DongYan’s “Rewind” Is A Reminder To Refocus Your Life On What Matters Most

Rewind is a movie about John and Mary. Of real-life couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera. But I didn’t expect it was a movie about me and every person, too, or that it would resonate with me in such a hard-hitting way. 

John and Mary, as the characters, have a message. Dingdong and Marian, as the actors, are the plausible messengers (the “vehicles,” as Dingdong puts it) that relay a timeless lesson about time and how to spend it. Now I, as the receiver, would like to think I’ve become a vehicle, too, for sharing a story that travels far beyond the big screen.

“Ang biggest takeaway ko e lahat tayo e vehicle sa lahat ng gustong mangyari ni Lods… Ang takeaway namin while doing it e naging vehicle rin kami to convey the message. Kumbaga, may ibang layer ng involvement kasi hindi lang as characters, but also as actors, na ’yun din naman ’yung message na gusto naming i-convey,” Dingdong said.  

To which, Marian added, “Lagi naming sinasabi na sana ’yung message na ito, talagang may matutunan kayo which is ’yun ’yung nangyayari. Kapag nag-uusap nga kaming dalawa, sabi niya, ‘Ito ’yung gusto natin e, ibigay ’yung message ng pelikulang ito sa kanila.’”

Reconnect

It’s this cycle that DongYan hoped to achieve and successfully did. Rewind may not have won any award at the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival’s “Gabi Ng Parangal,” but the rewards it has earned since it hit the theaters on Christmas Day have been nothing spectacular and overwhelming. It’s true what tennis player Andre Agassi once said: “Success doesn’t always come in the form of a trophy.”

John and Mary made people cry and thankful for the gift of life, and the Filipino audiences did the same for Dingdong and Marian, who are grateful for the gift of a chance to reconnect with them as an onscreen tandem. 

I interviewed Dingdong and Marian about Rewind for a Metro Talks episode and read some of their other interviews. They talked about how impressed they were with the plot the moment it was pitched to them pre-pandemic and how emotional they were upon reading the script. They mentioned how special this comeback is to them, especially considering it’s their reunion project after 13 years since they top-billed the movie You to Me Are Everything. They had nothing but praise for the production and creative teams behind this 2023 MMFF entry; after all, it’s a collaboration among ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. (Star Cinema), APT Entertainment, and Agosto Dos Media, under the direction of Mae Cruz-Alviar and with the screenplay by Joel Mercado and Enrico C. Santos. These create a solid foundation for a promotional public relations campaign. But, the #RewindEffect and #RewindExperience prove much more than effective PR. It is different when you experience the movie through the lenses with which you view your life.

Reflect

“Ang ganda ng storya,” the person next to me in the movie house told his companion. I could also hear others around my husband and me sniffling and seemingly holding back their tears. I was like that, too, to be honest. But I was surprised to see my husband in tears as well一my husband who teases me whenever he sees me crying while watching a K-drama. The scenes that made me and my husband teary-eyed are different. For me, they were the parts about spending quality time with the family and making sure to always be there to witness your kid’s milestones. I saw my own son in Austin (Jordan Lim), who’s so strong and mature. I was reminded of how, once when I felt sick and overworked, my six-year-old son told me out of the blue: “Have as much rest as you need, mommy.” For my husband, what deeply moved him was the father-son moment between Dingdong’s John and Lito Pimentel’s Nestor because his father’s death will always be a painful memory. 

I also heard people clearing their throats caused by crying or stopping themselves from crying. We’ll never know the depths of what they may be going through to have felt that way, but perhaps they told a family member or a friend about what they felt while watching Rewind; that’s now a narrative that keeps the conversation cycle going. Not to be overly dramatic, but there were palpable moments of self-reflection and realization within the walls of that cinema.

