Anak

The big crowds that showed up at the theaters where Star Cinema's latest offering (for Mother's Day), Anak, were composed not only of women but also of men, people of all ages and from all levels of society as a matter of fact, all drawn no doubt by the heart-rending theme of the movie which tackles the plight of an overseas Filipino worker (played with aplomb by Vilma Santos) home again to a family in shambles after a long absence working in Hong Kong.

Anak grossed close to P14 million when it opened last Wednesday, making it the third-in-a-row smash-hit offering from Star Cinema which is celebrating its 7th anniversary with a "special package" (films to be shown within a three-month period).

Before Anak, two other Star Cinema flicks broke box-office records, namely Tunay na Tunay, Gets Mo Gets Ko! (starring Robin Padilla and Jolina Magdangal) and Minsan, Minahal Kita (return team-up of Richard Gomez and Sharon Cuneta).

Directed by Rory Quintos from a well-researched screenplay by Ricky Lee and Raymond Lee, Anak also stars Claudine Barretto as the self-destructing and rebellious daughter who turns her mother's (Vilma's) homecoming into a veritable hell.

The appeal of Anak stems from its plot with which Filipino families can easily identify, whether or not they have family members working abroad or not. More than the story of an OFW, Anak tackles family disputes, this time set in a contemporary setting and situation -- how to cope with the wholeness of one's family while earning precious bucks abroad as a domestic (Vilma's role).

Anak is the only movie for Vilma this year, her first since the 1998 megahit Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa? which also produced by Star Cinema.