An Idea

Imagine you're watching a movie, and its formula is relatively simple: a man and a woman meet in the most unexpected place and time, and they instantly feel a connection between them. The movie then stems from this single event; the man tells his friends how he's finally met the perfect woman, the man and the woman "coincidentally" see each other again, they hangout, talk all night, and the budding of a very special relationship begins. But just as the man begins to think of doing anything serious...BAM! PLOT TWIST! The woman has a boyfriend already!

I've watched enough chick flicks to know where a plot like this goes. The man will do everything to have the woman. On the other hand, the woman plays a game of tug-of-war between what she knows is right (stick with her boyfriend) or what she knows is TRULY right (go for the man she met). A whole bunch of drama ensues throughout the movie (and some comedy, if its a rom-com), and the movie always ends with some kind of happy ending. This is, of course, with one thing being a lock: that the man and woman who met each other in that unexpected place and time ends up together, and they live happily ever after! Yay! The audience, including you, break a smile, and with hopeful hearts and lifted spirits exit the movie theater with the thought that the person meant for you is somewhere in this world.

But wait...what ever happened to the woman's boyfriend?

People who watch these kinds of films are made to focus on the love story between the two main characters, but considerations are hardly given to that one guy or girl whose heart was broken. They're merely an afterthought after the movie's over, but guess what: the love story of that one man with that one woman who he pretty much STOLE from THAT poor guy is celebrated! Of course, variations include the poor guy/girl being a rebound in the two main characters' love story...

(Good job, Poy)

Or the poor guy/girl was simply dragged into story, fell in love with one of the main characters, then after all his effort, gets rejected in the end.

(The victim in the background trying to mask his pain with a smile)

At first, I was part of the majority. I never really did take a second thought on any other characters in chick flicks aside from the man and the woman with the main love story, but when I grew up and had my own fair share of "love stories", I couldn't ignore these characters any longer. In a way, I think I even began to take pity on them. I started to think, "What if I were in his position?" And if I were, wouldn't it be a little painful to think that you were merely an "extra" in someone's love story? That you gave everything you had for the chance to be with that special someone, but life gives you a slap on the face because hey! You're not the main character in this love story! Some woman loved you and you loved her, then out of the blue, she breaks up with you because she's more in love with that other guy. What's worse is that movies actually make it seem like an okay thing.

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm definitely not against the format of these love stories. It works, and it makes people happy. It's what matters in the end. It mat just be the curious side of me that wants to know what the poor guy who had his heart broken feels, or what he thinks, or what the universe has for him next.

Now, here's my idea...I'm not so sure if its been done, but why not make a movie whose theme revolves around the victims of these kinds of love stories? Take for example, Maja Salvador's character from One More Chance. Imagine a movie where she takes her experience with Popoy as a lesson about love, and we see her trying to move on from it in any way she could. The main focus would be how the experience changed her and her outlook on love and life as a whole. Then maybe somewhere along the way, she meets some guy and they fall in love without any other person being hurt. In other words, how nice would it be if there were a movie that focuses on the life of that one person after getting his heartbroken from another person's "perfect" love story?

It'll be a refreshing change, and how great would it be if that kind of movie had the feel of (500) Days of Summer in it? One can only imagine...for now. Go make it happen, Star Cinema and Hollywood (and if you already did, at least do a better job).