Questions to Ask When Watching a Film/Movie

(Revised)
GROUP #4 SEVEN SUNDAYS

(Note: Questions will be assigned to every individual in the group.)

A. First response (Answered by: Allen Antonio)

1. How did the film make you feel? What aspects worked well, and which didn’t (think about
writing, direction, cinematography, acting, editing and sound track)?

Answer:
unlike many Filipino movies that deal with family tragedies and issues. Seven Sundays is much
superior and unique. The movie Seven Sundays is quite interesting since it depicts actual
events that occur in each family. I can now see a lot of topics I should think about in life thanks
to this movie. First and foremost, we don't know how long we will be able to live or how much
time we have left, and we don't have an endless amount of time to live. Nevertheless, one
thing is for certain: we must live our lives to the fullest, enjoy every minute with our family,
and show them how much we care. Second, we must respect our parents because they gave
up virtually everything for us to have better lives. No matter what occurs or the results each
of us experiences, we should always be appreciative of our parents and treat them with the
utmost respect. Finally, it's important to recognize when to accept responsibility for mistakes.
Overall, Seven Sundays is among the best films I've ever seen.

2. To what extent did it fit with your expectations, or did it subvert them in some ways?

Answer:
Was a Great movie but the Ending Screw it up. Like many Filipino movies, I was expecting this
to be silly, but gosh was it a terrific movie until that dance and ratchet song ruined everything!
oh goodness! However, the directors and producers decided to simply ruin the first hour of
the film, which was built on purely noble plotlines, ruining what could have been a wonderful
classic. Well, Filipino movies need to improve if they want to avoid flops like this one.

B. Structure (Answered by: Allen Antonio)

3. What causes the major turning points in the narrative come?

Answer:
The story centers on a family whose patriarch, Manuel, was aware that he had a terminal
illness and had just two months to live. Manuel was already a widower with four children who
were living independently at the time. Knowing his own limitations, he made a sensible
decision to use his illness as justification for wanting his kids to spend time with him. They
only have seven Sundays, as the title suggests, to get back together. At some point as the film
progresses, we later realized that the film itself does not focus on the father's medical
condition (which we later realized was a false medical information), but rather the camera
lenses are now concentrated on the emerging family conflicts every member of the family
unexpectedly brings up at some of their supposed to be "united" gatherings. Each of them
 secretly suffers from a particular injury, issue, or distress brought on by the other family
member's careless actions. These disagreements slowly develop, causing gaps between each
participant while also drawing spectators deeper into the melancholy tone of the film.

4. Does the world of the film work like the real world? If not, what are the differences?

Answer:
Seven Sundays are like real-world events for the reason that it has a lot of sensitive family
issues that need to be addressed by the Family.

5. How does the film end? Is everything resolved? How? If not, why not?

Answer:
At their mother's grave, the four children greet their father and express their gratitude for all
he has done for the family. They address their problems and heal their injured feelings. The
story concludes with Allan's store reopening, enjoyable events, and a dancing competition.

C. Characters (Answered by: Allen Antonio)

6. How would you describe the main characters? What are their goals? What problems do they
face?

Answer:
''Manuel'', played by Ronaldo Valdez, a widower and former barangay official, full of energy
and charismatic at 69 years old. He is celebrated by the members of his closely-knit provincial
community and every person he runs into offers a gesture of kindness. Everyone showers him
with attention; everyone except his children, that is. he soon learns that he is sick with barely
two months to live, and only seven Sundays to spend with his children and grandchildren.

Enrique Gil as "Dexter Bonifacio" in the Film is merely reflecting his public persona—that of
popular and idolized millennial—but he sets us straight by dropping that self-assured stance
and showing a more sensitive side to his character.

Christine Reyes as "Cha Bonifacio" has played someone’s wife in a movie, but it’s probably
the first we’ve seen her utterly deglamorized and where redemption isn’t achieved through a
makeover, his wife is Cheating on her in the Movie.

DIing Dong Dantes as "Bryan Bonifacio" the second born, is an overachiever with a lot to
prove, but with a painful secret that he tries to mask with calculated indifference. He’s
arrogant and insensitive, and Dingdong Dantes’ convincing portrayal makes it easier for us to
dislike him, at first. Later on, he becomes more than just some cocky businessman and
delivers a compelling performance as a man of strong character despite repressed emotional
struggles, and does so with incredible depth.