Now that I’ve seen the movie (on my third attempt because Rewind was sold-out in the cinemas I went to), I understand better why Dingdong and Marian felt Rewind was worth doing now. “Mahalagang-mahalaga sa’min itong project na ito dahil du’n sa nangyari when it was pitched to us years ago. So, nai-kuwento siya tapos nabasa namin ’yung briefer. So, it was a synopsis. Tapos nagkatinginan lang kami tapos sabi namin, ‘Wow.’ Parang hindi na namin sinabi verbally na ‘yes,’ pero du’n pa lang sa tinginan namin, parang automatic siya na may something itong project na ito. ’Yung may goosebumps level.” Dingdong shares. “I think maganda siya sa’min dahil nagkasundo kami for a project na gagawin namin after 13 years. Kasi isipin mo, paano na lang kaya kung ako lang ang may gusto or vice versa tapos iba ’yung nagustuhan namin individually? Pero ito, I think, divine intervention na ito ’yung napili para sa’min at gusto namin siya pareho.” Everything happens for a reason, and “Lods” (how Jesus is characterized in the film) was at work here.

Rewind’s plot centers on a married couple, John (Dingdong) and Mary (Marian), and their son Austin. Juggling issues in his personal and professional life, John loses his wife in a car accident. On the brink of losing himself, he meets “Lods” (Pepe Herrera), who gives him a chance to rewind to the day before the accident to reclaim his life and do things differently while a costly consequence awaits. 

Dingdong and Marian had faith in the quality of the material, so they worked hard to give justice to their characters. No PR strategy could have ever spun the positive reactions the movie has elicited from the moviegoers. The timing of the movie’s release couldn’t have been more perfect, too. Rewind hits differently, as we are all recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic where many of us lost loved ones and may have repeatedly wished we could rewind to the time they were still alive.

Sure, we may have seen a movie or a show with a similar plot of traveling back in time in hopes of changing the future for the better. But the beauty of the material lies in the surprises that await once the vision turns into a mission that taps into audiences’ vulnerability and moves them to tears. With Rewind, you may think you know the course of the story, but the commendable portrayals of Dingdong and Marian made a difference in the storytelling. Whether it was a lighthearted scene or an emotional moment of confrontation, the two deserve credit for delivering remarkable performances. With this real-life couple as leads, the romance and cuddling between their fictional characters look so charmingly real. We’re left wondering whether certain kilig scenes were ad-libs; we won’t be surprised if “coochie coochie” is a term they playfully use, especially with Easter egg hunt references like Mary’s birthday, August 12, which is Marian’s real birthday.  

And, maybe you do have an idea of where the narrative heads, but the journey to the conclusion isn’t a matter of one size fits all. The story is layered, with sub-plots on marriage, personal dreams and ambitions, parenthood, loyalty, passion, selflessness, forgiveness, acceptance, and eternal love. Everyone will be able to relate to it somehow. It has all the right elements of a blockbuster hit. But the way it speaks to you, based on your experiences, is ultimately what makes it a masterpiece. 

Refresh

For me, Rewind is a beautifully poignant reminder to make every second count because there’s no rewind in life. All we can do is look back, bring along realizations and lessons, and keep the music playing up to our life’s last track (in John and Mary’s case, Ben&Ben’s “Sa Susunod Na Habang Buhay” signals a beginning and at the same time closure).

Its poetic symmetry vis-à-vis my life surprised me and made me emotional. Like the main characters, my husband and I also have a son, like Austin. Like John is to Marian, I also consider my husband my first and last. In Rewind, John is this workaholic family man, and Mary is a loving and doting mother and wife. Similarly, people have told me I was workaholic, emphasizing that I shouldn’t make work my life, a lesson mentioned in the movie in a subtle yet impactful way. On the other hand, my husband is the ever-supportive man of the house, the type who maintains an ideal ratio of personal and professional life. 

In an ideal setting, both the husband and the wife are thriving and satisfied in their fields of choice. But many couples are also like John and Mary or me and my husband, where one chooses to be a little behind to help push the other to greatness. My husband and I have had similar difficult conversations on individual pursuits and dreams. In a noteworthy scene of a conversation between John and Mary, she finally mustered the courage to talk to him about wanting to pursue a career after taking a backseat and giving so much of herself to their marriage and family. It’s not about asking for anything in return but simply a chance to shine in something she loves to do. “’Yung pakiramdam na p’wede pa pala,” Mary’s line goes, proceeding to ask rhetorically: “Hindi ba p’wedeng parehong nasa pedestal?… Hindi ba p’wedeng sabay lumilipad?” 

