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And the Breadwinner Is...

2024 film by Jun Robles Lana From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And the Breadwinner Is...
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And the Breadwinner Is... is a 2024 Philippine family comedy-drama film directed by Jun Robles Lana from a screenplay he co-wrote with Daisy G. Cayanan and Jonathan "Jumbo" Albano, who wrote the story concept. The film features an ensemble cast featuring Vice Ganda and Eugene Domingo. It follows the story of a breadwinner who returns to the country after working overseas.[2][3]

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A co-production of Star Cinema and The IdeaFirst Company, it marks the very first collaboration between the two production companies and Vice Ganda's second film without the involvement of Viva Films since The Super Parental Guardians and his first film after a two-year hiatus in cinema.[3][4][5] It was released theatrically on December 25, 2024, as part of the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival.

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Plot

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Bambi Salvador, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who has spent 15 years in Taiwan, returns to the Philippines to surprise her family and celebrate her birthday. However, she arrives to find her family home in disrepair and her mother Momsy[a] suffering from Alzheimer's disease, unable to recognize her and recall events. When her younger brother, Biboy, admits to mismanaging the remittances she sent and falling into debt, a disheartened Bambi leaves and stays with her close friend, Jovie. After having a vision of her late father, she resolves to keep her promise to support the family after his passing.

Bambi returns home only to discover that her family has mistakenly held a wake for her, and is trampled by frightened mourners who believe she is a ghost. Her siblings explain that she was declared dead after she was mistaken for the thief that stole her identification card, who was fatally struck by a bus and was unrecognizable after the accident. Learning of her life insurance policy from an agent, Tonton, they urge her to maintain the deception in order to claim the money. Although initially reluctant, Bambi changes her mind after learning that Biboy sold the house to violent gangsters, who assault him.

Disguised[b], Bambi attends her own wake but is interrupted by the return of her estranged sister, Baby. Baby supports the scheme and reveals that after her husband died, she too fell into debt while in Italy and had been unable to send money home. After staging her funeral, Bambi proposes reviving their father's bakery and enlists her siblings to help. She discovers her younger brother Boy is gay and supports him, while also teaching Biboy how to bake. Meanwhile, she slowly reconciles with Baby, who is the only one who knows their father's secret recipe. With the bakery reopened and thriving, the family begins to regain financial stability.

Buneng, the youngest of the siblings, develops a crush on Tonton, who suspects the Salvadors of insurance fraud. During a visit to their home, Buneng attempts to flirt with him but inadvertently reveals Bambi’s friendship with Jovie. Suspicious, Tonton visits Jovie, who unintentionally confirms the fraud by revealing that Bambi stayed with her on the day she was declared dead.

Tonton returns to the Salvadors' neighborhood and finds Bambi alive, prompting him to confront the family and announce that legal action will be taken. Buneng pleads with him to reconsider, and although Tonton admits he has feelings for her, he reveals he is obligated to report the fraud, as the insurance company is owned by his uncle.

Tensions escalate within the family. Bambi reprimands Biboy for his reckless spending, prompting him and his wife Mayet to accuse her of holding a grudge. Baby criticizes Bambi for being too forgiving, while Boy admits his fear of ending up alone like her. Frustrated, Bambi vents about being the family's sole provider for years without rest, only to be turned on once she can no longer support them. Their argument is interrupted when Paeng, Momsy's caregiver, informs them that Momsy has wandered off.

Bambi finds Momsy at a bus terminal, waiting for her daughter to return home from Taiwan. Momsy briefly regains lucidity and recognizes Bambi, who, overcome with emotion, reveals she is dying of glioblastoma. Overhearing this, her siblings reconcile with her and devote themselves to making her final days meaningful. They redecorate her bedroom to resemble her dream home and stay by her side as she tells Biboy’s children that a pink airplane will take her to heaven. At her funeral, the family spots a pink aircraft in the sky, symbolizing Bambi's new life as a flight attendant guiding souls to the afterlife.

In a mid-credits scene, Tonton ultimately decides against pursuing charges against the Salvadors and enters into a relationship with Buneng, before joining the family for a photo.

