Where are you Fairy Godmother?

Haven't we all wished for a Fairy Godmother to magically appear and help us in times of need and grant us wishes with the wave of a wand? That would be nice, right? Wish ko lang. Anyway, the Fairy Godmother is a commonly used plot device in movies and literature (e.g. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio). In fact, it has already become a cliche and not considered as good story telling nowadays. The preference being that the main character must be able to get past an obstacle himself or herself and not with the help of someone or something who comes in the nick of time to solve the difficulty. It is an example of deus ex machina. See http://writerofmoviescripts.blogspot.co.nz/2009/09/deux-ex-machina.html. If you ask me, I don't see anything wrong with the Fairy Godmother. Some of the Tagalog movies I love make use of this plot device. In other forms ofcourse. Often times, the "deus ex machina" in those movies rewards the protagonist because of his or her kindness and goodness.

Ang Hiwaga ng Ibong Adarna (1973). The story for this film comes from the classic Filipino tale Ibong Adarna. Three brothers, Prinsipe Alfonso (Panchito), Prinsipe Albano (Babalu), and Prinsipe Adolfo (Dolphy) each go on a quest to capture the magical Ibong Adarna to cure their father's illness. The prize for the one who can bring home the bird will be the throne. During their journey, each prince met a leper who asked them for bread. Two of them did not help the leper. Only Prinsipe Adolfo helped her. In return, the leper told Prinsipe Adolfo to seek an ermitanyo who lives in bundok Tabor. When the prince arrived at the place where the ermitanyo lives, he was given a lubid (rope), kutsilyo (knife) and calamansi (lime). These are things he used to capture the Ibong Adarna. I know Prinsipe Adolfo cut his arm with the knife and poured calamansi juice to his wound so that he will not fall asleep when the Ibong Adarna sings. Another advice given him was that he must make sure that the bird's droppings don't land on him. Otherwise, he too will turn to stone like his brothers.

Puto (1987). In this movie, Herbert Bautista plays good-natured and kind-hearted student Ivanhoe Dela Cruz who sells puto or rice cakes after school to help his widowed mother (Marita Zobel). Because of this, all the students in school call him Puto. He is always teased and bullied. Taking pity on him, three elves or duwendes (played by Berting Labra, Max Alvarado and Cachupoy) decide to help him. But Ivanhoe soon changes and becomes boastful forcing his duwende friends to stop helping him.

Manyika from Pik Pak Boom (1988). This movie is about an enchanted doll who comes to life (Lilet) and gives two poor orphans (Lea Salonga and Herbert Bautista) their hearts' desires. Just like in Puto, the two orphans change their attitudes once they got used to getting everything they want. In the end though, they realize their mistakes and become good persons once again.

References:

http://kidstvmovies.about.com/b/2012/10/04/who-is-your-fairy-godmother.htm
http://writerofmoviescripts.blogspot.co.nz/2009/09/deux-ex-machina.html
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/deus-ex-machina.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2071408/
http://www.historyofthings.com/history-of-ibong-adarna
http://www.mavshack.com/