SHARON, RICHARD TOGETHER AGAIN IN NEW MOVIE
by Ricky F. Lo, The Philippine Star, October 7, 1999

And finally, four years after their last movie together (remember Kapantay ay Langit?), former sweethearts Sharon Cuneta and Richard Gomez are back in each other's arms in a mature romance-drama to be produced by Star Cinema and directed by Olivia Lamasan who propelled Sharon into a Best Actress grandslam victory for the 1996 searing drama Madrasta).

The return team-up, untitled just yet, will cast Sharon and Richard as people married to somebody else but who fall in love with each other during a chance encounter. The story is reminiscent of the poignant movie Falling in Love starring Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep, the perfect vehicle for Sharon and Richard who are now both happily married to their respective partners (Francis Pangilinan for Sharon and Lucy Torres for Richard).

At the movie's story conference Tuesday night at Annabel's Restaurant in Quezon City, a movie writer asked Sharon and Richard what went wrong with their romance five years ago and it was nice of both Sharon and Richard to politely refuse to, well, dwell on the past. Besides, the two are far more mature than they were five years ago, that's why to avoid digging up the past, so to speak, and unnecessarily dragging the two stars' private lives, direk Olivia (and Sharon and Richard for that matter) carefully chose a story that won't have any hint at all at whatever transpired between them in the past.

You know, let bygones be bygones.

Sharon even made an appeal (a special request, actually) to the media guys present to play up the merits of the movie and avoid (please?) referring to their personal lives.

Now, will Sharon and Richard be more "passionate" in their return team-up than they ever were in their past starrers? Will they have love scenes? If so, how "bold" will they be?

"Direk Olive and I, together with Richard, are still arguing whether or not there should be love scenes," joked Sharon, adding that, even if she now has a sexy body (thanks to a strict diet and regular workouts -- but no artificial means, thank you!), "I don't have any plans to competing with the likes of Ara Mina."

Off-camera, Sharon and Richard, along with respective partners Francis and Lucy, are preoccupied not only with their careers and businesses (hers is a recording company and his a sporting-goods store) but having their first babies.

Asked if she and Lucy ever swap tips and pointers when they cross paths, Sharon said no, they don't. They're not that close (yet), you know.

Their new movie is something to watch for, something to look forward to, never mind if it has no title yet.