There's been buzz lately that Betty La Fea will finally have its Filipino adaptation. Good news for me for it has been ages since I marveled about the idea of Betty acquiring a completely Pinoy twist. It just really has to be worth all the wait. I mean, I've been seeing how Filipinos tend to make impossible twists to adaptations of foreign series. It can be absurd at times. Can they just stick with the story?
The original Colombian version is by far the best Betty ever. Actually, if the project really pushes through, only a few details will have to be modified to fit the Pinoy taste. All in all, the Colombian lifestyle is so much alike the Filipino's. We've both been influenced by Spain, that's why.
Here are the strong points of the series which I believe should be written well by whoever gets the job of re-writing the Filipino version.
The romantic premise: Ugly secretary falls for handsome boss in a fashion company. Well, not all of us fall for our boss. Some of us might even hate them. But this premise works so well because the handsome to-die-for guy also happens to be the nemesis in most cases. Oh wait, but there's more. The handsome boss who is whiny, bossy and prefers elegant women is also very much engaged to a beautiful woman.
The social premise: Ugly girl works in a fashion company where being ugly is...quite an irony. But what do we truly classify as beautiful? Is beauty universal? If so, do we have to conform to the "parameters" of beauty?
The setting: Corporate office with employees gossiping about fellow employees, bosses, etc. Not that I'm putting down our culture but yes, gossip in the workplace exists. And it's what made Betty La Fea even more hilarious. There's the barracks of average looking women who either complain about their seemingly average existence or find pleasure in knowing that even their bosses experience the same misery as they do.
The web of the story: I'm pretty amazed that the writers of the original version were able to create subplots that were all very relevant to the major plot. That's what I call good story-telling. You don't create a character for mere decoration. It has to be there for a reason. Even minor characters and plot have to be well-written with the ultimate goal of getting relevantly connected to the main characters without being accused as forced or stilted. With Betty La Fea, no matter how numerous the characters are, you never get tired of watching them. That's precisely because they are all well-characterized.
I think if the Filipino version will remain truthful to what the message of the original Betty La Fea conveyed, then there's no way this one would miss. Lessen the tragedy, lessen the melodrama, focus on character development...Ultimately, be faithful with the original and you'll never go wrong. Again, it's not against our culture, but if you're making an adaptation and you put all these twists and turns, make sure it'll be better or it will naturally turn into a disaster.
And please, can they get a virtual unknown for the role? Wouldn't it be interesting to have people guess how Betty will look like if ever she gets a make-over? That would be even more exciting!
The original Colombian version is by far the best Betty ever. Actually, if the project really pushes through, only a few details will have to be modified to fit the Pinoy taste. All in all, the Colombian lifestyle is so much alike the Filipino's. We've both been influenced by Spain, that's why.
Here are the strong points of the series which I believe should be written well by whoever gets the job of re-writing the Filipino version.
The romantic premise: Ugly secretary falls for handsome boss in a fashion company. Well, not all of us fall for our boss. Some of us might even hate them. But this premise works so well because the handsome to-die-for guy also happens to be the nemesis in most cases. Oh wait, but there's more. The handsome boss who is whiny, bossy and prefers elegant women is also very much engaged to a beautiful woman.
The social premise: Ugly girl works in a fashion company where being ugly is...quite an irony. But what do we truly classify as beautiful? Is beauty universal? If so, do we have to conform to the "parameters" of beauty?
The setting: Corporate office with employees gossiping about fellow employees, bosses, etc. Not that I'm putting down our culture but yes, gossip in the workplace exists. And it's what made Betty La Fea even more hilarious. There's the barracks of average looking women who either complain about their seemingly average existence or find pleasure in knowing that even their bosses experience the same misery as they do.
The web of the story: I'm pretty amazed that the writers of the original version were able to create subplots that were all very relevant to the major plot. That's what I call good story-telling. You don't create a character for mere decoration. It has to be there for a reason. Even minor characters and plot have to be well-written with the ultimate goal of getting relevantly connected to the main characters without being accused as forced or stilted. With Betty La Fea, no matter how numerous the characters are, you never get tired of watching them. That's precisely because they are all well-characterized.
I think if the Filipino version will remain truthful to what the message of the original Betty La Fea conveyed, then there's no way this one would miss. Lessen the tragedy, lessen the melodrama, focus on character development...Ultimately, be faithful with the original and you'll never go wrong. Again, it's not against our culture, but if you're making an adaptation and you put all these twists and turns, make sure it'll be better or it will naturally turn into a disaster.
And please, can they get a virtual unknown for the role? Wouldn't it be interesting to have people guess how Betty will look like if ever she gets a make-over? That would be even more exciting!
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