When eight-year-old Marcus Cabais was asked by the members of the movie press on his thought on the unconventional premise of the film My 2 Mommies, the eloquent youngster immediately answered, “It’s inappropriate, I mean it’s different but it’s good.”
Marcus plays the seven-year-old son of Solenn Heussaff and Paolo Ballesteros in the movie.
Obviously, the kid was raised in a conventional household but is exposed to the idea of a non-traditional family where a child is raised by homosexual parents. Though this kind of family structure isn’t new to begin with, local mainstream media hasn’t given it a bigger exposure.
But why give it an ample airtime? Numerous studies suggest that what matters for children is not so much the structure of the family and the gender or sexual orientation of their parents doesn’t affect the kind of persons they will become in the future.
This is exactly the premise that the Regal Entertainment, Inc.’s Mother’s Day offering My 2 Mommies wants to explore.
The story revolves around Manu (Paolo), a discreet gay guy, with a successful career but is not out to his family yet. Furthermore, he is in a same-sex relationship that he also keeps under the radar.
But his life takes a pivotal turn when Monique (Solenn), a woman from Manu’s his past, shows up one day and admits to him that they have a son. And that’s how things get more complicated.
“The film is very timely. We wanted to showcase a different kind of mother. Kasi ang alam natin ‘pag Mother’s Day, the usual na nasa card na puro mama.Tama naman ang nasa movie, hindi lang naman babae ang nanay, di ba?” Paolo said.
The actor pointed out that motherhood is not bound by biological attachment, and cited some women who assumed the “mother roles” to children even if they are not the ones who gave birth to them.
“Merong ibang klaseng nanay, yung iba nawala yung nanay at ang naging nanay, yung kapatid, so it’s a different kind of mother,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Solenn underscored that people are adapting to change and the subject that the movie tackles makes it timely and relatable .
“In a way, people are accepting things more. Pati yung LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community is strong na also. Madaming bansa na ang nag-agree ng gay marriage, the world is opening up little by little, so relatable talaga ang movie.”
Solenn further mentioned that the society nowadays is more accepting to unconventional situations of people, such as single moms, separated couples, and gay couples.
“Nowadays in the last five years, very open na ang mga tao, so it’s really modern.”
Eric Quizon, who directed the film, said that the subject of the movie has been existing for a long time but it is only now that people are warming up to the idea.
“There are a lot of parents na ganyan. It’s just that because of how Filipinos view it. Syempre, religion pa rin (may malakas na influence). But ang maganda kasi now, people have become more socially accepting, yung social awareness mas okay na,” he pointed out.
“They dont mind, they’ve been open about their sexuality as compared to before. Mas open na sila ngayon. Parents who come from LGBT groupsmas relaxed na sila of handling situations like this, and kahit sa mga bata, mas open na ang understanding nila,” Eric noted.
Joining Paolo, Solenn and Marcus in this Mother’s Day offering are Maricel Soriano, Joem Bascon, Diane Medina, Debraliz,Mich Liggayu, and Billy Ray Gallion. The film will hit the theaters on May 9.