I can imagine how many married couples resonated with this一that picture where, in one aspect, one is more successful than the other is familiar but not always tinged with regret. Sometimes, the success one achieved wouldn’t have been possible without the other’s love and support, and the latter is fine with that. Marriage is give and take, after all; it should be the kind of compromise that nurtures a relationship. And as Rewind reminded me, marriage is about giving each other time to shine, so you each have enough energy to power up your partner during darker days. Like Marian’s favorite line by Mary, have the strength to stand by your partner in his moment of weakness: “Mahalin mo siya sa mga panahong mahirap siya intindihin…. Mahalin mo siya hanggang sa mga panahong hindi mo siya kayang mahalin.” 

As John, Dingdong also delivered many “not-so-ideal” lines that lay the foundation for his redemption arc. But here’s what stood out to him: “I want to live better and love better.”  

“Sa totoo lang, nu’ng ginagawa ko ito, ang dami kong na-realize at natutunan,” Marian shared. “Pero dahil sa TikTok, kung paano ko nababasa ang interpretation ng mga tao, tama e, totoo naman e, akala lang natin hindi maikli ’yung buhay kasi sa edad at sa nangyayari sa buhay, pero maikli talaga ang buhay. At kung ’yun talaga ang nasa isip mo, gagawin mong mas mabuting version ka sa lahat ng tao, higit lalo sa sarili mo.”

Retell

Inspired by their characters, Dingdong and Marian see 2024 as an opportunity to be better. Dingdong wants to better focus on his health, saying, “’Yung goal is to be the healthiest 44-year-old version of myself.” Marian, on the other hand, would like to better navigate her roles as a mother and wife, and she jokingly added, “TikToker.”

On our first cover for the year, Dingdong and Marian dance in perfect sync and harmony, calling to mind a memorable scene in their movie and setting the tone for introspection this 2024. 

As we begin a new year and resume our daily grind, it’s timely to be reminded to live better and love like there’s no tomorrow. To never give up and to always have faith. To believe that true love never ends. We know we can’t turn back the hands of time, so why must we let ourselves reach that point of regret? These are things we already know deep within but sometimes forget in the ebbs and flows of life. What John and Mary are here for is to inspire us to live and love to the fullest. Now. Today. Always. 

My husband often reminds me to never go to sleep angry because tomorrow is never promised. And when tomorrow comes, when my son is old enough to write a story inspired by our family or maybe even produce a mini show as Austin did, I hope I’ll be proud of the person I’ve become that shaped the character in his narrative.

Rewind is still showing in cinemas nationwide and will be shown in US, Saipan, and Guam theaters starting January 5, 2024.

Photographer: Andrea Beldua

Creative Director and Set Designer: Chookie Cruz

Editor-in-Chief: Geolette Esguerra

Sittings editors: Red Dimaandal, Grace Libero-Cruz, and Kate Paras-Santiago

Content producers: Judy Arias and Janelle Paraiso

Editorial Assistant: Mika Yusay 

Choreographers: Eman Ros and Shaira Sumagui

Makeup: Juan Sarte, assisted by Ma Leonora Alcantara

Hairstyling (Marian): Nante Alingasa

Styling: Melville Sy, assisted by Vincent Dacoy and Alvin Navarro

Grooming (Dingdong): Jaya Estrelon

Hairstyling (Dingdong): Nelson Cruz, assisted by Andrie Santos

Videographer: Giancarlo Escamillas

Photography assistants: Mario Pepito, JR Baylon, and David Ong

Creative director’s assistants: Kirk G. Marilla, Jherico Bele Jr., and Jet Tracy Ordaniel

Special thanks to Star Cinema, PPL Entertainment, Triple A, APT, and Agosto Dos