Bituing Walang Ningning (film)

Dorina Pineda (Sharon Cuneta), a sampaguita seller, is a devoted fan of famous singer Lavinia Arguelles (Cherie Gil) who goes to watch her concerts, even running on stage to give her flowers, and waiting outside her venues to see and talk to her. Unbeknownst to her fans, Lavinia has an inflated ego and a cold and calculating personality that slowly drives away her boyfriend, Nico Escobar (Christopher de Leon). One day, Dorina's singing talents are discovered and becomes Lavina's industry rival, with Nico supporting and falling for Dorina. After Lavinia calls Dorina "nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat" Dorina finally sees her idol true personality. As she continues to become famous, Dorina becomes doubtful over whether she is delighted. In the final scene, instead of going through with a concert showdown with Lavinia, Dorina announces that she is leaving show business and that this would be her last performance. While singing "Bituing Walang Ningning", Dorina calls Lavinia on stage and passes the microphone to her, then gives her flowers the same way she had done when she was just a fan. Dorina leaves Lavinia to continue singing on stage as she reunites with Nico. ==Cast==

The film was the pet project of Mina Aragon, wife of Viva Films founder-executive producer Vic R. Del Rosario Jr. Casting The role of Lavinia was offered to then up-and-coming singer Zsa Zsa Padilla as her film acting debut. Padilla would later star in the 2006 television adaptation as Dorina's mother, a character that does not exist in the film. Filming During filming, Sharon Cuneta, newly married to Gabby Concepcion, was pregnant with her first child, KC Concepcion. The production crew made efforts to conceal her pregnancy, including using props and body doubles, as well as utilizing half-body shots. The final scene, a concert showdown between Lavinia and Dorina, was filmed at the Metropolitan Theater. Music The theme song "Bituing Walang Ningning" was performed by Sharon Cuneta, with melody and lyrics written by Willy Cruz. ==Release==

The film was released in theaters on Valentine's Day in 1985. Legacy The line, "You are nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat!" spoken by Cherie Gil's character Lavinia Arguelles to Sharon Cuneta's Dorina Pineda, is considered iconic by Filipino culture critics. It was used in both the television and stage adaptations, and has remained closely associated with Gil. The film and the line established Gil as the Filipino film industry's "La Primera Contravida". The lines "Balutin mo ako ng hiwaga ng iyong pagmamahal" (Wrap me in the magic of your love) in the film's theme song "Bituing Walang Ningning" also became famous in Filipino popular culture as a reference to the practice of act of taking home food from buffets and special occasions. This also led to the creation of the Tagalog verb Mag-Sharon (To Sharon) in reference to the practice. ==Adaptations==

In 2006, the story was adapted as a primetime television drama of the same name by ABS-CBN starring Sarah Geronimo, Ryan Agoncillo, and Angelika de la Cruz. During its run, it was the highest-rated television drama of ABS-CBN. The final scene of the television drama was filmed as a special concert showdown in front of a live audience at Araneta Coliseum. In 2015, an award-winning stage adaptation entitled "Bituing Walang Ningning: The Musical", written and directed by Freddie Santos, premiered at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Resorts World Manila. The original cast starred Cris Villonco, Mark Bautista, and Monica Cuenco. The production featured 11 songs by Willy Cruz, including the film's original song "Bituing Walang Ningning". It received seven awards, including the award for Best Musical Production, at the 28th Aliw Awards. ==Notes==