Vilma Santos’ ardent fans won’t be disappointed. Their idol delivers another great portrayal as Shirley, a jaded, biased mom who is humanized by her gay son and his lover. Her role is the film’s emotional center and it’s apparently tailor made for her, showing her at the start as a strict librarian difficult to deal with and learning later how to let go of herself in New York where she’s given not just a physical but also a major emotional make over.

Our heart went out to Ate Vi in that scene where she repeatedly says “I’m sorry” to her two daughters who she never suspected she wronged. It’s a compelling scene and we won’t be ashamed to admit we were moved to tears. She’s also superb in that scene where she says she has many kids, “pero feeling ko, nag-iisa ako,” with tears just quietly streaming down her cheeks. She has her own outburst scenes, too, like when she discovers that Noel (John Lloyd Cruz) is lying to her about her son Mark (Luis Manzano) being confined in a hospital and she acts like a wounded animal lashing out at him from all directions. Her Shirley is no saint and she allows the audience to gradually come to know her fears and weaknesses that are later revealed to be the result of her husband’s leaving her.

The entire cast is outstanding. John Lloyd, as expected, delivers another bravura performance as the lover, wisely countering Ate Vi’s highly emotional scenes by underacting, letting the viewer know how he feels mainly through his pair of very expressive eyes that give the nuances all the character needs to convey. No doubt he’s one of our best young actors today, brilliant particularly in the wordless scenes where he’s just shown shedding tears silently.

Dimples Romana gives splendid support as the daughter who tries to explain to Ate Vi why they have to sell their house and the need for her to move on. But the real surprise is Luis Manzano. He’s always clowning around, so we didn’t expect him to be that stunningly moving in that heartrending picnic scene where he tells his mom how she shut him out of her life after she discovered that he is gay. Also very effective is that actress, obviously recruited from New York, who played Pamela and wants to marry John Lloyd.

“In My Life” is different from the usual romantic films made by Star Cinema that have become so annoyingly predictable. It’s still very commercial, but credit Director Olivia Lamasan for coming up with something that is not cloyingly sentimental just to manipulate viewers into crying. The script is quite well written and provides a lot of insights that make us care for the major characters. The relationships between them are deep and complex, with no clear cut boundaries separating love, resentment, understanding and forgiveness. This film is as much about Shirley’s growth (she becomes a fuller, more mature person) as it is about family relationships. The issue of homosexuality is also handled sensitively, without anyone getting preachy or anything. But those expecting something lascivious between John and Luis will be frustrated as this is no sexploitation flick.

Kudos to Charlie Peralta for his wonderful location cinematography. Even the most familiar spots in New York City are captured without making the film appear as just another travelogue. We really can’t understand why this was just given a B rating when lesser films have been given an A, like “Kimmy Dora,” which is funny but nowhere near as emotionally involving and satisfying as “In My Life.” Maybe they didn’t like the phony production design of the interiors that are supposed to be in New York but has a palpably local feel.

Ate Vi is named Shirley Templo in the movie. Obviously, she was given such a name as, just like Hollywood’s Shirley Temple, she also started as a child actress. The difference, of course, is that Ate Vi became a big big star and respected actress as a grownup. Something that Ms. Temple didn’t achieve, although she also became a politician like Ate Vi.