Aga Mulach as "Allan Bonifacio" is far from the dreamboat we’ve grown accustomed to seeing
him portray. As a middle-aged father with a failing business, Aga, like Cristine, doesn’t have
that special, superficial packaging that would save him from a sloppy performance, if need
 be. He doesn’t need saving, however, and proves that he also doesn’t need to be in top
physical form to gather our sympathy and melt our hearts.

7. What choices do the characters make? What motivates them? What are the consequences?

Answer:
''Manuel'', played by Ronaldo Valdez. He Chooses not to tell to his family the truth about his
medical condition because he wants to spend more time with his family resulting in the part
of the story where his 4 children found out the truth causing Chaos between him and his four
Children.

8. What do the main characters learn about themselves, and how do they change?

Answer:
You don't have to be the same to get along and love each other. The Bonifacio siblings
(played by Aga Muhlach, Dingdong Dantes, Cristine Reyes, and Enrique Gil) had personalities
different as night and day. Even though it brought them conflicts and misunderstandings at
the beginning, they eventually learned that through their love for their father they were all
similar in a big way as well. In the end, they learned that it's not about background, career, or
money that truly matters but how you chose to live and value your family.

Just because someone is no longer there doesn't mean you have to stop missing them. There
is a cast member in Seven Sundays whose presence is nearly never seen but is always felt.
Everyone in the Bonifacio family was left feeling lost by the matriarch's passing, but they will
always carry her in their hearts. When patriarch Manuel Bonifacio (played by Ronaldo Valdez)
visits his wife's grave and converses with her about family affairs as if they were on a date,
anyone who has ever lost someone close to them would be able to empathize. Manuel shows
us that, when it comes to other aspects of our lives, it's acceptable to hang onto the people
we love while moving forward.

Never give up on your family. Because he didn't feel close enough to his family, Enrique Gil's
character turns to his buddies as his first refuge when he becomes embroiled in a scheme that
results in individuals hunting him down for money. The age difference between him and his
siblings made him feel out of place, yet in spite of that obstacle, they were the ones to
unconditionally support him through his life's hardships.

Love Unconditional. Manuel had nothing left to live for when his wife passed away but his
family, particularly his four adult children, A, B, C, and D. But he never wavered in expressing
his unwavering affection for them, even when they were too busy to spend time with him.

People can become closer after death. When Manuel's children learn of their father's
sickness, they come together to give him the final seven Sundays of his life that he will never
forget. They did not bother to see him even on his birthday prior to the diagnosis. The passing
of someone we love helped us realize how short life can be and how priceless the time we
have with them is.
 To get along and love each other, you don't have to be the same. The personalities of the
Bonifacio siblings, played by Aga Muhlach, Dingdong Dantes, Cristine Reyes, and Enrique Gil,
were as dissimilar as day and night. They later discovered that through their love for their
father they were all quite similar, despite the initial difficulties and misunderstandings it
caused. In the end, they discovered that what really important is how you choose to live and
cherish your family, not your history, profession, or wealth.

9. Whose point of view does the camera represent?

Answer:
The point of view of this movie was in the father's, because it was shown here what the father
want in his last days if he had cancer. He just want to see his sons and daughter to reconcile
with each other and forgive what past has done with them.

10. How is our attention drawn to particular images? How are particular visual elements used as
symbols or metaphors?

Answer:
The picture in the last as there was in the grave of their mother. in the presence of true nature,
they are not complete and happy because someone is not present. but figuratively, they were
complete and happy because they have the same mind and feelings for each other as a family.

11. How does the film’s editing contribute to the meaning of the film?

Answer:
The movie's edit and cuts was dedicated to touch the viewers heart and to realize what is the
important of family. as the scene goes by there are different kind of moral dilemmas that can
be found inside & outside of the family. that is why seven sundays' editing was very good to
the point that it can mirror the life of a natural family in real life.

12. How does the film handle the underlying themes (morality, politics, religion, sexuality,
happiness, freedom, love, spirituality, identity, etc.)?

Answer:
The main Turning point in the story is that when Manuel hide the Truth to his Family resulting
in his Moral actions that will have Consequences in the story, However when the Truth finally
comes out, after all the chaos in the family, they put their differences aside that results on the
family being reunited again and Manuel and his Four children each has a happy Life in the end
of the story.

