Charlie Jr. wants to see the Northern Lights, because his mom told him dead people go there and his pet Brownie (I'm assuming it's his dog or pet) is there somehow. He goes to his dad, who he hasn't met since he was born, who lives in Alaska. At the same time, young yuppie Angel is on her way to the same place to find her long lost mother.
Northern Lights is this year's "mainstream drama located in an exotic place" movie. The "Northern Lights" part is definitely okay. With a ton of feel good moments, the film is cheesier than a fondue station at a buffet, but the charm of the main characters, especially Piolo Pascual, carry the film anyway. Its dramatic themes center around children being disappointed by their parents, and understanding these parents' faults and loving them anyway. It's anything but shallow, and although the treatment is sometimes hokey, its fairly interesting.
The problem is the "a journey to love" part. Like Star Cinema's earlier feature Everything About Her, Northern Lights muddles its subject material with a romance that doesn't completely work out. The film was fine as it was as a drama, but it feels even more schmaltzy as it enters romantic territory and doles out happy endings for everyone. A dramatic twist near the end seems shoehorned in and feels more like a cop-out for the female lead rather than a genuine dramatic moment.
That said, the film is pretty entertaining. It's also a treat seeing Sandy Andolong on the big screen again. Piolo Pascual fans are likely in for a treat here.
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