A JOURNEY HOME was a very nice movie, which manifested lack of job vacancy in the Philippines, financial crisis, price increase of certain commodities, marriage problems, the virtue of forgiveness, and most of all, the strong faith in God.
Job vacancy in the Philippines
Soliman Cruz, who played the role as Dante Santos, came back to the Philippines from abroad because he was fired in a company located in Taiwan due to the global financial crisis. He was working in three different countries abroad, I can’t remember the other two, but I’m sure that he worked in Taiwan. When he came back to the Philippines, he was jobless. He did his best to find a job but every time he applies in a certain business establishment; they would say that he is overage.
This reflects our country today. There are a lot of people with no jobs. Even a small source of income they don’t have. Last year, I’ve heard that the government was providing 8000 job slots, but only 1000 people were hired because the others were not qualified to work in certain jobs. Job vacancy is a problem, as well as, the deterioration of the number of qualified workers in the country.
Price increase
When Dante was scanning the newspaper, he saw the name of his ex-wife on the obituary page. He remembered his children whom he left and neglected before, because he has another live-in partner. He really is regretting for what he has done, so he planned to visit the wake of his ex-wife.
As he was walking down the road, he stopped by a flower shop, he was asking for the price. Imagine a bunch of flowers that costs 15 pesos near the church, in that flower shop, it costs 150? (asa ka ana? Kamahal!) They have much profit for that! Well, prices in Manila are very high.
Facing the past that was left behind
The act of leaving his family left Dante with no family, no companion, and alone. He wanted to correct his mistakes so he went back to his family and ask for forgiveness.
Joem Bascon, who played the role Raffi, son of Dante, was shocked and angry when Dante came to the wake of his mom. Dante, on the other hand, was just silent. He understood his son’s reaction.
Regret comes last. But in order to heal the wounds, one should face the past. (mao na run.. mayo rako’s sturya)
The broken
Dante’s daughter, Kristie, had this playboy husband who always has another girl with him. Because of God’s grace and God’s help, she was able to forgive her husband. But, his husband is doing it over and over again, that caused her so much pain. Later, she decided to file an annulment case.
This reflects the situation of some of the Filipino couples. Mostly, it’s the husband who tends to find another woman. They are not contented with only one girl. Sad to hear but it’s what’s happening to a lot of couples today.
The lost and the pain
Joem Bascon, was kind of lost because he still can’t forgive what his father has done to them. Later on, he find his way back to his father, but sadly, that time, his father had a stage four cancer.
In the end, he learned to forgive his father. When Toni Gonzaga, who played the role as Gayle, was 17 years old, and she was pregnant of her first child, Joem left her. She felt an excruciating pain but she learned how to forgive Joem.
Forgiveness is very hard to give especially when the person has done a very bad thing to you. But with God’s grace and God’s love, you can really forgive and forget the sin that that person has ever done to you. Together, you can live happily and it’s as he hasn’t done anything to you at all.
The religion
I’ve never ever seen a film that has Protestant as its religion, only Roman Catholic. The film is also very centered with the teachings of the Bible. This made me idolize it.
The free ticket and free dinner
All in all, I loved the film, people who bought the ticket and the food (dinner) for me. (yes, gilibrihan ko)