13. Are there religious themes or connections? How is faith treated (if at all)?

Answer:
There is none, but one of the Lessons in the story is never to lose Hope in your Family. In the
end, only your family will help you and stand by your side.
D. Worldviews (Answered by: Diane Jercel Dela Cruz)

14. What is the view of reality? Is there any place for God or other spiritual dimensions to life? Is
impersonal fate used as a substitute for God?

Answer:
The view of reality in the film suggests that we as humans usually don't value our lives as
much. And will only do so upon learning that we are about to die soon. This idea was used by
the father to try to regain the bond that his children used to have. But perhaps, what
happened was God's way of testing their strength as a family. By which they proved that they
can survive this God given obstacle and was gifted with a stronger bond and wealthier return.

15. What is the view of humanity? What does the film say about the nature of human beings?
What does the film say about communities and families?

Answer:
The film shows that all humans are broken in some form of way. In a sense, no one is truly
sane and everyone is burdened by their own problems. On which if one only focuses on
himself. There will be no understanding of each other's side and that is how conflicting sides
were made. It happens even within families regardless if they were raised in similar
environments.

16. How is the image of God within human beings seen in this film? How is human rebellion
against God expressed?

Answer:
The only person you have besides God in a complicated and damaged world is your family.
God made families for this reason. Jesus is a member of the Holy Trinity, which includes the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as well as the Blessed Virgin Mary and her husband, Saint
Joseph. In this film, rebellion against God is expressed in a way that the characters argued
with one another many times because they have a lot of unsolved issues within their family
members. This is rebellion against God because God gives us family for us to lean on them
and be there for each other when everything seems to be falling apart but in the film, it's the
other way around so I could say that that is rebellion against God.

17. What is the view of knowledge? How do characters know what is true (experience, logic,
intuition or revelation? How do they make decisions? Where do they find wisdom?

Answer:
The view of knowledge within the film lies mostly within their own experiences. Afterall, most
of the problems within the movie came from their differences of experiences. This fueled their
emotional turmoil, on which they learned from the consequences of it in the end. Which on
itself, is learning through experiences.
18. What is the view of morality? What does goodness mean? How do characters make moral
decisions? What are the characters’ values, and are these the same as the film’s values?

Answer:
The set of principles that allow people to live peacefully in communities is referred to as
morality. It is what society deems to be "acceptable" and "right." The characters make moral
decisions based on what they think is right. As a result, even though they are all faced with
moral choices, the protagonists opt to forgive one another despite their difficulties.

19. What do human beings most need in life? Does the film identify any universal problems
confronting human beings? What do humans need in order to flourish? What does it see as
the point of life? What substitutes for God are there in the film?

Answer:
What this film suggests as what human beings need most was family. Regardless of any
situation, if we have each other, we will be able to push through any problems and thus grow
as a person much better. This film suggests that perhaps connecting with people we love is
perhaps the point of life.

20. What good insights into life are there in the film? What does it get wrong? How might it affect
viewers?

Answer:
The film really did well on doing what it is trying to achieve which is to show the importance
of family. However, personally, it showed an unrealistic ending. Most people would expect
that they can simply fix their family scars by doing what the film did but it healing isn't as
simple as that. It takes a lot of time and takes a lot of thinking to achieve thus people should
be more patient when trying to do so.

