MANILA - Vice Ganda’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry "Call Me Mother" is earning widespread acclaim from celebrities, critics, and audiences, with many hailing it as the comedian’s strongest and most heartfelt film to date.
Actor Enchong Dee praised the chemistry between Vice and Nadine Lustre, saying he never imagined Nadine could transform into a beauty queen on screen.
“Parang every year, meron kang favorite Vice (Ganda) film, tapos nahihigitan niya palagi yung performance niya… ‘di ko na-isip na pwede pala si Nadine maging beauty queen, ang galing! Yung tandem nila (ni Vice), ang ganda ng chemistry,” he said.
Darren Espanto, co-host of It’s Showtime, described the film as essential viewing this Christmas.
Emotional Vice Ganda on 'Call me Mother': 'Ipagmamalaki ko talaga to!'
“Grabe yung tension nila, yung mga scenes nila, the way they communicate… parang mandatory na panoorin ‘to ng lahat ng mga Pilipino ngayon this Christmas,” he shared.
Anne Curtis, also a co-host of It’s Showtime, was moved to tears. “It’s a tearjerker, I must say. And of course bilang as a mom as well, it really tugged at my heartstrings, so it’s a must-watch film, pang-pamilya talaga. It was so beautiful,” she said.
Critics likewise lauded the film’s focus and emotional depth.
Spot.ph’s Philbert Dy noted that unlike many MMFF entries, Call Me Mother felt cohesive and deeply Filipino, touching on themes of motherhood, community, and beauty pageants.
“The setup isn’t the smoothest, but then the movie finds its rhythm and just keeps hitting,” Dy wrote.
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PEP.ph’s Mark Angelo Ching emphasized Vice Ganda’s growth as an actor, saying the comedian finally delivered the serious performance fans had long been waiting for.
“It’s honestly refreshing to see that this veteran comedian, one who can make everyone laugh with just one word, is actually capable of making the audience cry buckets of tears,” he said.
Netizens also flooded social media with glowing reactions. One user shared how the film moved even a child to tears, saying, “Totoo nga, ang pagiging ina ay walang kasarian. Dads can be mothers, too.”
Another declared it not only Vice Ganda’s best movie but one of the finest in Philippine cinema, while others praised its perfect balance of comedy and drama, with Vice’s performance as Twinkle singled out as award-worthy.