A Man and a Woman (French: Un homme et une femme) is a 1966 French film written and directed by Claude Lelouch and starring Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Written by Lelouch and Pierre Uytterhoeven, the film is about a young widow and widower who meet by chance at their children's boarding school and whose budding relationship is complicated by the memories of their deceased spouses.^[2] The film is notable for its lush photography, which features frequent segues between full color, black-and-white, and sepia-toned shots, and for its memorable musical score by Francis Lai. A Man and a Woman had a total of 4,272,000 admissions in France and was the 6th highest grossing film of the year in that country.^[3] In the United States, the film earned $14,000,000.^[1] A Man and a Woman won many awards, including the Palme d'Or at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival,^[4] and Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Writing.^[5][6] A sequel, A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later (Un Homme et une Femme, 20 Ans Déjà) was released in 1986.

Plot[link]

A young widow, Anne Gauthier (Anouk Aimée), is raising her daughter Francois (Souad Amidou) alone following the death of her husband (Pierre Barouh) who worked as a stuntman and who died in a movie set accident that she witnessed. Still working as a film script supervisor, Anne divides her time between her home in Paris and Deauville in northern France where her daughter attends boarding school. A young widower, Jean-Louis (Jean-Louis Trintignant), is raising his son Antoine (Antoine Sire) alone following the death of his wife Valerie (Valerie Lagrange) who committed suicide after Jean-Louis was in a near fatal crash during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Still working as a race car driver, Jean-Louis divides his time between Paris and Deauville where his son also attends boarding school.

One day Anne and Jean-Louis meet at the Deauville boarding school after Anne misses the last train back to Paris. Jean-Louis offers her a ride and the two become acquainted during the drive home, enjoying each other's company. When he drops her off, he asks if she would like to drive up together the following weekend, and she gives him her phone number. After a busy week at the track preparing for the next race, Jean-Louis calls and they meet early Sunday morning and drive to Deauville in the rain. Clearly attracted to each other, they enjoy a pleasant Sunday lunch with their children who get along well. Later that afternoon they go for a boat ride followed by a walk on the beach at sunset.

Jean-Louis spends the following week preparing for and driving in the Monte Carlo Rally in southeast France. Every day, Anne closely follows news reports of the race, which takes place in poor weather conditions along the icy roads of the French Riviera. Of the 273 cars that started the race, only 42 were able to finish, including Jean Louis's white Mustang, number 184. Watching the television coverage of the conclusion of the race, Anne sends Jean-Louis a telegram that reads, "Bravo! I love you. Anne."

That night at a dinner for the drivers at the Monte Carlo Casino, Jean-Louis receives the telegram and leaves immediately. He jumps into the same car he used during the race and drives through the night to Paris, telling himself that when a woman sends a telegraph like that, you go to her no matter what. Along the way he imagines what their reunion will be like. At her Paris apartment, Jean-Louis learns that Anne is in Deauville, so he continues north. Jean-Louis finally arrives in Deauville and finds Anne and the two children playing on the beach. When they see each other, they run into each others' arms and embrace.

After dropping their children off at the boarding school, Jean-Louis and Anne drive into town where they rent a room and begin to make love with passionate tenderness. While they are in each other's arms, however, Jean-Louis senses that something is not right. Anne's memories of her deceased husband are still with her and she feels uncomfortable continuing. Anne says it would be best for her to take the train back to Paris alone. After dropping her off at the station, Jean-Louis drives home alone, unable to understand her feelings. On the train Anne can only think of Jean-Louis and their time together. Meanwhile, Jean-Louis drives south through the French countryside to the Paris train station, just as her train is arriving. As she leaves the train, she spots Jean-Louis and is surprised, hesitates briefly, and then walks toward him and they embrace.