21. Write a short summary of the story in 15 to 20 sentences.

Answer:
The story starts when the father of 4 announces to his kids that he is going to die soon. This
father is a widow who feels lonely and misses the company of his grown-up kids. Upon
learning of their father's condition, the siblings decide to spend time with one another on
Sundays. Even though, they have their personal issues and differences, they decide to do this
for their father. Everything goes well when they spend Sundays with their father. They
reminisce childhood and teenage memories. As they spend more time, they get to know each
other again. Each has his/her own problems which are unknown to the other sibling. The
eldest son, Allan, and the second son, Brian have a talk about Brian's troubles. One day, the
father receives a call from his doctor stating that he made a wrong diagnosis. The father does
not reveal this to his kids until the truth is found out by the eldest son. They have a talk and
the father explains why he decided not to tell the truth. The eldest son, Allan, expresses his
feelings about the whole situation and convinces the father to reveal the truth in their next
get-together. At the start of the get-together, the youngest son, Dex, finds out about his
sister's marital problems. The whole family also finds out about Dex's troubles and have a
confrontation with Brian. Cha's problems are brought out in the open, too. In the process of
all the confrontation, their father's real condition is revealed and this surprises Brian and Cha.
 This creates an exchange of painful words against the siblings and unearthing of past pains.
After a couple of days, Allan apologizes to Brian and they patch things up. They both take the
chance to apologize to Dex, as well. All three go to Cha's house to visit her. and check her
situation. All four meet their father at their mother's grave and they talk to their dad about
how they appreciate his sacrifices for the family. They work out their issues and resolve hurt
emotions. The story ends with the revival of Allan's store, fun activities, an a dance
showdown.

22. Quote at least 5 quotations/passages from the story.

Answer:
A. “Natutuwa akong makita silang ganyan eh, yung magkakasama, hindi nag aaway. Alam mo
ang pangrap ko? Sana lagi silang ganyan”
B. “KAYO LANG ANG MERON AKO”
C. “Mag Patayan nalang Kayo?”
D. “It’s never too late”
E. “Hindi dapat nagsasalita pag galit”

E. Questions to stimulate student interest to get them talking and thinking.

(Answered by: Erika Jane Bulanhagui)

23. Did you learn anything from this movie? If you did, what was it?

Answer:
Yes, even though we're growing, we will keep cherishing our family, particularly our parents,
who sacrificed much to ensure that their children born and raised successfully.

24. What is the message of this movie? Do you agree or disagree with it?

Answer:
the message of the movie is to presents a genuine feeling of introducing family struggle
through a taste of Filipino culture throughout the film's course, as well as how the significance
of communication (personal connection among family members) maintained the characters'
specific hardships and redeemed family reconciliation. And I agree with it.

25. Was there something you didn’t understand about the film? What was that?

Answer:
At first I didn’t understand the film but after re-watching it how many times I understand the
story or the flow of the film.

26. What did you like best about the movie? Why?

Answer:
I admire the fact that they all gathered at their mother's grave and acknowledged their
appreciation to their father for his persistence and commitment in preserving their lives. And
also cleaning up their mess from their pas
27. What did you like least about the film? Why?

Answer:
The concept that their father's disease used as an excuse for them to reconcile and
compensate is what I dislike about the movie.

28. Did anything that happened in this movie remind you of something that has occurred in your
own life on that you have seen occur to others?

Answer:
yes, because when we all discovered that our grandmother was ill and missing, the siblings of
my mother gathered together again and accepted responsibility.

29. What were you thinking as you finished watching the film?

Answer:
After watching the film, I was inspired to always cherish and respect our parents because they
provided their everything and sacrificed so that we could live happy lives.

30. Did you come to respect any of the characters in the movie? Who was it and why did you
come to respect that character?

Answer:
The Bonifacio siblings deserve great sympathy because, despite their several faults among
themselves, they persist to strive to better themself and express love toward each other.

31. What comment is the author trying to make about the culture of the characters in this story?

Answer:
The author endorses the importance of family and opposed the increasing independence of
many Filipinos as a reaction to an evolving culture. The separation of the Bonifacio siblings
creates new difficulties, conflicts, and resentments that tear the family apart as they pursue
their individual careers and way of life.

32. One way to examine plot is to determine what type of conflict it entails. The classic divisions
are: (1) person vs. person; (2) person vs. society; (3) person vs. nature; (4) person vs. self.
Often, more than one of these types occurs in a story. Using this analysis, briefly decide the
conflicts in the story and classify it according to the categories set out above.
Answer:
This film "Seven Sundays" shows conflict between person vs. self as well as person vs. person.
The part where the characters showed the conflict person vs. self is when the father Captain
Manuel Bonifacio which is played by the actor Ronaldo Valdez faked his illness just to make
his children come, reunite and visit him. This is between the person and himself because he
chose to lie just to make things work out the way he wanted it to be although he knew that
what he is doing isn't the right thing to do. Another conflict shown in the film is person vs.
person. This conflict is seen during the moments wherein the children argued with each other.
This is because person vs. person is a type of conflict wherein a character's problem came
from or a result of an action made by another character.