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Cast

Thumb
Vice Ganda portrays Bambi Salvador
Lead cast
The breadwinner of the Salvador family who works as OFW in Taiwan.
Supporting cast
Bambi's oldest sister.
Bambi's younger brother.
Bambi's youngest sister.
Bambi's youngest closeted gay brother.
Bambi's sister-in-law and Biboy's wife.
A life insurance agent.
  • Via Antonio as Paeng
Bambi's cousin and caregiver of Momsy Salvador.
Bambi's mother and Popsy Salvador's wife.
  • Argus Aspiras as Puge Salvador
Younger son of Biboy and Mayet Salvador.
  • Kulot Caponpon as Danda Salvador
Older daughter of Biboy and Mayet Salvador.
Special participation
Bambi's late father and Momsy's husband.
  • Kiko Matos as Tope
Who Biboy owes money with.
A colleague of Bambi in Taiwan who died from choking.
  • Lassy Marquez as Jovie Miyaki
Izzy's husband and Bambi's friend and colleague in Taiwan.
  • MC Muah as Izzy Miyaki
Jovie's partner and Bambi's friend who works as a security guard.
The brother of Mikha who works as a nurse.
The daughter of (Aling) Leni who works as a doctor who owns a clinic health center.
A parlor salon colleague of Bambi in Taiwan
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Production

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In 2023, Vice Ganda was supposed to do a project with The IdeaFirst Company originally scheduled for a 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival release but was postponed due to a scheduling conflict.[6] In early 2024, Vice Ganda teased regarding a collaboration project with award-winning director Jun Lana during co-actors Gladys Reyes and Cristopher Roxas wedding anniversary celebration.[7] On April 18, 2024, Vice Ganda posted a "new movie alert" teaser on his social media pages. On April 19, 2024, Director Lana joined Ganda on the noontime show It's Showtime to announce the title of the film. This is the first time Lana will direct Vice Ganda.[2] Lana is known for his award-winning directing and writing works for the films Barber's Tales (2013), Die Beautiful (2016), Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes (2018) and About Us But Not About Us (2022).[3][8]

Ganda noted how filming for And the Breadwinner Is... is the "most peaceful" in comparison to his previous projects. He also said that the film would have more drama compared to previous comedy films he appeared in.[9]

Jhong Hilario, notable for his co-hosting duties on It's Showtime, has been announced as part of the film and expressed gratitude towards Vice Ganda for extending the opportunity citing the television series Ang Probinsyano as his last significant acting venture.[2] The movie also served as his reunion with Lana, having worked previously together in two movies produced by GMA Pictures directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Sa Pusod ng Dagat and Jose Rizal, where Lana served as writer and Hilario as cast member for the two films.

On July 16, 2024, it was announced as one of the five initial official entries for the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival – these are the films that were submitted as scripts.[10][11] The announcement of remaining cast members then followed, which includes Eugene Domingo and Gina Pareño.[12][13]

Filming started on June 27, 2024.[14] On August 13, 2024, Vice Ganda and other cast members flew to Taiwan to shoot some of the scenes.[15]

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Music

The song "Mapa" by Filipino boy band SB19 was used as the theme for the film. It was originally released in 2021 as part of the EP, Pagsibol.[16][17]

Release

And the Breadwinner Is... was theatrically released in cinemas in the Philippines on December 25, 2024, as one of the entries of the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival.

The film also scheduled to premier at Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) in Los Angeles.[18] It also received a Japanese theatrical premiere via the 20th Osaka Asian Film Festival in Osaka on March 18, 2025.[19]

Reception

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Box office

The film earned more than ₱460 million in ticket sales by February 20, 2025[20] and was the seventh film starring Vice Ganda to earn more than ₱400 million.[21] It was cited by the MMFF as one of the three top-grossing entries for its 2024 edition.[22]

Critical reception

Josh Mercado, writing for ABS-CBN News, gave the film a positive review, praising the performance of lead star Vice Ganda for capturing the audiences' hearts for playing the family breadwinner which can relate to everyone, and writer-director Jun Lana for its direction.[23] Hannah Malorca, writing for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, also gave praise not only to the lead star and director but also to the performances of the ensemble cast; however, in some aspects of the screenplay, she found faults for its lack of execution in featuring the harsh realities of Vice's character.[24] Arman Cristobal, writing for SINEGANG.ph stated that the film allowed Vice Ganda to express her more intentional rapport while keeping her comedic spirit as well as she broke the stereotype of being ‘just a comedian' and could allow her to explore more serious roles in the future.[25]

Accolades

More information Year, Award ...
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References

External links

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