The daddy issues to end all daddy issues — literally.
The movie tells a tale of a young Filipino woman who believes that her American father has died, but gets romantically involved with a man who might possibly be her father.Bessie is a young woman who was raised by her widowed mother, who tells her that her American air force father died in a car accident shortly before her birth. As Bessie nears graduation, she rebels against the plans of her devoted mother. Being strong-willed and romantic, she dreams of a challenging career and plans to seek out her late father's relatives in America. To earn money for the trip, she works as a model/dancer in a Manila disco. During one of her performances she meets Joe Hale, an American, who is in Manila to work in a friend's advertising firm. Joe and Bessie are attracted to each other, but before the attraction is acted upon, Bessie discovers that Joe might be her father. An investigation into the past is launched in order to find the truth about Bessie's parentage.
Acting
Tetchie Agbayani commits fully to chaos
Direction
Eddie Romero leans into every soap trope
Production
Manila disco aesthetic is unintentionally iconic
Director
Eddie Romero
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Romero made this during the Marcos era, when Philippine cinema often explored colonial trauma through melodrama — the American soldier trope carries real historical weight.
John Saxon took this role between appearing in Enter the Ninja and A Nightmare on Elm Street — his 1982 was truly unhinged.
US
