“Choose to forgive. Choose to love.” – Baby Magtalas
John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo reprise their roles as Miggy Montenegro and Laida Magtalas, respectively, in Star Cinema and Viva Films’ It Takes a Man and a Woman. It the third and final installment of their love story that started with A Very Special Love.
In It Takes a Man and a Woman, Laida Magtalas is now grown up and has seen the world. She has experienced love and heartache, which has made Laida Magtalas version 1.0 obsolete. The 16-year old Laida who was head over heels in love with her dream boy Miggy has metamorphosed into a blooming Laida Magtalas version 2.0, albeit a pained and jaded one.
The movie follows Laida’s journey from Canada to New York to Manila and how these stages of her life affect her and Miggy’s relationship. Sarah shows versatility as she essays Laida the woman of the world, the lady who will not take crap from Miggy as she sashays in and out of the conference rooms in her tailored clothes and high heeled shoes. John Lloyd remains to be John Lloyd. He is captivating whether he teases Laida and makes the audience hearts flutter with his boyish looks or he shows vulnerability as he struggles with his ambitions, losses, and how to deal with them like a mature man that he should be.
It Takes a Man and a Woman harks back to some of the indelible scenes featured in A Very Special Love and You Changed my Life like the sun dance, the power hug, and the singing of Kailan. The last one is poignant considering that Laida and Miggy have come a long way, circumstances have torn them apart, but fate has brought them back together.
One of the themes of It Takes a Man and a Woman is choosing forgiveness and choosing love – forgiving others and yourself and loving others and yourself. Now, I know what to do when the trust is gone but the love is still there.
And … I also wish to that the airport personnel will sing Kailan as I go through the check in process. Haha.
It Takes a Man and a Woman is directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and is written by Carmi Raymundo.
For related entries, please read A Very Special Love – Hugot Edition and Finally Found Someone – Hugot Edition.
Here are some hugot lines from Star Cinema and Viva Films’ It Takes a Man and a Woman:
“Nandito na ako!” – Adelaida “Laida” Magtalas (Sarah Geronimo)
“As long as I have you, I know I am a good person.” – Miguel “Miggy” Montenegro (John Lloyd Cruz)
Laida: Be, ma-miss kita.
Miggy: I’ll miss you more.
“I need you here, Laida. I need you now.” – Miggy Montenegro
“Akala ko iba ka!” – Laida Magtalas
“Hindi lahat may happy ending sa totoong buhay.” – Laida Magtalas
“Oh yes, I’m back.” – Laida Magtalas
“You can call me Laida, parang wala naman tayong pinagsamahan.” – Laida Magtalas
“Hahaha. Annoying.” – Miggy Montenegro
“Trust? Wow, big word. Sige nga Mr. Montenegro, interesado akong marinig kung ano’ng sasabihin mo. Let’s talk about trust.” – Laida Magtalas
“Gusto mo ba talaga akong bumalik? Sabihin mo munang kailangan mo ako. Magic words, “I need you”. Hindi ko kaya ng wala ka, Laida.” – Laida Magtalas
“I’ve changed. I’ve grown. This is Laida Magtalas version 2.0. Wiser, braver, stronger, bolder, fiercer.” – Laida Magtalas
“Porke’t blooming, in love agad? Hindi ba pwedeng in love noon, umasa noon, nasaktan noon, at kaya blooming dahil nakapag-move on na ngayon. Got it from Twitter.”- Laida Magtalas
“Here. Marry me. Let’s get married. I promise you, I’ll be faithful. I won’t hurt you ever again. I promise you. Marry me, Laida. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Patawarin mo na ako, please. I’m sorry. Laida, Laida, Laida. Noooo.” – Miggy Montenegro
“Kaya nga noon kasi tapos na ‘yun. Iba na’yung ngayon.” – Laida Magtalas
“Come on, guys. People change. Nothing stays the same forever. Change is bound to happen. Change is, you know, part of life.” – Laida Magtalas
Laida: Hindi lang ako nakarating noong oras na kinailangan mo ako dahil nasa ibang bansa ako. May trabaho ako. May boss ako. May nanay ako na kailangan ako pero ikaw pa rin ang pinili ko.Na-late lang ako, Miggy. Tapos tinapon mon a lahat ng meron tayo.
Miggy: That’s why I said I’m sorry countless of times.
Laida: Hindi ‘yun kaya ng sorry lang eh.
Miggy: Ano ang kailangan?
Laida: Hindi ko, hindi ko rin alam.
Miggy: Hindi mo na ba talaga ako mapapatawad?
Laida: Hindi ko alam kung papaano.
“Intindihin mo na lang na walang taong perpekto. Ako, kahit ikaw, paminsan-minsan, nakakagawa tayo ng bagay na nakakasakit sa ibang tao.” – Baby Magtalas (Irma Adlawan)
“Nay, paano ba magpatawad?” – Laida Magtalas
Baby: Piliin mong magpatawad. Piliin mong magmahal. At inuulit ko iyon araw-araw kasi ahit sa edad kong ito, mahirap.
