The Metro Manila Film Festival, popularly known as MMFF, once again offered ten films to fit every moviegoer’s preference. However, a fan-favorite, the film Rewind faces accusations that it is just a copycat of the 2004 Hollywood movie If Only. Despite the long lines in cinema houses, we got the chance to watch the DongYan couple, Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes, in their silver screen comeback, and here are our thoughts about the recently released movie.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers about the two movies, Rewind and If Only. Reader’s discretion is advised.
Rewind and If Only: The Films’ Plots
We first watched the Hollywood film to know how the story goes and why some have been comparing it to the recently released MMFF entry. According to some articles, this film was a hidden gem. If you are interested in sci-fi movies, specifically time-traveling, this is worth watching. If Only revolves around a day in the life of the couple, Samantha and Ian. During the whole day, relationship problems between the two were evident.
Ian forgot Sam’s graduation recital, Sam barged into Ian’s important meeting to give a file he left at home (but he actually brought another one), and how the two fought at the end of the day. Unfortunately, as the clock struck 11 PM, Sam was in a cab, it was hit by another car, and she died.
- Interestingly, during the day, the same cab driver who drove Samantha at night was also the one Ian got to share a small talk with. The driver knew about his love life problem and offered advice like, “Appreciate her. And what you have.” It did become a wake-up call to Ian (at least a bit); however, he did not know what Sam had been thinking and feeling about all day.
Weirdly enough, for Ian, things changed after the car crash accident. After crying all night in bed, he hugged Sam’s diary close to him, not until a voice came out from nowhere, threatening and jokingly saying that he shouldn’t read even just a page. And right there, in their apartment, Sam was alive, and Ian went into panic mode and started shouting.
Every little thing that happened to Sam and Ian’s lives yesterday strangely happened again (just like a deja vu). Some happened the way it was, some happened a little later but differently, and we have also wondered if it was all a dream. Still, the taxi driver knew what was going on, so we somehow came to the conclusion that Ian was given a chance to make up for all the lost time with his partner, with only a tiny amount of time left. However, the cab arrived with the same driver, and as the clock struck 11 PM, the same accident happened again — only this time, Ian was the one who died.
On the other hand, the Filipino film focuses on two days before an accident. As it started the married couple, John and Mary, were introduced, beginning in their childhood school days when they first met. A goofy Mary meets the serious-looking John at a young age, and from then on, they become each other’s perfect sidekick. They welcomed their son with happy hearts, but John seemed out of reach for his family as years passed.
Aside from always being stuck with his workloads, John would either be tired or mad, making it difficult for Mary and their son, Austin, to communicate with him. In his workplace, after an important meeting in the morning, it had been a deciding point for the CEO to choose who would be the successor. The position was given to the newbie and Business Development Head, Vivian. Expectantly, John did not take it well, confronted and argued with his godfather, and resigned.
The next day, things remain the same in their household, and Mary consoles her husband after not being promoted. A hot-headed John kept asking where she learned about it and directed his annoyance (or anger) to his assistant, Hannah, saying she was being nosy and talkative. At the same time, it was his son’s big day — the first play Austin wrote and directed. The couple were running late to the show, and in the car, Mary saw John’s office things in a box, which led them to argue during the drive.
To add more fuel to the fire, Hannah called Mary, telling her that she would be sending a video. That’s when Mary lost it — she removed her seatbelt, wanting to get out of the moving vehicle, while John tried to stop her. The two had a moment of eye contact when suddenly a jogger passed by, which John avoided, but he swerved to get out of the way of a few more cars, causing their vehicle to bump into a tree. Mary did not make it and died at 3 PM.
Having the house to himself, John met Jess (or Lods, as Austin calls him as he assembles and fixes lights), and also, in the film, the businessman addressed him as Jesus Christ. Jess made a deal — he can take John back to the day before the accident for him to make things right, but someone still has to die. In the end, John agreed and said that he’d be the one to sacrifice his life for his wife.
- They were able to watch Austin’s play and enjoy it, not until he saw the time 2:54 PM and remembered his wife’s time of death at 3 PM. John was able to watch the play’s finale; however, he already passed away at that time. Mary and Austin fulfilled John’s hopes for them. They flew to Singapore, Mary becoming a known chef and restaurant owner, and Austin becoming a famous pianist.
The Characters
Jennifer Love Hewitt played Samantha Andrews, a musician and a part-time music teacher for kids. As a line in the film goes, “Everybody loves Miss Andrews,” she has this bubbly and all-smiley energy. Meanwhile, Paul Nicholls portrayed Ian as a workaholic businessman; he is all work and unconsciously forgets everything else, even her girlfriend’s important days (and probably her, too, at times).
Rewind starred real-life fan-favorite couple Marian Rivera as Mary and Dingdong Dantes as John. Mary was an up-and-becoming chef until their son came into the world, and she gave up her work to become a full-time housewife. She had loved John her whole life and had always been the sunshine in her husband’s life, making him smile and laugh.
John was a business employee in his godfather’s whiskey company. He may have a pair of sad eyes, but we’re pretty sure Mary was enough to make his eyes shine (at least during their girlfriend and boyfriend phase). In the past years after their son was born, he changed into someone different from when the couple met to their present relationship.
Both films had an Almighty-like character who knew everything about the guys’ lives. In If Only, Tom Wilkinson was the cab driver, while Pepe Herrera played Jess or Lods in Rewind. Moreover, the women’s characters also have their versions of best friends: Lucy Davenport as Lottie (Samantha’s), while Ina Feleo as Mary’s.
The character added in Rewind was John and Mary’s son, Austin, played by Jordan Lim. The youngster brought a cute and dramatic performance as the couple’s musically-inclined son.
