American Adobo (2002)

30% of critics liked it
(23 reviews)
70% of users liked it
(1,003 ratings)

Five Filipino-American friends living in New York City deal with love, sex, friendship, careers, and cultural identity in this romantic comedy-drama directed by veteran Philippine actress Laurice Guillen. Tere Sanchez (Cherry Pie Picache) is an accountant who is in her early forties, single, and not… More Five Filipino-American friends living in New York City deal with love, sex, friendship, careers, and cultural identity in this romantic comedy-drama directed by veteran Philippine actress Laurice Guillen. Tere Sanchez (Cherry Pie Picache) is an accountant who is in her early forties, single, and not especially happy about it. Tere is an excellent cook, and often throws dinner parties for her friends, and the arrival of her old friend Lorna (Sol Oca) from Manila is all the reason she needs to invite her friends over for a feast. Mike (Christopher De Leon) is a former political journalist who is now enjoying the fruits of a lucrative career as a newspaper editor, but he wonders if he left his principles behind along the way; he's also feeling unfulfilled in his marriage to Gigi (Susan Valdez-LeGoff). Gerry (Ricky Davao) is a advertising copywriter who is afraid to tell his friends and family that he's gay, though circumstances may well drive him out of the closet. Raul (Paolo Montalban) is a good-looking ladies' man who prefers to date Caucasians, and lacks a certain amount of emotional maturity. And Marissa (Dina Bonnevie) is on the surface a well-to-do social butterfly; however, deep inside she's woefully insecure, and is afraid to confront her boyfriend Sam (Randy Becker) about his constant infidelity. Meanwhile, Lorna confesses that while she's married to a wealthy man in Manila, she's terribly unhappy, and is considering staying in America as an illegal alien. American Adobo was the first American-Philippine co-production to open in three major American cities at once (New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco); incidentally, adobo is a spicy chicken or pork dish popular in the Philippines. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 44 min.
Directed By: Laurice Guillen
Written By: Vincent Nebrida
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 25, 2002 Wide
On DVD: May 20, 2003
Studio: Outrider Pictures

Critic Reviews

Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News
American Adobo is entertaining and it's filled with fine performances from the ensemble cast.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
The script by Vincent R. Nebrida ... tries to cram too many ingredients into one small pot.
David Hunter, Hollywood Reporter
A big meal of cliches that the talented cast generally chokes on.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
Stiff and schmaltzy and clumsily directed.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
An intimate, good-humored ethnic comedy like numerous others but cuts deeper than expected.
John Anderson, Newsday
Really is a pan-American movie, with moments of genuine insight into the urban heart.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
A sophomoric exploration of 'life problems' most people solved long ago -- or at least got tired of hearing people kvetch about.
Paul Malcolm, L.A. Weekly
Guillen rarely gets beneath the surface of things. She lists ingredients, but never mixes and stirs.
Arthur Salm, San Diego Union-Tribune
While American Adobo has its heart (and its palate) in the right place, its brain is a little scattered -- ditsy, even.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Mushes the college-friends genre (The Big Chill) together with the contrivances and overwrought emotion of soap operas.
Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
It sticks rigidly to the paradigm, rarely permitting its characters more than two obvious dimensions and repeatedly placing them in contrived, well-worn situations.
Frank Ochieng, Filmcritic.com
Tries to add some spice to its quirky sentiments but the taste is all too familiar.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
I'm not sure which is worse: the poor acting by the ensemble cast, the flat dialogue by Vincent R. Nebrida or the gutless direction by Laurice Guillen.
Andy Klein, New Times
The film is reasonably entertaining, though it begins to drag two-thirds through, when the melodramatic aspects start to overtake the comedy.
, E! Online
Too much clunky dialog in mawkish situations dissolve this flick into shrill histrionics.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Though clearly well-intentioned, this cross-cultural soap opera is painfully formulaic and stilted.