Cast[link]

• Anouk Aimée as Anne Gauthier
• Jean-Louis Trintignant as Jean-Louis Duroc
• Pierre Barouh as Pierre Gauthier
• Valérie Lagrange as Valerie Duroc
• Antoine Sire as Antoine Duroc
• Souad Amidou as Françoise Gauthier
• Henri Chemin as Jean Louis' co-driver
• Yane Barry as Jean Louis' mistress
• Paul Le Person as Petrol pump attendant
• Simone Paris as Head Mistress
• Gerard Sire as Radio commentator
• Gérard Larrousse as Rally driver
• Clive Roberts as Rally driver^[7]

Production[link]

Story and script[link]

According to director Claude Lelouch, the story originated from and experience following his disappointment trying to get a distribution deal for his film Les Grands Moments. As was his habit during troubling times, he went for a long drive and ended up on the shore at Deauville at 2:00 am. After a few hours sleep in the car, he was awakened by the sunrise and saw a woman walking on the beach with her daughter and a dog. This sparked his creativity which lead to the story and script which he co-wrote with Pierre Uytterhoeven within a month.^[8]

Casting[link]

A key casting decision for Lelouch was Jean-Louis Trintignant.

I think Jean-Louis is the actor who taught me how to direct actors. We really brought each other a lot. He changed his method of acting while working with me, and I began to truly understand what directing actors was all about, working with him. I think the relationship between a director and actor is the same relationship as in a love story between two people. One cannot direct an actor if you do not love him or her. And he cannot be good if he or she does not love you in turn.^[9]

For the female lead, Trintignant asked Lelouch who his ideal woman would be, and Lelouch indicated Anouk Aimée, who had appeared in Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and 8½ (1962). Trintignant happened to be a close friend of hers and told him to call her. When he did, she accepted without reading the script. Although early disagreements and the low-budget skeleton crew caused initial tension between the director and actress, the quickly resolved their differences and the two went on to become close friends.^[8]

Filming[link]

Once the script was drafted, the film was made relatively quickly, with one month of preproduction work, three weeks of principal photography, and three weeks editing.^[8] Due to budget constraints, he used an older handheld camera that was not soundproof, so blankets were frequently employed to dampen he camera noise.^[8]

Lelouch is considered a pioneer in mixing different film stocks: black-and-white with color, and 35mm with 16mm and super 8. For years film critics debated the symbolism of the mixed film stocks, but Lelouch acknowledged that the primary reason was that he was running out of money, and black and white stock was cheaper.^[9] His original plan involved shooting strictly in black and white, but when an American distributor offered him $40,000 to film in color, he filmed the outdoor sequences in color, and the indoor scenes in black and white.^[8]

The music soundtrack was recorded prior to filming, and Lelouch would play the music on the set to inspire the actors.^[8] Lelouch encouraged his actors to improvise some of the dialogue, and several key scenes were improvised. The climactic scene at a train station was not scripted at the time of shooting, and Aimée did not know that director Lelouch had decided on the two main characters reuniting at the end. The look of surprise on Aimée's face is genuine.^[10]

Reception[link]

Critical response[link]

Upon its theatrical release in the United States, A Man and a Woman received mostly positive reviews. In his review in The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote, "For a first-rate demonstration of the artfulness of a cameraman and the skill at putting together handsome pictures and a strongly sentimental musical score, there is nothing around any better than Claude Lelouch's A Man and a Woman."^[11] Crowther lawded the "beautiful and sometimes breath-taking exposition of visual imagery intended to excite the emotions" and praised the director for his ability to create something unique from the commonplace:

Mr. Lelouch, who was his own script writer as well as director and cameraman, has a rare skill at photographing clichés so that they sparkle and glow with poetry and at generating a sense of inspiration in behavior that is wholly trivial.^[11]

The review in Variety noted the performances of the lead actors: "Anouk Aimee has a mature beauty and an ability to project an inner quality that helps stave off the obvious banality of her character, and this goes too for the perceptive Jean-Louis Trintignant as the man."^[12]

On the review aggregator web site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 75% positive rating from top film critics based on 12 reviews, and an 85% positive audience rating based on 5,202 reviews. ^[13]

Awards and nominations[link]

