HFDS 21

Reaction Paper
Caregiver
by Anna Bettina Andaya
section G
The movie has a very interesting and realistic plot !t creatively narrates the story o"
Sarah Gon#ales $played by Sharon %&neta'( as she le"t her son( Pa&lo $played by )ohn *ladimir
+analo'( in order to help her h&sband( Teddy $played by )ohn ,strada'( in ,ngland From being
a grade school teacher here at the Philippines( she too- a stress"&l .ob as a caregiver "or the
elderly She enco&ntered a lot o" di""ic&lties /ith her /or- Among these are the cold /eather(
the st&bborn patients( and their relatives At "irst( she /anted to give &p on her ne/ .ob0
ho/ever( she reali#ed that she m&st not Beca&se i" she /o&ld( she and Teddy /ill not be able to
carry o&t their plan o" ta-ing their son /ith them as their little "amily settle there 1n"ort&nately(
her /or- is not the only thing that is being a b&rden to her Teddy is also a problem A"ter many
years o" being married /ith her and /or-ing as an 2F3 in ,ngland( he lied to her abo&t being a
n&rse Besides that he is also very bossy and ambitio&s 4o/( he is giving &p on his /or- and he
is "orcing Sarah to do the same
Sarah is a battered /i"e Altho&gh Teddy did not beat her &p physically( she got beaten
&p inside She is very s&bmissive to him That is( be"ore she met +r +organ( her gr&mpy( old
patient They didn5t got along very /ell at "irst b&t( as the story progresses( they became good
"riends Their relationship did not last that long beca&se +r +organ died B&t be"ore he passed
a/ay( he /rote her a letter !t /as /hen she read it that she reali#ed that "or once she sho&ld
stand &p "or /hat she believes in and that she m&st also loo- a"ter hersel" Beca&se o" this( she
learned that she needed to brea- &p her marriage /ith Teddy Thro&gh this( she /ent "rom a
s&bmissive /i"e to an independent /oman /ho lives &p to her ideals
The movie also presented some o" the iss&es that Filipinos( as /ell as their "amilies( are
c&rrently e6periencing today These are racial discrimination( s&periority o" h&sbands to their
/ives( and( in the case o" the 2F35s( leaving their loved ones behind
Filipinos are treated &n"airly especially /hen they are in other lands This /as sho/n by
the character o" )oseph $played by )hong Hilario' /ho &sed to be a doctor here at the Philippines
b&t /hen he /ent to ,ngland( he became a n&rse There came a time /hen he saved a pregnant
/oman and her baby5s li"e by simply s&ggesting to the doctor that they sho&ld per"orm an
immediate operation beca&se she already lost a lot o" blood !nstead o" getting a than- yo&( the
headperson o" the hospital "ired him( acc&sing him o" ins&bordination !t is as i" people "rom
"oreign lands are loo-ing do/n on &s( .&st beca&se /e are hard/or-ing and ready to do
everything "or the sa-e o" being able to help and s&pport o&r "amilies
!n o&r "amilies( the "ather is considered as the head as /ell as the provider He is the most
po/er"&l member o" the "amily !n the "ilm( this /as sho/n by the character o" Teddy0 ho/ever(
he is ab&sing this po/er )&st beca&se he is the head o" their "amily( he /ill get to boss his /i"e
or his son aro&nd !t does not mean that i" he is do/n( his "amily sho&ld also be This is being
sel"ish ,ven i" the "ather is po/er"&l( he sho&ld also be compassionate and &nderstanding
especially to his /i"e and -id7s
Having close "amily ties is very common to &s Filipinos( /hich is /hy /e "ind it hard to
separate /ays "rom them Sarah also "o&nd it hard beca&se she cannot bear to leave her son even
i" she -no/s that he /ill be le"t in the good hands o" her mother8in8la/ She misses him a lot and
she even misses him more /hen she met Sean $played by +a-isig +orales' He made her
remember her son The same thing also goes "or Pa&lo( he also misses his mother !n "act( he
really did not /ant her to go to ,ngland and /or- there
All in all( the movie is 9&ite sentimental b&t it has a happy ending beca&se Sarah "inally
got re&nited /ith her son !t also made me &nderstand and learn more things abo&t the "amily
The "amily is not only a gro&p o" people consisting o" a h&sband( a /i"e( and their children ,ach
o" its members has a certain set o" d&ties and responsibilities that contrib&tes to the development
o" the society /here their "amily belongs to !t is /here /e learn and e6perience love(
compassion( and care !t is also very central to o&r society /hich is /hy everything that /e do in
o&r "amilies has a res&lting e""ect to its sectors This means that even /ithin o&r "amilies /e
sho&ld be care"&l o" /hat /e are doing
The movie also poses a challenge to the children( that /hen their parents reached their
old age( they sho&ld ta-e care o" them 2&r parents too- care o" &s and /hen they get old( it
/o&ld be o&r t&rn to ta-e care o" them Ta-ing care o" them is not eno&gh( ho/ever ,ven i" /e
already have o&r o/n lives and .obs( /e sho&ld also "ind some time to be /ith them0 .&st li-e the
/ay they did /hen /e /ere yo&ng( "or the sa-e o" seeing &s per"orm onstage