She's Dating the Gangster
Theatrical movie poster
Directed byCathy Garcia-Molina[1]
Written by
  • Carmi Raymundo
  • Charlene Grace Bernardo
  • Bianca Bernardino[1] (novel)
Based onShe's Dating the Gangster
by Bianca Bernardino[2][3]
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDan Villegas
Edited byJojo Racal
Music byFrancis S. Concio
Production
company
Distributed byStar Cinema
Release date
  • July 16, 2014 (2014-07-16)[4]
Running time
113 minutes[5]
CountryPhilippines
LanguagesFilipino
English
Box office₱286 million[6]

She's Dating the Gangster is a 2014 Philippine coming-of-age romantic comedy drama film based on the Pop Fiction book of the same name originally published on CandyMag.com's Teen Talk section,[7] which was popularized on Wattpad[8] by Bianca Bernardino under her pen name SGwannaB.[2][3] The film is directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, topbilled by Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, together with Dawn Zulueta and Richard Gomez.[9] It was distributed by Star Cinema with the co-production of Summit Media and was released on July 16, 2014, in theatres nationwide as part of its 20th anniversary presentation.[10][11][12][13]

Plot

Kenji delos Reyes delivers a speech during a wedding. However, his son Kenneth causes a scene to Kenji’s disappointment. Kenneth reveals his resentment towards his father and wished him dead instead of his departed mother.

The following morning, Kenneth wakes up to learn that the plane to Bicol his father was aboard has crashed. He rushes to the airport to see the list of survivors and meets Kelay, who causes a scene claiming Kenji was her father. Hearing this, Kenneth confronts her and says that he is Kenji's only child. He says that his father is married to Athena Abigail delos Reyes. Kelay responds by showing a picture of a young Kenji with a young girl. The couple in the photograph is the respective doppelgangers of Kenneth and Kelay. Kenneth confronts Kelay about her identity and about the girl in the picture. Kelay reveals that the girl is her aunt Athena who is Kenji's "great love". She tells him that she needs to see his father to let him know that Athena is dying. Kelay wants to give Athena her happy ending before she dies. She tells Kenneth once again that Athena is his father's great love. Kenneth refuses to believe her.

At a bus station, Kenneth fails to buy a ticket to Legazpi because of the Holy Week rush. Kelay suddenly appears and has already bought tickets for both of them. On the way to Legazpi, Kelay tells the tale of Athena Dizon and Kenji back in the 1990s.

The young Kenji was a feared "gangster" who is brokenhearted over Athena Abigail "Abi" Tizon (Kenneth's mother). Wanting to get back together, he has been mistakenly sending his messages to the pager of another girl, Athena Dizon. Athena and Kenji finally meet and realize the mix-up in the messages. To Athena's surprise, Kenji kisses her forcefully and tells her that she will be his pretend girlfriend in order to get Abi jealous. Athena refuses despite Kenji's bullying and pressuring, but eventually gives in when he attempts to jump off the school's rooftop.

Athena is treated like a princess in school with Kenji as her bodyguard, who protects her from the jealous girls who bully her. Their pretend relationship becomes real and the two confess their love for each other.

As Kenneth listens to Kelay’s story, he becomes upset realizing everything he knew and felt about his father were wrong. He and Kelay are also beginning to become drawn to each other. Later, they learn that the plane has crashed in Camarines Sur and there were survivors.

Kenji takes Athena to Mayon volcano and promise they will return to get married here someday. Athena tells him she will try not to die without revealing her heart condition.

Kenneth and Kelay arrive at Camarines Sur. Kenneth asks her why his father and Athena never ended up together. Kelay said that all she knows was it was a “big case of bad timing”. That Kenji and Athena’s love story ended after their return from Bicol.

Upon returning to Manila, Athena’s father scolds her for going away and reminds her of her medical condition. He wants her to stop seeing Kenji. Athena apologizes but tells her father Kenji is one more reason for her to fight for her life.

Kenji stops attending school. Athena and their friends are puzzled as to his whereabouts.

Lucas reaches out to Kenneth and picks him and Kelay up to look for Kenji. In the car, Kenneth asks Lucas what happened between Kenji and Athena. Lucas said that he was asked by Kenji to bring Athena to see him at a hospital. Upon arriving, Athena finds a confined Abi suffering from gastric cancer. Athena learns that Abi broke up with Kenji because of her illness. She wanted to spare Kenji from the suffering. Lucas admitted that he courted Abi knowing she still loved Kenji. Abi wakes up and apologizes to Athena. She asks Athena to take care of Kenji. Abi’s mother was the one who told Kenji about Abi’s condition. She begs him to help give Abi a reason to live. Athena and Kenji meet at the hallway. Wanting Abi to survive and be happy, Athena breaks up with him and that was the last time they saw each other. She later left for the United States. Kenji and Abi get married and Kenneth would be born.

Kelay and Kenneth are upset with the revelations of Lucas, when she suddenly receives a phone call and is told that Athena is now in her final moments. Kelay and Kenneth part ways with Kenneth promising that Athena and Kenji would meet again.

Kenneth finally locates his father in a hospital. An orderly hands Kenji’s belongings to him, among which is a letter he wrote for him. In the letter, Kenji writes that he decided to go to Legazpi to say goodbye to his memories with Athena and to atone for his shortcomings to Abi and Kenneth. When Kenji wakes up, the two reconcile.