• 1966 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or (Claude Lelouch) Won
• 1967 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Won
• 1967 Academy Award for Best Writing (Claude Lelouch, Pierre Uytterhoeven) Won
• 1967 Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Anouk Aimée)
• 1967 Academy Award Nomination for Best Director (Claude Lelouch)
• 1967 Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Language Film (Claude Lelouch) Won
• 1967 Cinema Writers Circle Award for Best Foreign Film Won
• 1967 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement (Claude Lelouch) Won
• 1967 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film Won
• 1967 Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress (Anouk Aimée) Won
• 1967 Golden Globe Award Nomination for Best Motion Picture Director (Claude Lelouch)
• 1967 Golden Globe Award Nomination for Best Original Score (Francis Lai)
• 1967 Golden Globe Award Nomination for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture (Francis Lai, Pierre Barouh)
• 1967 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon for Best Director, Foreign Film (Claude Lelouch) Won
• 1967 Laurel Award Nomination for Female Dramatic Performance (Anouk Aimée)
• 1967 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Top Foreign Film Won
• 1968 BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress (Anouk Aimée) Won
• 1968 BAFTA Award Nomination for Best Film (Claude Lelouch)
• 1968 Mexican Cinema Journalists Silver Goddess Award for Best Foreign Actress (Anouk Aimée) Won^[14]

Soundtrack[link]

The soundtrack was written by Francis Lai and earned "Best Original Score" nominations at both the BAFTA Awards and Golden Globe Awards in 1967. The film's theme song, with music by Francis Lai and lyrics by Pierre Barouh, was also nominated for "Best Original Song in a Motion Picture" at the Golden Globe Awards.^[14] In Finland it has become one of the most easily recognizable TV advertisement themes, having been used for decades by the cruiseferry brand Silja Line.

Pierre Barouh, who plays the deceased husband in the film, also sings the songs in the soundtrack. In a sequence of the film, he makes a brief reappearance singing "Samba Saravah", a French version with lyrics by Barouh himself of the Brazilian song "Samba da Benção" written by Baden Powell with original lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes.^[15]

The song "Aujourd'hui C'est Toi" is used as the theme for the BBC's Panorama current affairs program, plus Rede Globo's Jornal Hoje midday newscast, and YLE's Ajankohtainen kakkonen weekly current affairs television program in Finland on TV2.

Track listing[link]

1. "A Man and a Woman" (Un homme et une femme) by Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh (2:40)
2. "Samba Saravah" by Pierre Barouh (4:30)
3. "Today It's You" (Aujourd 'hui c'est toi) by Nicole Croisille (2:06)
4. "A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme) (2:37)
5. "Stronger Than Us" (Plus fort que nous) (3:15)
6. "Today It's You" (Aujourd 'hui c'est toi) (2:35)
7. "In Our Shadow" (A l'ombre de nous) by Pierre Barouh (4:55)
8. "Stronger Than Us" (Plus fort que nous) by Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh (3:43)
9. "124 Miles An Hour" (A 200 A l'heure) (2:30)^[16][17]

Chart positions[link]

See also[link]

• List of submissions to the 39th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of French submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

References[link]

External links[link]

• A Man and a Woman at the Internet Movie Database
• A Man and a Woman at AllRovi
• A Man and a Woman at Rotten Tomatoes

A Woman was Charlie Chaplin's ninth film for Essanay Films. It was made in Los Angeles at the Majestic Studio and released in 1915. The film starts with Chaplin meeting Edna (Edna Purviance) and her parents in a park; the mother is played by Marta Golden and the father by Charles Insley. In this film, Chaplin dresses as a woman to fool Edna's father. It was the third and last time Chaplin played the role of a woman on film. He played a woman in two Keystone films: The Masquerader and A Busy Day.

