‘One More Chance’ and its lessons on love, individuality and piracy
by Janina Lim
February 28, 2024
“…And yet you chose to break my heart.”
Breakups could be devastating. But with its intimate understanding of the misery in heartbreaks, “One More Chance” made it a little easier with this and many famous lines that have made their way into our personal romantic histories.
Directed by award-winning Cathy Garcia-Molina, this 2007 movie captures a universally relatable breakup plot made exceptional with its carefully crafted lines. They articulate the contemplation of “What ifs?” and the silent but raging frustrations many feel they ought to say — but often choose not to to keep the peace — when the relationship takes an awry turn. With these lines delivered through the natural, exquisite talents of actors John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo and a well-curated cast, the characters of Popoy and Basha were forever — “and ever!” — etched into the hearts of hopeless and hopeful romantics alike.
While this copyrighted work is known for its creative execution and dissection of the anatomy of a breakup, its writers discover of late another life lesson through the eyes of the characters themselves: the need for individual growth in relationships. Its writers Carmi Raymundo and Vanessa Valdez talk about what they could have changed in the movie if given “one more chance.”
Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. from the movie One More Chance.
Starting the film with a breakup was intentional. Its film producer Star Cinema was faced with the challenge of giving a fresh take to the long-established Bea-John Lloyd love team, which then seemed to have gone through all the twists and turns that make a blockbuster love story.
“At that time, for a love team, wala pang gumaggawa na ang simula ng pelikula is a breakup (no one has started a movie with a breakup). Love stories, rom-coms would always start with boy-meets-girl or how they fell in love. But a breakup, especially for the most loved love team at the time, that was unimaginable,” Raymundo said.
“One More Chance” tells the story of the young love between Popoy and Basha who have laid out their future together, both in marriage and their careers – literally working side-by-side as engineer and architect. Over time, however, Popoy’s overzealous pursuit for his set financial and marriage goals have left him unaware of his disregard for his future wife as he had never stopped to think what Basha has in mind for them or for herself.
All her silent grievances piled up, Basha, in one scene, burst out of a dining area, leaving Popoy almost simply thinking her blowup had to do with a duel they just had over a piece of chicken skin. What once made complete sense doesn’t anymore for Basha who eventually decides to carve her own path of individuality, causing unimaginable torment to Popoy.
“Popoy just didn’t understand at first because the dominant emotion was hurt… But what the characters realize and discover at the end of it, more than just how great it is to be loved, is that growth can happen and usually happens after something as hurtful as a breakup. It’s a matter of whether one is willing to embrace that change,” Valdez said.
Asked what they would have changed if “One More Chance” was intended for today’s audience, Carmi said: “For me, Bash should not have apologized that much.”
“Yes, definitely,” said Valdez. The writers were referring to one of the final scenes set on the grounds of the University of Sto. Thomas, the same place where the couple met and fell in love. In this scene toward the end, they had a heart-to-heart talk before parting ways to find themselves.
Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. from the movie One More Chance.
“Maybe she can still apologize for hurting Popoy, for it being so painful, but one should not apologize for choosing growth,” said Raymundo, joking that the revised version she came up with derives from her own coming-of-age over the years.
Valdez is of the same view. While the love story dictated the need for an apology from the one who instigated the pain, “I don’t think she should have apologized for choosing to figure out who she is.“
Heartbreak from pirates
After eight years from the debut of “One More Chance,” its sequel “A Second Chance” arrived and once again ruled the theaters. The movie charts the slow demise of Popoy and Basha’s marriage, triggered by the combined economic pressures of starting their dream home and managing a business.
The movie broke box office records with gross receipts totaling P556 million. But as much as it garnered massive acclaim, the movie attracted an overwhelming wave of digital piracy attacks.
“‘A Second Chance’ was the most affected in terms of global blockbuster receipts. Parang second week palang lumabas na ang pirated copies sa websites and it preempted global screenings. It could have grossed more kung hindi napirate agad, or at all,” Raymundo said, noting this marked the first time Star Cinema felt the gravity of intellectual property theft online.
Now with IPOPHL’s recent site-blocking rules and more coordinated efforts from government and private sector to battle piracy, Raymundo and Valdez hope Filipino filmmakers and contributors can flourish more confidently in the digital space.
Moving on to the theaters
After becoming a pop-culture phenomenon, Star Cinema’s “One More Chance” was adapted in other art forms, such as a novel by Juan Miguel Sevilla and, now, a musical by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA).
Under the Berne Convention, adapted works enjoy their own copyright separate from that of the original work it derived from. This means the new adapted work enjoys all the economic and moral rights of a protected work, subject to negotiations with the original rights holder. “One More Chance, The Musical” Executive Producer Melvin Lee said that although PETA will always need the green light from the screenplay’s owner Star Cinema before running the musical, PETA has secured full and exclusive ownership over the musical itself.
The show, to run from April to June, proves to be PETA’s first time in piecing various existing works together. What it had been used to is the jukebox format where they use ready-made music to create a new narrative. For this new venture, PETA assured fans it will be faithful to the screenplay plot. Rather than a deconstruction, what audiences can expect is a richer version that examines various lessons from the vantage point of one living in 2024, nearly two decades since the film’s premiere.
“We brought depth in how we view the self in relationships, the choices that we make, and how these reverberate to our social circles, our family, friends, and the society in general,” “One More Chance, The Musical” Playwright Michelle Ngu-Nario said, adding that it will also immerse in raging issues such as mental health.
Photo courtesy of PETA.
To mount the musical, PETA knew it had to match the story with musicality that had equal success in captivating and electrifying an entire generation. No one came close to the qualifications of Ben&Ben with their songs on the kind of love that goes against all odds.
“I think the two brands we’ve chosen to put together are such strong brands, and the overwhelming action of the public in itself shows the strength of this collaboration of a lifetime,” Musical Director Maribel Legarda said, adding that tickets for the 50-show run have sold out in the span of a few weeks.
She added that the musical will play as many Ben&Ben songs, with some tweaked to evoke the emotions called for in a scene. But she also revealed the band is currently working on an original which fans will be hearing for the first time through the musical: Tricia’s song.
“This is based on the song lyrics Tricia (Popoy’s new girlfriend played by Maja Salvador in the film), wrote for Popoy. So exciting!” said Legarda.
When the curtains close, Ngu-Nario hopes the audience will carry out with them not only rolls of tissue paper soaked wet from crying and laughing, but also lessons of “empowerment, self-love and faith — faith to stand by the choices we make whatever the outcome.”
“One More Chance” has shown the importance of friendships and romantic relationships that give way for personal freedoms, whether it is to chart a career, uncover the authentic self or simply know the “What is” — even if it means testing the bond of love. PETA’s musical hopes to reinforce this message, with fresher and broader framing on what comes beyond events that terrify us because, as Ngu-Nario said, “Sometimes we need breakdowns so we can have breakthroughs.”
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