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Where to Watch

Rent Anak on Apple TV, or buy it on Apple TV.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Rory B. Quintos

Vilma Santos

Claudine Barretto

Baron Geisler

Sheila Mae Alvero

A topical dilemna for Filipinas -- whether to take lucrative long-term jobs abroad and provide for their families' future or stay home and play a more active role in their children's lives -- propels "Anak," femme helmer Rory B. Quintos' seventh feature.

By Dennis Harvey

Dennis Harvey

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A topical dilemna for Filipinas — whether to take lucrative long-term jobs abroad and provide for their families’ future or stay home and play a more active role in their children’s lives — propels “Anak,” femme helmer Rory B. Quintos’ seventh feature. Vivid hook for domestic conflict makes this well-acted drama compelling until hitherto restrained approach succumbs to bathos in the last quarter. Offshore, best prospects outside fest circuit lie in TV sales.

Bubbly, indomitable Josie (Vilma Santos) is thrilled to be returning home at last, having spent several years as a live-in nanny for Hong Kong yuppies — and enduring some serious mistreatment in that capacity.

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Loaded with presents and savings to invest in a business scheme, she gets a big welcome from everyone but her own children. Latter three have grown up without her, suffering especially since their father died in a workplace accident. While little Daday (Sheila May Alvero) and teenage Michael (Baron Geisler) soon get over their initial awkwardness, eldest offspring Carla (Claudine Barretto) remains bitterly resentful toward mom’s perceived abandonment. She goads Josie with serial boyfriends and open hostility before running away, straight into drug-abusive squalor.

Popular on Variety

Limning complex emotions with subtlety and humor, pic resists melodrama until the dam abruptly bursts after 90 minutes; ill-judged pileup of crying scenes, plot crises, and more crying ensues. Josie’s final decision to leave for H.K. once again makes little sense, beyond its providing an excuse for “Anak’s” fourth hysterical-sobbing-at-the-airport sequence.

That’s too bad, since early reels observe parent-child relationships with considerable delicacy. Quintos’ fluid handling of potentially claustrophobic, mawkish material underplays script’s more obvious gambits until they overwhelm pic. Veteran local star Santos is in fine form, while Barretto lends impressive shading to what might have been a stock sexy “bad girl” role. Tech package is polished.

Philippines

• Production: A Star Cinema Prods. presentation. Produced by Trina N. Dayrit. Executive producers, Charo Santos-Concio, Malou N. Santos. Directed by Rory B. Quintos. Screenplay, Ricky Lee, Raymond Lee.
• Crew: Camera (color), Joe Batac; editor, George Jarlego; music supervisor, Jessie Lasaten; production designer, Nuel C. Naval; art director, Danny Santiago; sound, Ramon Reyes; assistant director, Mae R. Cruz. Reviewed at San Francisco Asian American Film Festival, March 10, 2001. Running time: 120 MIN.
• With: With: Vilma Santos, Claudine Barretto, Joel Torre, Baron Geisler, Sheila Mae Alvero, Amy Austria, Cherrie Pie Picache, Leandro Munoz.

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Where to watch

Directed by Rory B. Quintos

A woman returns to the Philippines after working abroad to find that her family has fallen apart in her absence.

Vilma Santos Claudine Barretto Joel Torre Baron Geisler Amy Austria Cherry Pie Picache Sheila Mae Alvero Leandro Muñoz Tess Dumpit Cris Michelena Hazel Ann Mendoza Daniel Morial Gino Paul Guzman Jodi Sta. Maria Odette Khan Troy Martino John Lapus Jojo Saguin Archie Adamos Jiro Manio Don Laurel Manny Mendoza Aida Espiritu Girlie Alcantara Jessette Prospero Lui Villaruz Sarji Ruiz

Director Director

Rory B. Quintos

Writers Writers

Ricardo Lee Moira Lang

Editor Editor

Executive producers exec. producers.

Malou N. Santos Charo Santos-Concio

Production Design Production Design

Nuel C. Naval

Art Direction Art Direction

Danny Santiago

Composer Composer

Jessie Lasaten

Sound Sound

Ramon Reyes

Star Cinema – ABS-CBN Film Productions

Philippines

Releases by date, 10 may 2000, releases by country.