Cast[link]

• Charles Chaplin - Gentleman/'Nora Nettlerash'
• Edna Purviance - Daughter of the House
• Charles Inslee - Her Father
• Marta Golden - Daughter of the House
• Margie Reiger - Father's Lady Friend
• Billy Armstrong - Father's Friend
• Leo White - Idler in the Park

External links[link]

• A Woman at the Internet Movie Database
• A Woman is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]

This article about a short silent comedy film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

A Man for All Seasons is a 1966 film based on Robert Bolt's play A Man for All Seasons about Sir Thomas More. It was released on 12 December 1966. Paul Scofield, who had played More in the West End stage premiere, also took the role in the film. It was directed by Fred Zinnemann, who had previously directed such films as High Noon and From Here to Eternity. The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

Title[link]

The title reflects playwright Bolt’s portrayal of More as the ultimate man of conscience and as remaining true to his principles and religion under all circumstances and at all times. Bolt borrowed the title from Robert Whittington, a contemporary of More, who in 1520 wrote of him:

More is a man of an angel's wit and singular learning. I know not his fellow. For where is the man of that gentleness, lowliness and affability? And, as time requireth, a man of marvelous mirth and pastimes, and sometime of as sad gravity. A man for all seasons.^[2][3]

Premise[link]

Sir Thomas More was the 16th-century Lord Chancellor of England who refused to sign a letter asking Pope Clement VII to annul the King's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and resigned rather than take an Oath of Supremacy declaring the King the Supreme Head of the Church of England. The King is Henry VIII of England and his wife is Catherine of Aragon, the first of Henry's eventual six wives. Both the play and the film portray More as a tragic hero, motivated by his devout Roman Catholic faith and envied by rivals, such as Thomas Cromwell. He is also deeply loved by his family and respected by the common people.

Plot[link]

This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (May 2012)

The film opens with Cardinal Wolsey summoning Sir Thomas More to his palace at Hampton Court. Desiring his support in obtaining a divorce from the Pope so that Henry V can marry Anne Boleyn, Wolsey chastises More for being the only member of the Privy Council to argue against him. When More states that the Pope will never grant a divorce, he is scandalised by Wolsey's suggestion that they apply "pressure" in order to force the issue. More refuses to support continued efforts to secure an annulment for Henry VIII from the Pope as legal and religious options having been exhausted, provide no grounds for the Pope to issue an annulment.

Returning by a River Thames ferry to his estate at Chelsea, More finds Richard Rich, a young acquaintance from Cambridge waiting by the dock for his return. An ambitious young man, who is drawn to the allure of power, Rich pleads with More for a position at Court, but More, citing the various corruptions there, advises him to become a teacher instead.

Entering the house, More finds his daughter Meg with a young Lutheran named William Roper, who announces his desire to marry her. More, a devout Catholic, announces that his answer is "no" as long as Roper remains a heretic.

Wolsey dies banished from Court in disgrace, having failed to coerce a divorce from the Pope. King Henry appoints More as Lord Chancellor of England.

Soon after, the King makes an "impromptu" visit by barge at More's home in Chelsea to inquire about his divorce. Sir Thomas, not wishing to admit that his conscience forbids him to dissolve what he considers a valid marriage, remains unmoved as the King alternates thinly-veiled threats with promises of unbounded Royal favour. When More finally refers to Catherine as "the Queen," the King explodes into a raging tantrum. Storming off in a huff, King Henry returns to his barge and orders the oarsmen to cast off. His courtiers are left to run through the mud and into the river to catch up as the King laughs hysterically at their predicament. At the embankment, Rich is approached by Thomas Cromwell, a member of Henry's court and political adversary of More. Cromwell subtly inquires whether Rich has information that could damage More's reputation, in exchange for a position at Court.

Roper, learning of More's quarrel with the King, reveals that his religious opinions have altered considerably. He declares that by attacking the Catholic Church, the King has become "the Devil's minister." A terrified More begs him to be more guarded as Rich arrives, pleading again for a position at Court. When More again refuses, Rich denounces More's steward as a spy for Cromwell. Now, More and his family, including wife Alice learn the ugly truth: Rich is being manipulated by Cromwell to spy on him.

As a humiliated Rich leaves, More's family pleads with him to have Rich arrested. More refuses, stating that Rich, while dangerous, has broken no law. Still seeking a position at Court, Rich enlists Cromwell's patronage and joins him in attempting to bring down More. Henry, tired of awaiting for an annulment from the Vatican, redefines the Catholic Church in England by declaring himself "Supreme Head of the Church in England." He demands that both the bishops and Parliament renounce all allegiance to the Holy See. More quietly resigns his post as Chancellor rather than accept the new order. As he does so, his close friend, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, attempts to draw his opinions out as part of a friendly chat with no witnesses present. More, however, knows that the time for speaking openly of such matters is over.

