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Parents' Guide to

The Debut

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Predictable immigrant-experience tale has cursing, drinking.

Movie R 2001 88 minutes
The Debut Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

Young artist Ben (Dante Basco) is finishing high school in THE DEBUT on the eve of his sister Jennifer's (Mindy Spence) festive 18th birthday party. Part of a traditional Filipino clan, Ben is too embarrassed to bring his White friends to the house, even though his mother welcomes Rick (Brandon Martinez) and Doug (Jayson Schaal), two perfectly nice guys. Ben's strict and belligerent father Roland (Tirso Cruz III) is dismissive of Ben, denigrating him and his artwork at every opportunity, just as his own dad denigrated Roland's singing career back in the Philippines. Roland expects Ben to take the UCLA scholarship that he has won and continue to medical school, but Ben has already turned down UCLA, sold his valuable comic collection, and paid for his first semester at an art school. Roland has a difficult relationship with his own unaccepting father, Carlos (Eddie Garcia). When Carlos mocks Roland's singing performance at the party and tries to strangle him in front of Ben, Ben realizes that his father is repeating the cycle of father-son disrespect. Ben is attracted to his sister's friend Annabelle (Joy Bisco), who performs traditional Filipino dances for the gathering. The attraction is immediate and seems likely to bring Ben closer to the traditions his parents cherish. Can he embrace his roots while also achieving his dreams?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This indie coming-of-age and immigrant-experience story seems promising, but unfortunately it isn't as good as it should be. In Ben, The Debut has a sympathetic central character played by the appealing Dante Basco, and his presence alone makes up for an otherwise clichéd tale of immigrants and first-generation Americans making their way in a new world. The theme of working out how to fit into one's adopted country while maintaining valued cultural traditions from one's home country isn't a new one, and this movie adds nothing to the subject apart from its focus on the Filipino American experience.

For showcasing some Filipino traditions and practices alone, The Debut makes a valuable contribution. But for exactly the same reason, this sometimes feels like a documentary on a Filipino dance troupe. A group of family and friends throw together a performance that deserves its own documentary and feels largely out of place in this narrative. The messages feel labored and obvious, with exaggerated comparisons between White Americans and Filipino Americans. The White teens' party showcases crude, insensitive, and racist underage kids who drink too much and vomit. The Filipino party is fun and upbeat, shared by multiple generations, and filled with lively and engaging music and dancing, and delicious-looking food. It's impossible to miss the filmmaker's understandable belief that one is objectively better than the other.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether this movie adds to our understanding of Filipino culture. How does the challenge of fighting racism and trying to maintain traditions compare to the same conflicts presented in other films about the American immigrant experience?

  • Why do you think elders fear younger generations will forget their heritage? What comfort does a connection to one's ethnic and national roots provide?

  • How well do you think Ben handles conflicts with his father? How well does the father handle them?

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