A joke, they say, is half a truth, cleverly disguised.
In And the Breadwinner Is…, Vice Ganda’s bold entry into the 50th edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival, the joke is actually a painful truth wrapped in humor. While the film features the usual comic charm of Vice Ganda, Jong Hilario, and the brilliant Eugene Domingo, it’s far more than just a comedy—it’s a poignant reflection of the sacrifices made by millions of Filipinos who leave their homes to build better lives for their families.
The opening scenes capture the emotional journey of an overseas Filipino worker—full of hope and dreams for a brighter future. The money sent home is meant to fund aspirations, but what unfolds is a stark confrontation with reality. The dream quickly becomes a nightmare, as the expectations of what the money can achieve are shattered by harsh truths.
Then, a twist offers a glimmer of escape—a chance to break free from the cycle of poverty. But as the characters weigh their choices, they must reckon with a bitter truth: “Kadalasan ang nagigipit, sa patalim kumakapit.” The temptation to return to the life once imagined proves hard to resist, despite the moral compromise. In this moral quagmire, the philosophy of Machiavelli seems to ring true—the end justifies the means.
The plan, however, was never as perfect as it seemed. It quickly unravels, and with it, the fragile thread of the familial bonds, worn thin by years of separation. In a climactic confrontation, Bambi—Vice Ganda’s character—delivers a monologue that could have been trimmed, but nonetheless, delivers a raw, emotional punch. In this moment, Bambi articulates the long-held frustrations of breadwinners who have forsaken their own happiness for the sake of family—a sentiment many are too afraid to voice.
The film ends as it begins: with Bambi achieving her dream, no longer a mere breadwinner, but now a stewardess—a symbol of triumph, but also a testament to the personal cost of deferred dreams.
In the end, And the Breadwinner Is… is a story of hope, regret, and redemption, all wrapped in humor and delivered with a punch.