The King will not be appeased. He demands that More attend his wedding to Anne Boleyn. More refuses and is summoned again to Hampton Court, now occupied by Cromwell. More is interrogated on his opinions but refuses to answer, citing it as his right under English Law. Cromwell angrily declares that the King now views him as a traitor.

More returns home and is met by his daughter. Meg informs him that a new oath about the marriage is being circulated and that all must take it on pain of high treason. Initially, More says he would be willing to take the oath, provided it does not conflict with his principles. One issue for More is that the King cannot declare himself to be the head of the Catholic Church as the head of the Catholic Church is the Pope. However, an expert in the law, More knows that if he does not state why he is opposed to taking the oath, he cannot be considered a traitor to the King; More refuses to take the oath and is imprisoned in the Tower of London regardless.

In spite of the bullying tactics of Cromwell, the subtle manipulation of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and the pleadings of both Norfolk and his family, More remains steadfast in his refusal to take the oath. When he is finally brought to trial, he remains silent until after being convicted of treason on the perjured testimony of Richard Rich. He is then informed that Rich has been promoted to Attorney General for Wales as a reward.

Now having nothing left to lose, More angrily denounces the illegal nature of the King's actions, citing the Biblical basis for the authority of the Papacy over Christendom. He further declares that the immunity of the Church from State interference is guaranteed both in Magna Carta and in the King's own Coronation Oath. As the spectators scream in protest, More is condemned to death.

A narrator intones the epilogue.

Thomas More's head was stuck on Traitor's Gate for a month. Then his daughter, Margaret, removed it and kept it 'til her death. Cromwell was beheaded for high treason five years after More. The Archbishop was burned at the stake. The Duke of Norfolk should have been executed for high treason but the King died of syphilis the night before. Richard Rich became Chancellor of England and died in his bed.

Adaptation[link]

Robert Bolt adapted the screenplay himself. The running commentary of The Common Man was deleted and the character was divided into the roles of the Thames boatman, More's steward, an innkeeper, the jailer from the Tower, the jury foreman and the executioner. The subplot involving the Spanish ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, was also excised. A few minor scenes were added to the play, for instance Wolsey's death, More's investiture as Chancellor, and the King's wedding to Anne Boleyn, in order to cover narrative gaps left by the exclusion of the Common Man.

For obvious reasons, the Brechtian staging of the final courtroom scene (which depicted the Jury as consisting of the Common Man and several sticks bearing the hats of the various characters he has played) is changed to a more realistic setting. Also, while the Duke of Norfolk was the judge both historically and in the play's depiction of the trial, the character of the Chief Justice (Jack Gwillim) was created for the film. Norfolk is still present, but plays little role in the proceedings.

Zinneman uses light in an interesting way throughout the film. Regardless of the time of day, More’s home is always shown in full daylight, whereas in contrast other places are seen in the dark of night. This contrast of light is often jarring. For example, the film opens with a courier delivering a message to More. The courier travels in darkness up to the wall surrounding More’s estate. Once the courier enters the estate, he finds himself in the full light of day. More travels home in darkness and pre-dawn light, only to find full daylight once he's on his estate. In another scene More and his family members go to bed with daylight streaming in through the bedroom windows. Light is also used to capture moods: the king’s trip to and from More’s estate and the king’s wedding take place on bright sunny days, plotting against More takes place on a cold snowy day, More’s execution takes place on a cloudy overcast day, Wolsey's death is presaged by a foggy day, and the passage of time is shown by the changing seasons.

Cast[link]

• Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More
• Wendy Hiller as Alice More
• Leo McKern as Thomas Cromwell
• Robert Shaw as Henry VIII
• Orson Welles as Cardinal Wolsey
• Susannah York as Margaret More
• Nigel Davenport as The Duke of Norfolk
• John Hurt as Richard Rich
• Corin Redgrave as William Roper (the Younger)
• Colin Blakely as Matthew
• Cyril Luckham as Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
• Jack Gwillim as Chief Justice
• Vanessa Redgrave as Anne Boleyn

Production[link]

The producers initially feared that Paul Scofield was not a big enough name to draw in audiences, so the producers approached Richard Burton, who turned down the part. Laurence Olivier was also considered, but Fred Zinnemann demanded that Scofield be cast.

Alec Guinness was the studio's first choice to play Cardinal Wolsey, and Peter O'Toole was the first choice to play Henry VIII. Richard Harris was also considered. Bolt wanted film director John Huston to play Norfolk, but he refused. Vanessa Redgrave was originally to have played Margaret, but she had a theatre commitment. She agreed to a cameo as Anne Boleyn on the condition that she not be billed in the part or mentioned in the previews.

To keep the budget at under $2 million, the actors all took salary cuts. Only Scofield, York and Welles were paid salaries exceeding £10,000. For playing Rich, his first major film role, John Hurt was paid £3,000. Vanessa Redgrave appeared simply for the fun of it and refused to accept any money.

Leo McKern had played the Common Man in the original West End production of the show, but had been shifted to Cromwell for the Broadway production. He and Scofield are the only members of the cast to appear in the both the stage and screen versions of the story. Vanessa Redgrave did appear as Alice in a 1988 remake.

Awards and acclaim[link]

The film was a box office success, making $28,350,000 in the US alone,^[4] making it the fifth highest grossing film of 1966. Scofield's performance was particularly acclaimed and he won the Best Actor Oscar. The film also won Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, cinematography, costume design, Best Director, and Best Picture. It was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Shaw and Best Supporting Actress for Hiller. The film also helped launch the career of the then-unknown Hurt. The film's win for Best Picture Oscar defeated another heavy nominee Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? which earned 13 nominations, almost twice the winning picture's total nominations alone.

The film won five BAFTA Awards for Best Film from any Source, Best British Film, Best Photography (Ted Moore), Best Production design (John Box) and Best Actor (Scofield).

The film is number 43 on the British Film Institute's list of the top 100 British films.

See also[link]

• A Man for All Seasons - television film (1988)
• Anne Boleyn in popular culture
• Cultural depictions of Henry VIII of England

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Film Script

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)

• A Man for All Seasons at the Internet Movie Database
• A Man for All Seasons at AllRovi
• A Man for All Seasons at Rotten Tomatoes

Sarah Geronimo
Sarah Geronimo performing on 2011
Background information
Birth name	Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo
Also known as	Sarah Geronimo
Born	(1988-07-25) July 25, 1988 (age 23)
Origin	Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines
Genres	Pop, R&B, Dance
Occupations	actress, recording artist, singer, dancer, host, model, product indorser, rapper, song writer, total performer
Instruments	Vocals, Piano
Years active	2002–present
Labels	VIVA Records, Star Records
Website	www.sarahgeronimo.ph www.sarahgeronimo.com 100px Sarah Geronimo's signature

Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo is a Filipino recording artist and actress. Geronimo started her official debut in show business after having won the Star for a Night singing competition. In 2003, after winning the contest, she released her first album entitled Popstar: A Dream Come True under Viva Records. It is considered as Geronimo's most successful album which sold more than 210,000 copies nationwide.^[1][2]

She is the first Filipino artist to receive a platinum award for a DVD copy of her concert The Other Side in 2005 and is currently the only artist who has a platinum record for 4 DVDs of her concert. Her fourth one was awarded with triple platinum status in December of 2010.^[3]

Moreover, Geronimo received from the Aliw Awards the "Best Female Major Concert" award for Record Breaker and the "Entertainer of the Year" award, making her the youngest artist to receive it in history. ^[4][5]

Geronimo was crowned as the Philippines' Box-Office Queen in 2008 and 2009 for her movies, A Very Special Love and You Changed My Life.