Laida: Nay, paano ninyo kinaya ‘yon?
Baby: Kinaya ko kasi mahal ko siya. ‘Di ba may kasabihan? Love is a choice. Ganoon din ang pagpapatawad. Pipilin mo rin iyon, Laida, araw-araw.
“Kaya kung hindi mawala ang galit mo at hindi mo ako mapatawad, naiintindihan, cause I know I deserve it. Kung wala na silang tiwala sa akin, kung wala na akong silbi sa kanila, kasalanan ko, pero hindi ng pamilya ko. That’s why, that’s why I’m begging you. I need your help. Huwag na para sa akin, para sa pamilya ko na lang. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for failing you. I’m sorry for hurting you.” – Miggy Montenegro
Laida: Bakit ka pumunta?
Miggy: Because I was crazy enough to believe na kung magkita tayo, baka mapapatawad mo ‘ko at, you know, maging tayo ulit.
Laida: ‘Di ba may Belle ka na noon?
Miggy: Naging kami lang pagkatapos noon.
Laida: Sir, long time no see.
Miggy: Miss me?
Laida: Sir, you better stay close to me.
Miggy: Gaano ka-close?
“Sana nakuntento na ako sa States. Kung ‘di pa kita binalikan, I would have been the one that got away. Ngayon tuloy, you’re my one who got away. And I’m just the girl you chose to let go.” – Belle (Isabelle Daza)
“One last favor, please tell Laida na I’m sorry. I’m sorry na umasa ako na I can take her place. And consider this my two-week notice. I’m sure it would be too hard for you to work with two exes. Excuse me.” – Belle
“Ma’am, Sir, I want to apologize for everything that happened before, for hurting your daughter, for all the pained I caused, and now I want to set things straight. Mr. and Mrs. Magtalas, gusto ko sanang mag-apply sa inyo ng trabaho, as Laida’s husband, Sir. And I’m willing to do everything just to qualify for the position.” – Miggy Montenegro
“I can stay with you and just be your husband while you’re in New York. I’ll support you. I can run Flippage from there. Laida, all my life, my pursuit has always been to be the best, to be number one. And now all I want is for you to feel that you’re number for me and that you’ll always be my only one and that I love you. I love you, Laida Magtalas. And this is the man I wanna be. And for the first time in my life, I wanna be last. I wanna be the last man you’ll ever love, Laida. Can I be that man?” – Miggy Montenegro
“First and last? You’re hired! Yes, yes, bebe ko.” – Laida Magtalas
“Parating na ako, bebe ko! Mamahalin kita forever!” – Laida Magtalas
Laida: Noon, pinangarap ko lang mahalin ang isang Miggy Montenegro. Ngayon, nagpapasalamat ako dahil hindi na ako naghintay nang matagal na matupad ang pangarap ko na iyon. Hindi naging madali ang love story natin. Ilang beses din akong napagod at sumuko. Matagal bago ko naintindihan na walang instant happy ending and then I realized that I failed to understand the true meaning of unconditional love – of love that I always thought I perfectly had for you.
Miggy: Five year ago, during one of the worst days of my life, when everyone was walking out on me, a girl walked into my life and I never thought that that day, hindi ko alam na ‘yun palang kaharap ko, ‘yun na pala ang future ko.
Laida: Patawarin mo sana ako sa mga oras na sumuko ako. Ganoon pala kung nagmahal ka nang totoo, kasama pala ang lahat ng maganda, ng pangit at malungkot, ng masakit. Ngayon kaharap mo ang isang Laida na alam na ng buong-buo ang pinapasok niya. Isang Laida na hindi lang happily ever after ang gusto kung hindi isang Laida na pinipili ang reality ever after with you. Mahal na mahal kita, bebe ko.Mahal na mahal kita at wala na akong nakikita pang gagawin kung hindi ang mahalin ka at pagsilbihan ka buong buhay ko. Kaya maraming salamat for hiring me once again as you EA, your eternal assistant. Pwede ring, MA, maternal assistant, para sa mga magiging babiesnatin. Lord, thank you. Thank you. Hindi mo alam kung gaano ako ka-excited dahil pagmulat ko ng mga mata ko mamayang umaga, si good morning husband na mismo ang kaharap ko, ang kausap ko, at mamahalin ko forever!
Miggy: Today, I realized I won’t be making any vows for my wedding. No.
Laida: Why?
Miggy: Because this is not the day for promises. Today I stand here in front of you in complete surrender. I have no worries. I have no fear, ‘cause I know, and I know because I’m sure, and I’m sure because I’m yours. God bless our marriage and God bless me for wanting 12 kids with you.
Laida: Okay. Okay naman ako kaagad. Okay naman ako kaagad.
Miggy: I love you.
Laida: I love you, too.
Miggy: So much.
Laida: Noon at ngayon pati na ng in between.
Miggy: Laida and Miggy version 3.0.