The Debut

One night can change a lifetime.

Filipino-American high school student Ben (Dante Basco) works in a comic book shop to earn money to pay his way into Cal Arts. His father, a postman, is determined that his son--who has won a pre-med scholarship to UCLA--will become a doctor. The eighteenth birthday party of Ben's sister, Rose, sets off a comedic and touching series of events and family struggles that will in turn determine young Ben's future. This fresh independent production from Gene Cajayon presents a lighthearted and warm coming-of-age tale filtered through the eyes of an American subculture rarely seen on film.

  • Genre: Drama
  • Release Date: 2000-05-18
  • Runtime: 88 min
  • Country: United States of America
  • Language: English, Tagalog
  • Status: Released
  • IMDb Rating: 5.4
The Debut poster