ito'y si Idad naman ang nawalan ng panimbang. Sa gayon, ang distansiyang isinalarawan ng pelikula ay hindi lamang tumutukoy sa layo ng magkaibang teritoryo kundi nasa magkakaibang uri, oryentasyon, kultura at mithiin sa buhay. Lampas sa isang kuwento ng pag-asa, napagtagni-tagni sa Waikiki ang isyung partikular sa mga Pilipinong dumadayo sa ibang bansa. Diskriminasyon, eksploytasyon at kawalan ng komunikasyon sa naiwang pamilya. Maayos ang paglalahad nito tungkol sa pagbabahagi ng sarili nang buo ang pagkatao. Kaya kailangang bumalik si Idad sa sariling bayan, sa piling ni Michaela. Sa ganitong pagkakataon, ang anggulo ng ugnayan ay nagkaroon ng reyalistikong dimensiyon sa pagpapahiwatig na sa sariling bayan lamang nila matatamo ang kanilang kabuuan bilang mga tao.
Direksiyon: Elwood Perez
Dulang Pampelikula: Toto Belano
Sinematograpiya: Ben Lobo At Johnny Araojo
Musika: Lutgardo Labad
Editing: Rogelio Salvador
Disenyo: Mel Chionglo
Produksiyon: Regal Films, Inc.
Release Date: November 14, 1980
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3:16 AM
Was this a hit when it was shown, jojo? It was shot back to back also with PINAY, AMERICAN STYLE in the States, right?
Belano is much better with his collaboration with Gosiengfiao, still Elwood infuse this one with social commentary particularly the migration of family overseas and family bonding.
As others have noticed, Rio got the accent very smoothly. Was it dubbed?
4:47 AM
hi Onat!
Waikiki was a huge hit when it was shown in 1980. no it wasn't filmed back back to Pinay American Style. the latter was shot during the early part of 1979 and shown later that same year. Elwood had a string of hits that year til 1980. Toto Belano has written a lot of interesting scripts for both Perez and Gosiengfiao. unfortunately Lorna & Rio were dubbed by someone else but it sounded very close to their own voices.
4:54 AM
Was there a rivalry between the three sex symbols to spice up the marketing of this movie?
I remember the poster overlapping the name of the 3 main casts.
5:49 AM
there was rivalry between the three stars. Alma & Lorna's had something to do with Rudy Fernandez while Lorna & Rio was the most controversial rivalry of all. Waikiki was released after the highly successful Stepsisters. the rivalry wasn't just between the two actresses their respective managers Rading Carlos & Rey de la Cruz kept bickering with each other in tabloids and talk shows as well.
3:41 PM
i vividly remember the pineapple plantation in this movie,and alma dancing the hula,al tantay in skates. jojo,who were the other men in the movie aside from al,alfie anido,raoul aragon? i hope regal would do another movie with alma,lorna and rio,and maybe release WAIKIKI on dvd and get commentaries from the stars and its director.
3:45 PM
jojo,what were the other movies which starred alma,lorna and rio together,aside from WAIKIKI and MANILA BY NIGHT?
4:28 PM
hi dexter!
you're right about the pineapple plantation & Alma dancing the hula but it was with Ricky Belmonte, not Al Tantay. the other leading man in the movie was Cocoy laurel who played Rio's husband. Waikiki on DVD with commentary? that would be fantastic, but the lack of a decent print is the problem. the only good copy is now in the ABS-CBn film archives.
4:31 PM
Alma & Lorna co-starred in Uhaw Sa Kalayaan although Amy Austria was the third leading actress in the movie. Alma & Rio did Stolen Moments together. while Lorna & Rio only starred in four films Stepsisters, Manila By Night, Waikiki & Huwag Mo Kaming Isumpa.
5:16 AM
Was Elwood a slow worker? Bilangin took almost two years to finish.
5:29 AM
Elwood is actually a fast worker just like Joey Gosiengfiao. Waikiki was shot in 14 days! Bilangin was an epic not just in scope & proportions. the two year delay was caused by Ate Guy's behind the scenes battle with Mother Lily.
5:31 AM
Jojo what was Elwood's biggest hits? I think his dream cast up to now is a movie with Cherie Gil, Gina Alajar & Rio Locsin.
6:07 AM
his biggest hits would be Mahal Mo, Mahal Ko, Waikiki, Magkaribal, Disgrasyada & Stepsisters
7:23 PM
hi jojo? did alma have to shoot in hawaii,i remember she decided to stay with alicia alonzo right? and was al tantay not an extra in the film?
4:43 AM
hello dexter!
Alma didn't get to shoot in Hawaii and Al Tantay wasn't in this film at all.
12:50 PM
regal films has such a vast collection of memorable films,some have become classics,sana magkaroon ng regal film festival to show their old movies done in the 70s and 80s,bakit kaya mas magaganda ang mga pelikula noon kesa ngaun jojo,everybody seems to think na halos lahat ng mga pelikula ngaun eh walang kwenta. anyway,jojo,i hope that MAGKARIBAL,KAMBAL SA UMA.STEPSISTERS,UNFAITHFUL WIFE,14 GOING STEADY,GAANO KADALAS ANG MINSAN,PIETA,and those mother's day presentations of regal films will be next to be reviewed. Thanks! Jo,can i send u an emai again,me requests lang ako,pls?
4:30 PM
Regal produced some of the most entertaining films of the 70's & 80's. Elwood Perez & Joey Gosiengfiao lorded over the melodramas, romantic comedied and teeny bopper films while Bernal directed a handful of his best films for Regal. Brocka had his share as well but not quite on par with the Bernal classics. sure dexter write me an e-mail with your requests.
4:58 AM
by the way i just remebered... Lorna & Rio also co-starred in Maryo J. delos Reyes' Disco Madhouse.
3:26 AM
hi jojo! i,ve read that mel chionglo was a production designer before he became a director,what was his first movie,was it gina alajar's PLAYGIRL? and i hope UNDERAGE will soon be reviewed,that and WAIKIKI,KAMBAL sa UMA were the movies i remember most from my childhood. thanks!
5:09 AM
hello dexter!
Mel Chionglo's first Production Design job was in Mike de Leon's Itim nad his first directorial effort was Playgirl which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival.