12 Top Showbiz Stories for 2007

I’m re-posting an article I wrote for the Sunday Inquirer Magazine yearender last Dec. 28.

First of all, let me explain the choices. Obviously not all the big stories were included. These were selected not only because they were the hottest and most-talked about show biz topics last year but because they showed resplendent impact on those who watched and followed them, day after day, week after week. Also, let me qualify, the list of show biz top stories were based on the month it first saw print, airtime, or Internet upload. So, the stories you may have in mind could have gone runner-up status in a specific month, like the Willie and Joey spat fell under the Angel Locsin transfer story in August.

You can create your own list if you want and post it in our comments portion below.

Here it goes:

January: “Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo” gets critical acclaim
Amid the regular fare of slapstick comedies, fantasy tales and melodramas that are seen as sure-fire formulas for box office success in the Metro Manila Filmfest, comes “Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo,” a romantic comedy that is as insightful as it is funny in chronicling Filipino married life. While Judy Ann Santos’ mainstream appeal has a lot to do with the movie’s success, its nearly P140 million take in the two-week filmfest period shows that the Filipino moviegoer may be evolving at last.

February: Hope for Kris and James
It’s trouble in paradise for a couple whose closely-watched life together has become a virtual reality show. They had it coming. As the scandalous details emerged from beauty clinic employee Hope Centeno, Kris Aquino and husband James Yap found themselves in the eye of the storm. Despite the headlines, their marriage prevailed, a rarity in the fickle world of showbiz.

March: Rudy Fernandez vs the Big C
An indestructible action star, bigger than life, finds himself facing a formidable opponent: cancer. Onscreen bravado takes over. In his birthday message, Fernandez declared “I ain’t gonna die yet.” The words lifted him one level above the tough guys he portrays onscreen; this time, he has become a real-life survivor.

April: Kris Aquino wins over family
After the scandal that nearly tore her marriage apart, Aquino gave birth to baby James, who proved to be the miracle she was praying for—the reason to live and love for the sake of family.

May: Ruffa Gutierrez moves on
Her decision to move on from her marriage to Yilmaz Bektas became the most widely-followed showbiz story for some time. Why not, when the “he said, she said” intramurals had all the makings of a telenovela, including fierce, sometimes obscene exchanges and revelations of physical abuse and marital infidelity. But Gutierrez did move on, resurrecting her show biz career with several television shows and movie projects.

June: Ogie, Regine come clean
For the longest time, rumors linked the two renowned singers who consistently denied any relationship beyond casual friendship. So when Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez finally confirmed speculations, they earned both flak and praise. But the two are holding fast to each other and hopefully, their relationship would prevail.

July: “Kubrador” wins latest award
The movie’s latest win in the Bangkok Film Festival tells of the phenomenal rise of independent cinema in 2007. The win encouraged more Filipino filmmakers to make their mark in both the local and international film circuit. Because of such movies, highlighted by Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Kubrador” and Brillante Mendoza’s “Foster Child,” foreign filmfest organizers have been seeking out Philippine entries.

August: Angel Locsin signs ABS-CBN contract
A TV network’s biggest star hies off to a rival station. The story provoked yet another chapter in the protracted network war. This time it’s personal. Everyone watched as Angel Locsin signed a lucrative contract with ABS-CBN, fierce rival of the network that built her career from scratch and made her a star—GMA 7. Network executives even shed tears at seeing their top contract artist leave, but for the actress, this was a move worth burning bridges for.

September: Rustom Padilla wins Gawad Urian
For most matinee idols, admitting that one is gay spells finis to one’s movie career. But Rustom Padilla—who outed himself in a nationwide reality show—defied the odds and won the prestigious Gawad Urian Best Actor award for his role as a closeted homosexual in the fantasy-comedy flick, “Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.”

October: “Marimar” rocks
Despite the current dispute in the ratings game, there’s no denying that the Filipino adaptation of the Mexican telenovela “Marimar” has caught the nation’s imagination. With reports of nearly half of the Metro glued to the show every night, “Marimar” may yet be television’s biggest winner in 2007.

November: Carlene-Cristine catfight
Two women, a guy with a roving eye, and a baby he seems to have forgotten. Love triangle erupts in an altercation and the filing of a court case. In the end, sanity prevailed, with apologies and an amicable settlement all around. Ironically, the guy who caused it all—Dennis Trillo—seems the least concerned. “Hindi ako nagpapa-apekto,(I don’t allow myself to be affected)” he says.

December: Bong-Edu tiff
A senator unhappy with the anti-piracy chief’s performance in doing his job. The latter’s brazen rebuttal. A war of words. In the end, both Sen. Bong Revilla and Optical Media Board chair Edu Manzano would admit that their scathing personal attacks could only benefit their common enemy—the film, music, and computer software pirates. So far, Bong has extended a hand in peace. Edu has yet to return the favor.