| The Child | |
| Director: | Rory Quintos |
| Music: | Shaun Gaspar |
| Cinematography: | Joe Batac |
| Editing: | George Jarlego |
| Studio: | Star Cinema |
| Runtime: | 119 minutes |
| Country: | Philippines |
| Language: | Filipino |
The Child (Anak) is a 2000 Filipino family drama film directed by Rory Quintos starring Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto, with Joel Torre and Baron Geisler.
Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto were very fond throughout filming. In addition to this, the film also shows an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) mother and her struggle to see her children grow up, and her hopes for a better future for them. Throughout the film there is a popular discussion about family life, and the importance of relationships, communication, and relationships personal needs.
Produced by Star Cinema, the film was released on May 10, 2000, and became a box office hit. It grossed over ₱165 million in its theatrical run, surpassing Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay Ko... to become the highest-grossing Philippine film of all time until the release of Ang Tanging Ina in 2003. It was the Philippines' submission to the 73rd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[1] [2]
The film has been restored by ABS-CBN Film Archives. The restored version premiered on ABS-CBN's movie channel, Cinema One, on May 22, 2015.
A woman struggling to make a better life for her family finds that her efforts have caused a problem between her and her children in this downbeat family drama. Josie is a mother of three children (Carla, Michael, and Daday) from the Philippines who takes a job in Hong Kong as a nanny for a wealthy couple for several years. She knows she can make more money in Hong Kong than she could at home, but also has qualms about how her absence will affect her children, especially when her husband died not long after she left.
When Josie returns home, she has gifts for everyone and savings from her salary, which she plans to use to start a business. Her children, however, don't welcome their mother with open arms. The younger kids, Daday and Michael, are guarded around Josie, and while they eventually mend their relationship with their mother, the oldest, Carla, does nothing to disguise her resentment for what she sees as callous abandonment of her family. Carla openly challenges Josie's authority, starts dating boys she knows her mother wouldn't approve of, flaunts her burgeoning sexuality, begins using drugs
In the end, Carla realizes what she has done and understands the reason why her mother didn't return home at her father's death. She forgives her and changes her ways, and promises to take care of her younger siblings when she goes back to Hong Kong.
Anak was a box-office success. The film grossed ₱14 million in its first day and earned ₱165.9 million for its theatrical run, surpassing Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay Ko... to become the highest grossing Philippine film of all time.[3] [4] [5] Its record was surpassed in 2003 by Ang Tanging Ina.[3]
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| Year | Award-giving body | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Catholic Mass Media Award[6] | Best Film | Anak | |