One of the most pivotal scenes in the Doctor Foster franchise is the legal wife's revelation to the mistress’ rich parents that their daughter is having an affair with her husband.
This is present in all six incarnations of the British series around the world, including the Philippines' version in The Broken Marriage Vow.
And it comes as no surprise that lead star Jodi Sta. Maria’s lines have become iconic and a trending topic on social media, with comedians and netizens mimicking: “Papunta pa lang tayo sa exciting part” and “Your daughter is sleeping with my husband.”
Jodi plays the role of Jill Ilustre, the doctor who finds out that her husband is having an affair with a younger woman.
Lexy, the “daughter” or the mistress is played by Sue Ramirez, while Jill's husband David is played by Zanjoe Marudo.
Also in the scene are Art Acuna as Fred and Rachel Alejandro as Natalia, Lexy’s parents.
In an exclusive interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), The Broken Marriage Vow director Connie Macatuno reveals more interesting trivia about the scene.
THE PRESENCE OF COCHINILLO
Probably one of the most in-demand feast meals in the Philippines today is cochinillo, a roast suckling pig—or a piglet fed on its mother’s milk—hence, its flavorful and buttery taste.
The cochinillo is also famous for its cruchiness that it can be cut using a plate.
Its presence at the dinner-table scene of The Broken Marriage Vow has a deeper meaning.
Direk Connie says, “One thing na importante sa akin and one of the things na gusto kong gawin in that scene is that we have that cochinillo.
“Kasi parang ano yun, e, for me, symbolic siya of Lexy—a young, succulent, delicious pig, di ba? Parang yun din naman si Lexy—succulent, young, fresh.
“Pero hello, Daddy, dudurugin ko yung buto mo! Kaya kung napansin mo, talagang nagsimula yung eksena sa dinudurog yung buto kasi mamaya, Lexy, kasing durog ka nitong cochinillo na ito!”
Indeed, the dinner table scene opens with Lexy’s father, Fred, cutting the cochinillo into pieces with a plate.
It serves as a foreshadowing of Jill’s revelation that Lexy is David's mistress, and, at the same time, it adds a Pinoy flavor to the scene.
Direk Connie explains, “Siyempre, lagi namang magkaiba yung flavor, and ang goal naman really is to create a series that is also standalone but is a franchise.
“What is the Filipino flavor, what can we give them, because they already know the story? So parang what they don’t know is kung paano bibitawan, paano ima-mount yung eksena. Yun yung aalagaan mo.”
READ ALSO: What if Jodi Sta. Maria and Sue Ramirez’s situations in The Broken Marriage Vow happen in real life?
THE WOMAN IN HEELS
After the scene was aired, Direk Connie chanced upon a TikTok video compiling all the dinner table scenes from the UK, Korean, and Pinoy versions.
What made Direk Connie proud of the Pinoy version is: “Si doktora lang ang merong shot ng heels.”
As a big confrontation ensues among David, Lexy, and her parents, Jill walks away, with the shot focusing on her high heels.
The shot is not intentionally added just to make it different from other versions. Rather, Direk Connie really wants to highlight how empowered Jill is at that moment.
She says, “Ako kasi, gustung-gusto ko yung konteksto ng heels ng isang babae na you can’t say no to a woman in heels or you cannot put down a woman—literally and figuratively—in heels.
“So parang it’s important for me to show na I’m gonna stand my ground, I’m gonna walk head high para magkagulo kayo diyan, dala ko ang clutch bag kong shell, walk away ako!”
READ ALSO: Four uniquely Pinoy traits in ABS-CBN's The Broken Marriage Vow
SUE HITTING JODI’S HEAD
Another most talked-about part of the scene is when Sue hits Jodi’s head.
The mistress fuming mad at the legal wife is present in all Doctor Foster versions.
Sue admits to being hesitant to do it, but Jodi tells her, “Gawin mo talaga. Okay lang ako.”
Direk Connie relates, “It’s an iconic scene, e, so the adrenaline, the anticipation na, ‘How am I going to create a uniquely different version of it?’
“I’m sure ganun din naman yung iniisip ng bawat isa sa kanila without it being overdramatic, di ba? Parang you just wanted to be as natural as possible.
“Si Sue, parang nag-usap lang naman sila, igui-nide naman siya ni Jodi na dito lang gagawin sa taas kasi ito yung matigas. And then, alam ko na nahihiya siya na gawin na masaktan.
“But then, alam naman nila yun na kapag hindi maayos or kulang, uulitin namin yun, and also, siyempre, limited time din. Malalaki yung mga eksena and we have a million and one scenes to shoot a day, so push na agad yun.”
SHOOTING THE SCENE
For this show, Direk Connie is grateful to her actors because “A-Game silang lahat."
What are their preparations for this pivotal scene?
Direk Connie narrates, “I think we shot that, hinintay namin maggabi kasi puro glass yung location, so ang hirap dayain, mababawasan yung emotion kumbaga, yung tension.
“The purpose, really, is to prepare them to build that tension and fear, parang ganoon na may big scene mamaya, hindi sila makakain!
“I think it’s natural, e, you want to get the scene right and until you do that scene, hindi kayo puwedeng mag-relax which is the goal, di ba? You want to build that up.
“I think, hindi ko sila pinagsama ng kuwarto para di sila mag-usap, kasi siyempre hindi naman pwedeng magtsi-tsikahan sila and then mamaya, may eksena, di ba?
“I think, if I remember it correctly, may mga scenes din naman na shinoot that day that leads to that, so kada scene na shinu-shoot that day, lagi kong ina-allude to that scene.”
The actors get the conditioning they need, and give what is required of their respective characters.
“Sobrang ang sarap kunan nang eksena na yun kasi halos kung tutuusin, one take talaga yung buong shot na yun and then the other close-ups that we did was each one has their own material, kasi limited din yung cameras, but everyone was A-Game.
“Ang galing lahat, e. I guess the adrenaline is there. We’re gonna have this scene, and I wanted to be on top of my game and I want to give this character justice.”
Direk Connie says she also allowed her actors to do improvisation with their dialogues and actions.
“The good thing about these actors is that also since we want it to be organic, may context din kami minsan ng improv.
“Parang meron akong sasabihin na if it makes you feel this way at the moment it happens, then you can do this. But this is the only area you can stay, siyempre kasi meron ding technical aspect of it, di ba?
“But basically, ganun din yung how you operate is to make it organic and to make them feel kung ano personally yung nararamdaman nila as they are doing the scene.”
READ MORE STORIES:
- Elijah Canlas describes Suntok Sa Buwan co-star Aga Muhlach as "the kindest"
- Dimples Romana to participate as juror in 50th International Emmy Awards
- Not true Xian Lim will host GMA-7's The Voice: "I wish it's true."
- Is Ivana Alawi's teleserye originally Bea Alonzo's shelved ABS-CBN project?
- The making of Encantadia: how it came to be, what was the original story
- Bubble Gang producer explains show's revamp, smaller cast