JP Habac’s I’m Drunk, I Love You tells the story of two friends on a journey, albeit separate and unaware of it. Carson (Maja Salvador) has been in love with her best friend, Dio (Paulo Avelino), for the last seven years, and in three days, she was graduating—both from college and from her feelings for him. At least that was the plan. Meanwhile, clueless Dio insists on not attending graduation and instead takes his friends for a trip to La Union just three days before they are supposed to march on stage and receive their diplomas.
Throughout the movie, we mostly follow Carson as she tries to muster up the courage to tell Dio that she loves him. This, of course, is aided by beer and her other best friend, Jason Ty (Dominic Roco), who acts like a soundboard and her conscience at the same time. However, things go slightly sideways when Dio reveals that they went all the way to La Union so that he could see Pathy (yes, with an ‘H’) (Jasmin Curtis-Smith), an ex-girlfriend Carson didn’t know about. This, of course, squashes any hope Carson still had for Dio to return her feelings. Despite this, she ends up confessing, freeing herself.
On the surface, I’m Drunk, I Love You seems like a classic film about falling in love with your best friend, but underneath it all is a coming-of-age story about growing up and letting go. Despite being hung up on her best friend, Carson is actually the one trying her hardest to move on with her life having had spent seven years both in college and loving Dio. Meanwhile, Dio is reluctant to move on, reluctant to let go of college, of his dreams, of Carson, and of Pathy. He doesn’t want to attend the graduation ceremony because that means the end of his years in film school and the film industry—a path clearly not in his future.
But that’s growing up, isn’t it? Letting go of unrequited love and setting aside dreams for more “realistic” career choices. During this journey, we might experience heartbreak and things are going to hurt, but we come out on the other side better because of it. That’s what Carson did, and that’s what Dio wants to do by the time the film closes.
Overall, I’m Drunk, I Love You, in all its simplicity, is able to touch its audience because of how relatable of a story it is—not because we all went through the pains of falling in love with our best friend (although, most of us probably have) but because, at one point or another, we all have to grow up. It won’t be easy, and it’ll probably hurt a lot, but you’ll get there anyway.
I’m Drunk, I Love You is currently streaming on YouTube.
Sine Liwanag 