The Similarities: The Overall Concept
Upon watching both films, the concept is clearly similar. Sure, in the entertainment industry nowadays, these close concepts have been one of the issues faced by numerous content, whether big or small screen. However, If Only’s concept of returning to the day to make things right and make it up for your loved one is what Rewind’s storyline also did. They only tweaked it and turned it into a family, married couple film. The genres it touched were the same: romance, comedy, and drama. But the Filipino movie would make you cry even more, and we have tested and proven this.
Both films focused on the men’s characters and how their work affected their relationships, but slightly differently. Also, Ian and John faced problems with their fathers, making the two main leads distant. At the same time, the male characters love their partners very much but fail to appreciate them and make them feel all the love they have for them.
More to the similarities, the women hoped for something more significant in their respective careers, and at the end of the day, Samantha and Mary were able to fulfill their dreams — with their greatest loves as their inspirations. Sam became a known musician through Ian helping him perform her song in front of the crowd, while John asked Mary to continue to achieve her dreams in Singapore.
Additionally, the movies showed the Highest Being as an average person, which was also another point of similarity between the two. The only difference we can point out is that Rewind became a family, AKA they had a son.
Final Thoughts
With all the similarities we’ve noted from the Hollywood and Filipino films, we can say that Rewind could be a rip-off film. The concept and characters were a little too alike, and given that If Only was released 20 years ago, it’s pretty evident that the Filipino movie was indistinguishable from the original.
- But also, given that the Hollywood creation was almost two decades ago, many people may not be familiar with it. So, those uninitiated about the 2004 film could be in awe and amazed by the concept of 2023’s Rewind, and the film’s all worth appreciating for various reasons.
- For people who know about the older film, it could be either a less exciting experience to rewatch a “Filipino adaptation” or be proud of how the people behind and in front of the cameras were able to pull off such an excellent movie for this year’s MMFF. Sure, a rip-off movie may be pretty disappointing, but the whole team behind the film must be applauded. They may have copied the story, but they did a great job of giving justice to the original. A film is more than just a story, there are various aspects that makes it, and most importantly, the lesson that Rewind left in the audience’s hearts is beyond compare.
In all honesty, Rewind still deserves the hype and praise they are getting. Sure, there may be an originality issue, but the production, cast, and crew delivered an exemplary performance and creation through this film. Despite coming from an acting break, Marian Rivera showed raw and heartfelt emotions, even with just those eyes. Rivera has been known to be one of the best actresses of the generation, especially in heavy drama; viewers and fans know that she slays those portrayals.
Dingdong Dantes, well, there are no other words, is a strong candidate for the Best Actor award. His delivery of lines is gut-wrenching, especially during the funeral scene (a personal favorite). Even with the simplicity of Dantes’s lines, it indeed goes straight to the heart, and your tears will flow. The couple’s chemistry remains solid, and acting side-by-side with a great material, it’s undoubtedly a great comeback film for DongYan.
The ensemble did not miss it either. With a star-studded support of Ariel Ureta, Coney Reyes, Lito Pimentel, Joross Gamboa, Ina Feleo, Pamu Pamorada, Sue Ramirez, and more, Rewind has one of the best castings among all the ten entries for this MMFF. The film touches on the importance of family, time, and love — a perfect reminder for everyone this holiday season.
Star Cinema’s Rewind at the MMFF 2023
At the Gabi ng Parangal, the MMFF 2023’s awarding ceremony, Rewind seemed not to be the winner of the night. Instead, the historical film entry for this year took the most awards, GOMBURZA. Despite not winning any technical and major awards, Rewind could still get the highest-grossing film for this year’s film festival. Let’s wait and see until the last day of MMFF to know if the controversial film will get this award.
The annual film festival’s criteria for this year consist of artistic excellence (40%), commercial appeal (40%), Filipino cultural sensibility (10%), and global appeal (10%). Moreover, some people question the originality of the screenplay, as it was reported to be one of MMFF’s criteria. How about you? What are your thoughts about Star Cinema’s Rewind? Share them with us in the comments below.
Miss Dogelio, I am Enrico Santos. I wrote Rewind. I can honestly tell you that I never saw If Only. I did not know it existed until sometime during shooting someone said Rewind had the similar device as an old movie. No one paid heed as the person said it was so different. If I had seen If Only, I would never contemplate writing anything close to it, even if attributed. I can only be amazed at the parallels. But I cannot rip off what I had not seen.
The desire to turn back time to address regrets is universal, and the classic trope is to literally turn back time. I think once the time-return device becomes similar, the other tropes line up. Like the Wise Old Man trope. But that is about it.
I find it strange to grind on this, when Groundhog Day as a device is repeated endlessly (latest being Palm Springs), Rashomon is repeated endlessly, amnesia, separated-at-birth, and so many classic and novel devices. There are only so many setups to conjure, in millions of filmed content; it is the storytelling that should differ and matter. I wish people can see that If Only (of which a friend sent a copy yesterday) is a romcom about some honeymoon that happened while there is time, while Rewind is a family faith-based drama on trust in God’s plan. That is a universe of difference.
What a bunch of bullocks. Just say you ripped off the film bro and thought no one would notice. Goes to show how unoriginal filipino films are. You even have their writers out here blatantly lying.
well said. the more you explain the more you reveal what must remain hidden. lollls
MMFF should still be responsible in validating each movie entry right? FILIPINO cinema is back because of DongYan and their comeback movie REWIND. MMFF 2023 will not be as successful without REWIND’s movie revenues since REWIND is clearly the people’s choice. The movie IF ONLY is similar to REWIND, the big difference is IF ONLY does not have the REWIND’S EFFECT.