• Theatrical PG-13

135 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Jzam ★★★★½

"Bakit gano'n? Ang lalaki kapag binigyan niya ang pamilya ng pagkain, damit, bahay, tapos napag-aral niya yung mga anak niya agad sasabihin ng mga tao 'Aba, mahusay siyang ama.' Pero kapag babae ka, kahit ibinigay mo na ang lahat ng 'yon sa mga anak mo, kasama pa pati puso mo pati kaluluwa mo, parang 'di pa rin sapat na tawagin kang mabuting ina?

Sana pwede nating sabihing 'Oops, tama na. Hanggang diyan na lang pagiging nanay ko.' Kasi kahit nanay ka nakakapagod din 'di ba?"

Still one of Star Cinema's best. DADAY JUMPSCARE QUEEN!

Review by ejay ★★★★

Just the amount of tears I have shed from its conventional family drama hints as to what makes it relatable on many levels. A typical—but well-made—tear-jerker of a film, the narrative's impact can be felt intensely as it is presented very real and raw. Anak (2000) arouses insights about the issues at hand while tugging at the audience's heartstrings and delivering solid performances (that gave birth to that particular iconic scene) from Vilma Santos and the rest of the cast.

Not to mention, the classic song "Anak" (by Freddie Aguilar) playing in the background adds to the melodrama at play.

"Hindi kayang palitan ng anong bagay. Hindi kayang tumbasan ng pera. Ikaw 'yun eh—ang nanay namin."

Review by margaret ★★★★

ito yung lady bird (2017) ng mga pilipino

Review by DANI ★★★★½

too personal for me to even talk about it. as a child of an ofw, this hit too close to home it hurts.

Review by N_ ★★★

Lady Bird (2017) if it was contextually better; instead of the resentment for her mother arising from the very American (intrinsically capitalist) philosophy of individualism and just her being an ungrateful ass daughter, it's the absence of available affection from her mother being an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) during the times Carla needed it the most.

Review by Guian Martin

"Siguro hindi ko rin talaga kilala sarili ko, kung ano ko. Ang alam ko lang, lumaki ako ng walang umaakay sakin."

Review by chad ★★★★ 2

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2020 | PPP4 Ranked

"Kung hindi mo ako kayang ituring bilang isang ina, respetuhin mo na lang ako bilang isang tao.” TULDOK ATE VI!

"If you can't respect me as your mother, just respect me as a person." Period Vilma Santos!

Anyway, I finally got a Pro subscription today! Shout out to my bestie allain who paid for it since I don't have a PayPal account... hahahaha!

p.s. si baron ba 'yan o batang jgl is that baron geisler or young jgl

Review by poleng ⭐️ ★★★

tangina fav part yung batuhan ng damit gusto ko yon

Review by ysa ★★★★

the og before lady bird (2017) came along, except claudine barretto's character's mommy issues is a lot more culturally and socioeconomically nuanced than that of saoirse ronan's.

Review by jezz ★★★★½

panget ng trip ni daday 😢

Review by Terence Ang 洪偉凱 ★★★★

I think we can all agree that Clau-Clau.

[Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2020]

Review by a ★★★★

anak (2000) walked so lady bird (2017) could run emz as someone with mommy issues i feel so seen 😵‍💫 (also magka-love team pala sina baron geisler and jodi sta. maria ang cute 😭)

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Filipina Overseas Contract Worker is forced to leave her family and take a higher-paying job in a more-prosperous Asian country, unaware of her husband's death. Filipina Overseas Contract Worker is forced to leave her family and take a higher-paying job in a more-prosperous Asian country, unaware of her husband's death. Filipina Overseas Contract Worker is forced to leave her family and take a higher-paying job in a more-prosperous Asian country, unaware of her husband's death.

• Rory B. Quintos
• Raymond Lee
• Vilma Santos
• Claudine Barretto
• 12 User reviews
• 3 wins & 9 nominations

Top cast 42

• (as Sheila Mae)

• Young Carla

• Young Michael

• Mrs. Madrid

• Sing-Along Bar Host 1
• Sing-Along Bar Host 2
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Gabby Concepcion was initially tapped to play the role of Rudy.
• Connections Referenced in Ang pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2005)
• Soundtracks Anak Composed and Written by Freddie Aguilar Performed by Sharon Cuneta

User reviews 12

• Apr 16, 2006
• How long is Anak? Powered by Alexa
• May 10, 2000 (Philippines)
• Philippines
• Official Site (Star Cinema)
• Star Cinema
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 15 minutes

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