Life and Career[link]

Childhood and early beginnings[link]

Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo was born on July 25, 1988 in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines, to Delfin Geronimo, a retired Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) employee, and Divina Geronimo, who ran a beauty parlor from the family home. She studied at Dominican School Manila. Geronimo’s first performance was in a mall show when she was two years old.^[6] At the age of four, she made her first appearance on national television and was a member of the children's television show Pen-Pen de Sarapen for two years.^[7][8] At six, she performed at a short concert at Isetann Cinema Complex on Recto Avenue in Manila.^[8] She sang for Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Philippines in 1995, when she was six.^[6] At the age of eight, her father enrolled Geronimo at the Center for Pop Music Philippines, where she received her first formal music and voice lessons.^[8] Geronimo performed in hotel lounges, on campuses, in shopping malls, and on a few TV shows. Around this time, she was part of the cast of the ABS-CBN children's show Ang TV.^[7][8] At the age of nine, she joined the cast of the TV show NEXT.^[6] She also played a cameo role in Star Cinema’s Sarah, Ang Munting Prinsesa.^[8]

2002–2003: Debut[link]

In 2002, Geronimo competed in the Star for a Night competition, hosted by Filipino pop singer Regine Velasquez. At the age of fourteen, Geronimo won the competition, which included a ₱1 million cash prize and a managerial contract to Vicente Del Rosario, owner of Viva Artists Agency. She was given the title of Pop Star Princess.^[6][8] Her mother said, "Her cash prize in Star For a Night was a big help, This school year, we don't need to borrow money from other people because of my children's tuition fees."^[9]

Geronimo became the featured artist in MTV's Rising Star in September 2002,^[7] and she released her first album Popstar: A Dream Come True, in late 2002.^[9][10] Her first concerts, in conjunction with her first album, were staged in October 2003.^[11]

Geronimo's first movie role was in Filipinas, released in late 2003.^[8] According to the Philippine Star, Geronimo's co-star in the film, Maricel Soriano, "predict[ed] a bright future" for her and stated, "That girl will go far. She’s only 14, right? For someone like Sarah, for the first time she appears and acts in a film, she's good. Maybe some people have high expectation on her but for me she's good."^[12]

2004–2007: Career Expansion[link]

The Manila Bulletin states that 2004 was the year that Geronimo's career "boomed".^[13] Geronimo signed a contract with the ABS-CBN network, which aired her first television series, Sarah the Teen Princess.^[14] Later that year, she became a regular host and performer on the variety show ASAP.^[15][16] She sang the Philippine National Anthem at the pre-inaugural ceremonies of president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 30, 2004. In November 2004, Geronimo released her second album, Sweet Sixteen, with "How Could You Say You Love Me" as its first single. After a week of its release, the album was certified gold and quickly achieved triple platinum status when it sold more than 90,000 copies nationwide.^[6] Geronimo performed in the Night of the Champions concert at the Araneta Coliseum ("the Dome") with other singing competition winners Rachelle Ann Go and Erik Santos, followed by a tour in the U.S.^[17]

In 2005, Geronimo recorded the theme song of the Star Cinema movie, Can This Be Love.^[18] She joined the fourth-season cast of the teen-oriented television program SCQ Reload: Kilig Ako and appeared in the fantasy movie Lastikman, produced by VIVA Films. She hosted three talent competitions: Search For Star in a Million, Little Big Star and Little Big Superstar.^[15][6]

On September 30, 2005, Geronimo performed a solo concert, The Other Side. The Manila Bulletin reported that, "The Dome became one huge oven."^[19] Viva Records released a live DVD album of her concert at Araneta Coliseum titled The Other Side: Live Album. In the summer of 2005, a repeat of Night of the Champions toured the U.S. for two months.^[20]

In 2006, Geronimo starred in ABS-CBN's primetime soap opera, Bituing Walang Ningning, a remake of the 1985 movie. She played the role of an aspiring singer named Dorina Pineda, originally played by Sharon Cuneta in the movie,^[6][21] and released a soundtrack of the series.

