When the movie Jowable premiered on Netflix, my friend immediately told me “Mara, parang ikaw talaga yung main character (Mara, the main character’s really like you).” I didn’t understand what she meant by that at first, but a few minutes into the movie, I understood what she was trying to say. Side note that if you haven’t watched it yet, there are spoilers ahead.
The movie’s premise is that the girl, Elsa Mangahas, was NBSB (no boyfriend since birth). She struggles to find a significant other while her friends are in happy relationships. I’ll admit, I can relate. However, what’s interesting about this movie is that no matter how much Elsa wanted to find love in the form of a boyfriend, it didn’t happen.
One of the funniest exchange of lines in the movie happened within the first 15 minutes.
“Elsa, kaya ka siguro wala kang jowa kasi inom ka ng inom.” (I think the reason you don’t have a boyfriend is because you keep on drinking.)
“Kaya nga ako inom ng inom kasi wala akong jowa.” (I always keep on drinking because I don’t have a boyfriend.)
It was pretty funny to hear that back and forth because it was something that I can relate to. It was interesting how her constant want for a boyfriend was something I, too, have experienced. My frequent drinking also became a problem for a while. While it may be funny to see the reflection of myself in Elsa’s character, I found it as a way to ask myself, “Why do I even want a boyfriend so badly?”
There was a part in the movie she had a monologue inside a chapel, asking God for just one boyfriend. “Lord, isa lang po (just one please),” she pleaded. It reminded me of how I used to do the same. Even if it was meant to be a comedic piece, that scene made me a bit emotional the first time I watched it. I think it was because, for a time, I also kept on asking the universe why I never had a significant other.
I know it’s reassuring to have someone to tell about your day or someone to hold you. What Jowable taught me though, is that love has a funny way of coming around. In Elsa’s constant quest to find love, she didn’t get a boyfriend. Instead, she ended up being pregnant.
That final montage of her reflecting on how she always asked for someone to love her manifested differently. The love that she constantly asked the world for came in the form of a baby boy.
Now, this isn’t a way for me to promote accidental pregnancies (Please stay safe, always). Rather, it’s me thinking about how some of us (including me) are sometimes obsessed with the idea of getting a boyfriend that we tend to forget that we also receive love from other people.
It’s easy to forget that there are still people who love you and care for you when you’ve focused your attention on something else. It’s easy to turn a blind eye to those who want the best for you, and this movie does good in portraying that. The funny truth about finding love is that it may come unexpectedly and not at all how we pictured it to be.
What’s your favorite scene from Jowable? Let us know in the comments!
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