The Debut (2000)

Director:

Gene Cajayon

Writers:

Gene Cajayon (writer)
John Manal Castro (writer)

Release Date:

13 August 2003 (Philippines)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

One night can change a lifetime.

Plot:

The story revolves around Ben Mercado, a talented high school senior who has rejected his Filipino heritage...

Plot Keywords:

Party | High School | Birthday Party | Artist | Debut

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Dante Basco	...	Ben Mercado (as Danté Basco)
Jayson Schaal	...	Doug
Brian Card	...	Dave
Mindy Spence	...	Jennifer
Nicole Hawkyard	...	Susie
Brandon Martinez	...	Rick
Ernie Zarate	...	Tito Lenny
Gina Alajar	...	Gina Mercado
Emelita Moll	...	Tita Connie
Gina Honda	...	Tita Florie
Tirso Cruz III	...	Roland Mercado
Bernadette Balagtas	...	Rose Mercado
Rawlins Apilado	...	Jun
Derek Basco	...	Edwin Mercado
Joy Bisco	...	Annabelle Manalo

Also Known As:

The Mercado Family Debut

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

94 min | USA:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Tagalog | Filipino

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Denmark:7 | Germany:12 | Sweden:7 | USA:R

Company:

5 Card Productions

Trivia:

Bernadette Balagtas (Rose Mercado) had injured her ankle while basketball training for the movie. She had to wear an ankle brace throughout the entire filming schedule. The brace had to be digitally removed in one of the major dance sequences where her ankle is prominently featured.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Slanted Screen (2006)

One word ...

Fabulous!!! The casting was excellent on this film, having the oh-so-cute Basco brothers playing different roles from the sensitive and soft protagonist to the rough-and-ready gangster. Dante Basco's acting was just yummy-in-my-yummy-please-may-I-have-another exquisite. The character of the politically conscious character was captured well by the dark-and-lovely elder Basco brother. Dion Basco was a cute, little thing playing the clueless punk who was floored by Cupid's love tap towards the conclusion of the movie -- a bit of falling action, literally and figuratively. And then there was the other brother who played the antagonist with such an over-the-top masculinity that I was sure that there was something seething in his internal closet, just waiting to break out and scream "Purrrrr Purrrrr Purrrrrrrrrrr!!!!" My only problem is that the love interest and sister were played by females. How, pray tell, can that be so? Wasn't the movie suppose to be about a debut, or in other words, a "coming out"? In fact, no one came out in the film.