In His Mother's Eyes is a 2023 Philippine drama film directed by FM Reyes in his directorial debut from the screenplay of Jerry Gracio and Gina Marissa Tagasa. It stars Maricel Soriano, Roderick Paulate and LA Santos. The film follows the story of Tim, a special child who was left in the care of his uncle Bibs by his working mother Lucy for several years.
| In His Mother's Eyes | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | FM Reyes |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Popoy Reyes |
| Produced by | Ellen Nicolas Criste |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Neil Daza Rap Ramirez |
| Edited by | Vanessa De Leon |
| Music by | Carmina Cuya |
Production company | 7K Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Viva Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino |
Plot
Cast
- Maricel Soriano as Lucy[1]
- Roderick Paulate as Bibs[2]
- LA Santos as Tim[3]
- Maila Gumila as Dina
- Ogie Diaz as Bogart
- Ruby Ruiz as Tess
- Vivoree Esclito as Zuri[4]
- Rochelle Pangilinan
- Elyson De Dios as Raz
- Reign Parani as Gia
- Inah Evans
- Bong Gonzalez
- Nolo Lopez
- Skylee Alcalde as Young Tim
Production
August 7, 2023 the cast and crew are started filming the film months after Roderick Paulate found guilty for graft and falsification of documents case for hiring "ghost" employees. In August 8, b617 Management share some behind the scenes photos of Roderick and Maricel in their Instagram account.[5]
Direk FM Reyes said that the film is a love letter to parents everywhere.
He also added:
“It’s also a way of thanking my mother. They have the same story. When I was talking to LA, it’s really our way of thanking our parents, and LA loves his mom so much. When we were doing it, we were all a bit emotional every time we filmed a drama scene.”[6]
Release
The film is intended to be a MMFF entry but failed to secure the spot in the MMFF lineup.[7] The film was released on November 29, 2023, under Viva Films.
Reception
Critical response
Fred Hawson of News.ABS-CBN.com gave the film a rating of 4 out of 10 and he said: This uber melodramatic Filipino movie was clearly intended to be a tearjerker, so all the classic tropes were thrown in the mix. However, if only Lucy and Bibs did not keep major secrets between them, all this unnecessary fuss could have been avoided. Face-slapping confrontation scene aside, a rather desperate 11th hour twist had to be tacked on at the end, to squeeze out ever more tears before the reconciliatory finale. 4/10.[8]
Accolades
| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2024 FAMAS Awards | FAMAS Award for Best Actress | Maricel Soriano | Nominated | [9][10] |
| FAMAS Award for Best Supporting Actor | LA Santos | Won | |||
| Famas Awards for Best Original Song | "Patawad Inay" — La Santos, Jonathan Manalo | Nominated | |||
| 7th Eddys | Best Actress | Maricel Soriano | Pending | [11] | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Roderick Paulate | Pending | |||
| Best Original Theme Song | "Patawad Inay" — LA Santos, Jonathan Manalo, FM Reyes | Pending | |||
| Gawad Dangal Filipino Awards | Best Actress | Maricel Soriano | Won | [12] | |
| Best Actor | Roderick Paulate | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | LA Santos | Won | |||
| Best Director | FM Reyes | Won | |||
| Best Picture | In His Mother's Eyes | Won |
