Jasmine Mijandro Lagman had been living with her grandmother Lola Olive in Baguio City ever since both her parents passed away. She had a prodigious photographic memory which enabled her to memorize anything precisely. On the other hand, she had some behavior which others may find unusual. She was extra sensitive to loud noises. She was very honest to the point of being brutal. She would throw tantrums when she got upset.
Jasmine was in Manila with her sisters when Lola Olive's illness took a turn for the worse. She took off to find her way back to Baguio City on her own. She wanted to bring her grandmother this new dog whom she named Happy because it looked like her Lola's favorite pet dog when she was younger, believing it would help her Lola get well. However, going to Baguio was not going to be easy for a special young lady like Jasmine and her spunky canine companion.
Sarah Geronimo already proved last year that she could carry a film on her own without a love team with the huge success of "Miss Granny" last year. This time, Geronimo played Jasmine and her idiosyncrasies with so much commitment and with so much sincerity. There were nothing false or pretentious about this performance, it was all heart. Geronimo will make you feel Jasmine's fragile vulnerability so much that you will want to reach into the silver screen to protect her and help her get through her odyssey. She had an easygoing chemistry with Milo, her handsome Jack Russell terrier co-star with a cute expressive face.
Gina Pareno played her gentle grandmother Olive who was always on Jasmine's side. Ara Mina and Meg Imperial played Jasmine's sisters Dahlia and Violet, who did not always know how to deal with her special needs. Kim Molina and Yayo Aguila appear as Chuchay and her mother Nanette, who helped Jasmine when she lost her way. All throughout the film, there would be surprise cameo guest appearances of several big stars in offbeat bit roles. The Regine Velasquez carinderia scene seen in the trailer was just one of them. Even Sarah Geronimo's father Delfin had one such quick scene.
This was a sweet, old-fashioned idealistic little film about a girl with autism and her pet dog. When you've seen its trailer, you knew it would be a feel-good, tear-jerking family drama, and it was exactly that. Jasmine and Happy would experience some perils on their long circuitous road trip, but you somehow knew everything will turn out well eventually. You can already see the bittersweet ending from the get-go, but directorial tandem Jun Lana and Perci Intalan provided some delightful little adventures to keep the film interesting along the way. 7/10.
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