Days later, Kenneth takes Kenji to a house where he reunites with his old friends. A door opens and Kelay leads Athena out in a wheelchair to his shock. Athena and tells Kenji about her illness and tells him that his love kept her alive through the years. She says she is happy for Kenji and dies in his arms.

Present day, Kelay wakes up to a phone call telling her that a flight has gone missing and Kenneth was onboard. When she goes to the airport, she makes a scene, shouting that her boyfriend is missing. Kenneth appears to her shock. Kenji also appears and admits being the one who called her. Kenneth asks her if they can have a great love story like Kenji and Athena.

Cast

Daniel Padilla portrays young Kenji Delos Reyes/Kenneth Delos Reyes.
Kathryn Bernardo portrays young Athena Dizon/Kelay Dizon.
Richard Gomez portrays present Kenji Delos Reyes.

Several actors and actresses also made their cameo appearance in the film–including Karen Reyes as Bridesmaid, Matutina as Nana Buding, Hyubs Azarcon as Truck Driver, Pooh as News Reporter, Jojit Lorenzo and JM De Guzman as Airline Officers, Rayver Cruz, Patrick Sugui, Carl Ravanes, and Rasheed Rivero as the basketball players, Joross Gamboa and Ketchup Eusebio as the Coach, Janus del Prado as the Bus Ticket Vendor, Joem Bascon as hair stylist, Gerry Bricenio as Bus Conductor, and Olivia Cruz as the Doctor.

Release

Due to the film's huge success, it was screened internationally in selected countries like United States, Canada, Australia, and United Arab Emirates.[15] The film grossed $222,000 after 3 days of showing in North America[16] and after 10 days, the cumulative total was $570,000.[17] The total gross, from the 2-week US and 3-week Canada screenings as well as the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore screenings, is yet to be determined.

Reception

Critical response

Philbert Ortiz-Dy of Click the City gave a positive review in the film, stating that She's Dating the Gangster is at its best when it allows kids to be kids. Its portrayal of young, intensely romantic love is really charming, especially placed as it is in this wacky conception of its period setting. He also stated that "The narrative just can't support this pathos. The film begins to apply fantasy logic to really serious topics. [...] This kind of magical thinking just doesn’t mesh well with the real medical terms that the film just trots out."[18]

Box office

According to Star Cinema's advertising manager Mico del Rosario, the film gathered ₱15 million (US$340,000) on its first day of showing.[19] The film grossed ₱251 million[20] in the Philippines per the Annual Report filed by ABS-CBN to the SEC. The worldwide box office of the film is at ₱296 million.[21] With total gross $5,837,612 the movie hit No. 8 on the 2014 Philippine Yearly Box Office.[22]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Blinkremz (May 9, 2014). "She's Dating The Gangster Casts Revealed (List)". Philippine News. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "She's Dating the Gangster shoots to the top of local bestseller lists!". Summit Media. May 22, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Sancon, Allan (January 29, 2014). "Kathryn Bernardo and Jethro Capariño to topbill movie version of the book She's Dating the Gangster". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ "What is '71614?'". ABS-CBN Corporation. Star Cinema. May 9, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  5. ↑ "She's Dating the Gangster (2014) – Running time". IMDb. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  6. ↑ "She's Dating the Gangster (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  7. ↑ "She's Dating The Gangster (COMPLETED)". CandyMag.com. Summit Publishing Co., Inc. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  8. ↑ "She's Dating the Gangster". Wattpad. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  9. ↑ Admin, MT (July 12, 2014). "' S H E ' S D AT I N G THE GANGSTER ' High expectations for KathNiel's romcom - The Manila Times Online". www.manilatimes.net. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017.
  10. ↑ "KathNiel to star in film version of 'She's Dating the Gangster'". Rappler. January 30, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  11. ↑ "First look: Daniel, Kathryn in 'She's Dating the Gangster'". ABS-CBN Corporation News. June 21, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  12. ↑ "VIDEO: She's Dating The Gangster Full Trailer". ABS-CBN Corporation. July 3, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  13. ↑ "WATCH: Kathryn, Daniel in 'She's Dating The Gangster' teaser". ABS-CBN Corporation News. June 28, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Dark Angel (July 2, 2014). "Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta to Join KathNiel's "She's Dating The Gangster"". Philippine News. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  15. ↑ "International Screening and Venues of She's Dating the Gangster". Star Cinema. ABS-CBN Corporation. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  16. ↑ "MCN: The Weekend Report July 27, 2014". Leonard Klady. Movie City News. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  17. ↑ "MCN: The Weekend Report August 3, 2014". Leonard Klady. Movie City News. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  18. ↑ Philber Ortiz-Dy (July 18, 2014). "She's Dating the Gangster Works Best When It Embraces Its Silliness". Click the City. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  19. ↑ Djdrea (July 17, 2014). "KathNiel's "She's Dating the Gangster" Earns P15M on First Day". Philippine News. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ↑ Belmonte, Maureen Marie (April 26, 2016). "Celebrating a Teen King: Five reasons Daniel Padilla is king". Push (in English and Filipino). ABS-CBN. Retrieved April 27, 2016. ...many are expecting the tandem to break their own box office record of P296 million for She's Dating the Gangster.
  22. ↑ "2014 Philippines Yearly Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 7, 2017
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