Caregiver (film)
Encyclopedia
Caregiver is a 2008 Filipino
medical-drama film
. The film stars Filipina
actress Sharon Cuneta
portraying the role of Sarah, a mother who left her son in the Philippines
and also a teacher who relinquished her profession in lieu of care giving
in London
, in hopes of augmenting her salary. Chito S. Roño directed the film and Chris Martinez wrote its screenplay.
It is one of the top-grossing Filipino movies of the year. The film also receives mostly positive reviews from critics.
The cast includes British actors namely; Saul Reichlin, Matthew Rutherford, and Claire Jeater.
The rest of the film was shot in Roosevelt College Rodriguez. The scenes here include the part where Sarah was still studying as a caregiver student.
), a grade school English teacher, joins the 150,000 Pinoy OFWs working in the United Kingdom to support her husband, Teddy (John Estrada
), in making a better living for their family. More than just a chronicle of the Filipino experience working as nurses and caregivers in the U.K., this story also charts Sarah's journey to self-discovery – from a submissive wife who makes sacrifices to make way for her Teddy's aspirations to an empowered woman who finds dignity and pride in a humbling job as a caregiver in London.
The story begins as Sarah says goodbye to her familiar world. After finishing an arduous course in caregiving, she bids farewell to the Grade 5 classroom where she teaches English. She buys a winter coat for her son Paulo and promises he will use it once she can afford to take him to London. In typical Pinoy fashion, she shares tearful goodbyes with her whole family at the airport when she finally leaves for the United Kingdom.
Sarah arrives in London. At their apartment, she and Teddy share a passionate reunion. In a honeymoon mood, he takes her to the beautiful sights around London. While window-shopping at a famous mall, Sarah meets Sean (Makisig Morales
), a spunky Filipino boy, as he tries to shoplift chocolate bars.
After the initial fleeting period of excitement, she experiences the hard challenges every Filipino caregiver faces every day: cold weather, dirty work and difficult patients.
Meanwhile, Teddy also struggles with the daily grind in the hospital where he works. He is stressed and drinks often because he has failed the nursing test twice.
Despite the difficulty of adjusting to London life, however, Sarah faithfully stands by her Teddy. She tries to make the most of the situation by doing her best at work and earns the respect of Mr. Morgan, a wealthy old man. Teddy is oblivious to her success, however, as he is absorbed in his own problems with work. Sarah finds solace in her friendship with Mr. Morgan and his son David, who seems to appreciate her more than Teddy does, and with Sean, who eases her longing for her own son.
Tension rises between Sarah and Teddy as the stress of London life takes its toll on their marriage. Because of mounting conflict both at work and home, Teddy decides to give up. He tells Sarah that they are going back to the Philippines.
Sarah finds it very hard to accept Teddy's decision. She knows that staying in London is the best thing for their family, because returning to the Philippines would only mean going back to the same problems they had before. Will Sarah choose to remain by Teddy's side to keep her family intact? Or will she find the strength to stay in London to continue seeking a better life for her son, even if it means losing her marriage?
, which marks the company's fifteenth year in service. The year 2008 also marks Cuneta's 30th anniversary in the industry, and the film serves as offering to fans.
The film was also released in international cinemas. Caregiver had its premiere in Alex Theatre in Glendale, California
on May 31, 2008. Many Filipino caregivers working far from California travelled in to watch the film. It was released in late June and early July 2008 to several Middle East
countries, including Qatar
and Dubai
.
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
medical-drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
. The film stars Filipina
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
actress Sharon Cuneta
Sharon Cuneta
Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan, better known as Sharon Cuneta, is a popular and multi-awarded Filipino singer, actress and TV host dubbed as Megastar of Philippine Entertainment, fondly called Mega by fans and people from the entertainment industry....
portraying the role of Sarah, a mother who left her son in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and also a teacher who relinquished her profession in lieu of care giving
Caregiver
Caregiver may refer to:* Caregiver or carer - an unpaid person who cares for someone requiring support due to a disability, frailty, mental health problem, learning disability or old age...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in hopes of augmenting her salary. Chito S. Roño directed the film and Chris Martinez wrote its screenplay.
It is one of the top-grossing Filipino movies of the year. The film also receives mostly positive reviews from critics.
Production
The film is based on real-life stories of Filipino caregivers abroad. Director Roño searched for stories of their lives abroad and personally talked to some who shared their experiences. Roño has friends who work as caregivers; their real-life scenarios were directly depicted in the film.The cast includes British actors namely; Saul Reichlin, Matthew Rutherford, and Claire Jeater.
The rest of the film was shot in Roosevelt College Rodriguez. The scenes here include the part where Sarah was still studying as a caregiver student.
Plot summary
Sarah (Sharon CunetaSharon Cuneta
Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan, better known as Sharon Cuneta, is a popular and multi-awarded Filipino singer, actress and TV host dubbed as Megastar of Philippine Entertainment, fondly called Mega by fans and people from the entertainment industry....
