Bea's Bettyful story

While televiewers are used to watching telenovelas with charming and lovely characters like Sheryl on ABS-CBN’s Romantic Princess and Ginny on They Kiss Again, this time it will be different. Betty Pengson is about to move everyone not with beauty but her innocence, patience and intelligence via I Love Betty La Fea starting tonight on Primetime Bida.

The Kapamilya network’s latest telenovela franchise from Colombia vividly shows how an image means everything to society — from the lowest to the highest class — without looking beyond physical appearance as Bea Alonzo’s Betty goes through outside the comforts of home. Yet it is heartwarming to see Betty, garbed in outmoded attire, still exuding confidence. She, too, loves calling herself “Bettyful.”

The Pinoy version is also peppered with a dose of realism that every audience can relate to — from the way a typical family supports one another and shares in the sentiments of its every member, to looking at every possibility of earning a living to the pitiful scenario that there are people who look down at others who are not blessed with good looks.

This is why, scene after scene at the recent screening of the first few episodes of the TV series inside Dolphy Theater left an impressive mark on the audience. Bea deserves two thumbs up as she acts in a way that makes the audience laugh and cry with her.

Not to be missed, too, are Betty’s mom Julia (Ai-Ai de las Alas), dad Hermes (Ronaldo Valdez) and brother Andrew (Sam Concepcion). They shower Betty with love and respect while her best friend Nicolas (Vhong Navarro) eases every pain in her heart with funny antics though sometimes he gives pieces of sensible advice.

At the beginning of the series, Betty will grow as an intelligent lady, tucking under her belt a business administration degree with summa cum laude honors. It is expected that high-paying jobs are just within her reach but Betty’s ugliness is one big hindrance. The dream of working at an advertising agency Eco Moda Manila makes her apply as secretary to the president Armando Solis (John Lloyd Cruz). What follows is a series of rib-tickling events and tear-jerking moments as Betty continues to move in a circle of wicked people with Daniella Valencia (Ruffa Gutierrez) as the meanest of them all.

I Love Betty La Fea, directed by Erick Salud and Don Cuaresma, also stars Meryll Soriano, Megan Young, Sheryn Regis, Wendy Valdez, Joem Bascon, Thou Reyes, Ronnie Liang, Jojo Alejar, Arlene Tolibas, Jason Gainza, Kristel Moreno, among many others.