In the summer of 2006, Geronimo's third studio album, Becoming, was released in the international market. Produced by Christian De Walden, the album went platinum a month after its release. De Walden said that Geronimo was "definitely the biggest talent I have come across...the last ten years." He was particularly astounded by Geronimo's ability to not only learn a song quickly but to give it her own distinctive style.^[22] The album yielded three singles: "I Still Believe In Loving You", "Carry My Love" and "Iingatan Ko Ang Pag-ibig Mo." One critic said, "The album isn't completely successful. It's nevertheless heartening to hear Sarah spreading her musical wings by trying new types of songs that wouldn't have been considered in the lineup of her showy first albums."^[23]

Geronimo continued to perform in concerts throughout the world, in places like Taiwan, Canada, the U.S., and Dubai.^[24][25] Philstar News reported that Geronimo was the first Filipino to perform at the Harris Theater in Chicago.^[25] On November 18, 2006, Manny Pacquiao chose Geronimo to sing Lupang Hinirang, the Philippine national anthem, before his match against Mexico's Erik Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.^[24][26]

Geronimo's second major solo concert In Motion, took place on July 14, 2007, at the Araneta Coliseum. Unlike her first solo concert at the Dome, this concert went off with no technical glitches.^[27] She spent the rest of 2007 performing concerts in the Philippines and the U.S.^[15][28] and recording her fourth studio album, Taking Flight,^[29] which sold more than 60,000 units and achieved double platinum status. In the latter half of 2007, Geronimo appeared in her third television series for ABS-CBN, Pangarap Na Bituin.^[15]

2008–2010: The Next One and Record Breaker[link]

In early 2008, Geronimo reunited with Erik Santos, Rachelle Ann Go, and Christian Bautista in a Valentine's Day concert at the Araneta Coliseum, entitled "OL4LUV".^[30] Before Geronimo released her fifth studio album, she released I'll Be There as the fourth single from Taking Flight. On July 30, 2008, Geronimo starred with Filipino actor John Lloyd Cruz in A Very Special Love which was produced by Star Cinema and VIVA films and grossed almost ₱180 million.^{[31][32][32][33]} The movie opened with ₱ 14 million pesos and Isah V. Red of The Manila Standard Today quoted

Geronimo included a track from the movie, "A Very Special Love", on her album Taking Flight.

Geronimo's fifth studio album, Just Me, included a duet with Backstreet Boys member Howie Dorough entitled, "I'll Be There". De Walden again produced this album.^[35][36] Like her previous albums, Just Me achieved platinum status in December 2008. She was recognized for this accomplishment on the 2008 ASAP Platinum Circle Awards show.^[37] On November 8, 2008, Geronimo staged her third major solo concert in Araneta Coliseum, entitled The Next One, which marked the first time she accompanied herself on the piano while on stage.^[38] Geronimo’s Just Me album, was re-released, adding You Changed My Life.^[32] She was also recognized by ASAP for attaining platinum status for her albums Taking Flight and Just Me and for her two concert DVDs (The Other Side and Sarah In Motion).^[37]

In February 2009, Geronimo made a movie again with John Lloyd Cruz in You Changed My Life, the sequel of A Very Special Love .^[39] The film’s total theatrical earnings earned over ₱240 million, and holds the record for the highest grossing Filipino movie made.^[40] Geronimo traveled to the US in March–April 2009 for her The Next One tour, where she received positive reviews about her performances.^[41] In June 2009, she re-staged the Sarah Geronimo: The Next One Philippine concert tour.^[42][43] On August 5, 2009 Geronimo was given the honor to sing the Virna Lisa's 1986 People Power anthem, “Magkaisa” during the funeral of former President Corazon Aquino.^[44] Geronimo released a solo Christmas album, Your Christmas Girl in October 2009. In November 2009, she staged her fourth solo sold-out concert, Record Breaker, in the Araneta Coliseum.^[45][46] The Philippine Daily Inquirer called the concert "a qualified success".^[40] During the concert, Geronimo became emotional while talking about her struggles trying to succeed in a music industry inundated by aspiring singers.^[45] At the same day of her concert, she released her sixth studio album, Music and Me. ^[47][48][49] In December 2009, Your Christmas Girl and Music and Me both reached platinum status after a month of their release.^[50]