), a grade school English teacher, joins the 150,000 Pinoy OFWs working in the United Kingdom to support her husband, Teddy (John Estrada
John Estrada
John Estrada is a Filipino movie and TV actor, starred in a number of roles as a leading man, comedian and villain.He is currently part of ABS-CBN contract actors.-Life and career:...
), in making a better living for their family. More than just a chronicle of the Filipino experience working as nurses and caregivers in the U.K., this story also charts Sarah's journey to self-discovery – from a submissive wife who makes sacrifices to make way for her Teddy's aspirations to an empowered woman who finds dignity and pride in a humbling job as a caregiver in London.
The story begins as Sarah says goodbye to her familiar world. After finishing an arduous course in caregiving, she bids farewell to the Grade 5 classroom where she teaches English. She buys a winter coat for her son Paulo and promises he will use it once she can afford to take him to London. In typical Pinoy fashion, she shares tearful goodbyes with her whole family at the airport when she finally leaves for the United Kingdom.
Sarah arrives in London. At their apartment, she and Teddy share a passionate reunion. In a honeymoon mood, he takes her to the beautiful sights around London. While window-shopping at a famous mall, Sarah meets Sean (Makisig Morales
Makisig Morales
Makisig Morales appeared on the TV reality-show Little Big Star and is the lead singer of the boy band Mak and the Dudes. As a child actor, he played the lead role in Super Inggo'....
), a spunky Filipino boy, as he tries to shoplift chocolate bars.
After the initial fleeting period of excitement, she experiences the hard challenges every Filipino caregiver faces every day: cold weather, dirty work and difficult patients.
Meanwhile, Teddy also struggles with the daily grind in the hospital where he works. He is stressed and drinks often because he has failed the nursing test twice.
Despite the difficulty of adjusting to London life, however, Sarah faithfully stands by her Teddy. She tries to make the most of the situation by doing her best at work and earns the respect of Mr. Morgan, a wealthy old man. Teddy is oblivious to her success, however, as he is absorbed in his own problems with work. Sarah finds solace in her friendship with Mr. Morgan and his son David, who seems to appreciate her more than Teddy does, and with Sean, who eases her longing for her own son.
Tension rises between Sarah and Teddy as the stress of London life takes its toll on their marriage. Because of mounting conflict both at work and home, Teddy decides to give up. He tells Sarah that they are going back to the Philippines.
Sarah finds it very hard to accept Teddy's decision. She knows that staying in London is the best thing for their family, because returning to the Philippines would only mean going back to the same problems they had before. Will Sarah choose to remain by Teddy's side to keep her family intact? Or will she find the strength to stay in London to continue seeking a better life for her son, even if it means losing her marriage?
Cast and characters
- Sharon CunetaSharon CunetaSharon Cuneta-Pangilinan, better known as Sharon Cuneta, is a popular and multi-awarded Filipino singer, actress and TV host dubbed as Megastar of Philippine Entertainment, fondly called Mega by fans and people from the entertainment industry....
as Sarah Gonzales - John EstradaJohn EstradaJohn Estrada is a Filipino movie and TV actor, starred in a number of roles as a leading man, comedian and villain.He is currently part of ABS-CBN contract actors.-Life and career:...
as Theodore "Teddy" Gonzales - Rica PeralejoRica PeralejoRegina Carla "Rica" Bautista Peralejo-Bonifacio is a Filipina actress, singer, and television host. She is a member of ABS-CBN's circle of homegrown talents collectively known as Star Magic. She studied Creative Writing at the Ateneo de Manila University...
as Karen - Jhong Hilario as Joseph
- Saul Reichlin as Mr. Morgan
- Matthew Rutherford as David Morgan
- Claire Jeater as Margaret Morgan
- John Vladimir Manalo as Paulo Gonzales
- Makisig MoralesMakisig MoralesMakisig Morales appeared on the TV reality-show Little Big Star and is the lead singer of the boy band Mak and the Dudes. As a child actor, he played the lead role in Super Inggo'....
as Sean - Mickey FerriolsMickey FerriolsMichelle Forster , better known by her stage name Mickey Ferriols, is a Filipino actress.-Personal life:She has a son with ex-partner Archie Alemania named Brent Marcus Alemania and she is the older half-sister of Jackie Foster and youngest biological granddaughter of actor and former NFL tight...
as Julia - Mara Schnittka as Ana
- Lotlot De Leon as Betty
- Marita Zobel as Nemie
- Anita Linda as Lola Miling
- Cheska Billiones as Sarah's student
- Consuelo Bilcliffe as Ditas
Release
Caregiver is released under Star CinemaStar Cinema
ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. , is the wholly owned film production subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corporation. It is the Philippines' largest film production, producing most of the highest grossing films in the Philippines.-1994:...
, which marks the company's fifteenth year in service. The year 2008 also marks Cuneta's 30th anniversary in the industry, and the film serves as offering to fans.
The film was also released in international cinemas. Caregiver had its premiere in Alex Theatre in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
on May 31, 2008. Many Filipino caregivers working far from California travelled in to watch the film. It was released in late June and early July 2008 to several Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
countries, including Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
and Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
.
External links
- Caregiver ABS-CBN Global Movies