Burden of Books, Bar, and Burnouts: A Sociological Examination of Bar Boys
- deskvalor
- Mar 25
- 4 min read
By: Nona Mejia
Introduction
Bar Boys is a Philippine comedy-drama movie released in 2017 starring Rocco Nacino as Torran Garcia, Enzo Pineda as Chris Carlson, Carlo Aquino as Erik Vicencio, and Kean Cipriano as Joshua Zuniga directed, written, and co-produced by Kip Oebanda. The film centralizes three law students who are venturing into their college life as they collaborate in preparation for their bar exam amidst the strifes they face with their personal relationships along the way. In the film’s context, the journey of being a law student comes along with family pressure and personal sacrifices.
Moreover, Bar Boys resonates with societal expectations, particularly the pressure placed on aspiring lawyers in a country that interconnects professions in law as eminent ranks in society (Respicio, 2024). Utilizing a sociological approach, the film can be interpreted to explore how its themes show the impact of socioeconomic differences, ethical dilemmas, and societal expectations on law students in the Philippines.
Body
Bar Boys features four friends, Torran, Chris, Erik, and Joshua, as they waited for the admission results while played online games to pass the time. In hopes of tending to his own interest; Joshua, who did not pass and have to fit into what his family had imagined for him, explaining why he wanted to chase after the entertainment industry. Their friendship varied as Torran comes from an extended middle-class family and aims to graduate, but got immersed in fraternity. Meanwhile, Chris was born wealthy, but his pursuit of law was caused by family pressure. Benefiting from Chris’ wealth and loans from him is Erik from a working-class family. The film did not delve deeper into Joshua’s background, yet, Bar Boys showcased the diverse struggles of the four with different socioeconomic backgrounds and family values that influence their career paths.
Critical Analysis
Approaching what seemed to be such a serious film about law students, books, and bar exams in a comedic way, in which it also subtly shedded light on certain issues, made Bar Boys a humorous relief amidst the weighty context of law practice (Interaksyon, 2017). Proving this portrayal was the dispute between Erik and Chris, wherein Chris was forced to choose between either giving a portion of his grade to Erik whose academic performance was declining due to his financial challenges or being at the very top of his class to gain his father’s recognition. Although Bar Boys is considered an aberrant film about studying law, its lightweight approach tackles significant matters about the influence of socioeconomic aspects on the experience of law students in the Philippines.
Concerning this, Torran, Erik, and Chris’ comical classroom experience demonstrated the film’s comedic approach. After a humorous encounter with a professor mistaken as their classmate, the three friends glimpsed a four-year struggle with the necessity of being intensely accurate in recitations, such as when Torran was being grilled by their professor about the size of a man’s genitals mentioned in a court case. In the context of ethical dilemmas, Torran’s moral principles were tested during his fraternity experience. Initiation rites practiced by his group made him question himself as a law student, when such traditions continued despite his knowledge about it.
Financial capabilities of certain characters were evident throughout the film. While Chris bothers himself about living up to his father’s expectations and not about education costs, Erik balances his obligations with his studies and his part-time job. His academic performance in law school was significantly affected because he prioritized his tuition fee and medication for his father. Bar Boys depicted the obvious economic divide between these characters and its influence on how it affects their perspectives and experience in law school.
Conclusion
Bar Boys by Kip Oebanda is a Philippine comedy-drama movie showing four friends as they encounter challenges that were influenced by their socioeconomic conditions, personal interests, and ethical dilemmas. While the film uses a humorous way in delving into matters about law school and economic hardships, it depicts the hard realities faced by law students in the Philippines on the topics of upkeeping their education and remaining poised notwithstanding the tremendous demands of law schools. Bar Boys will not just provide a different lens on students studying to have a profession in law, but it will also offer the general audience with meaningful insights regarding challenges faced by law students from familial and societal expectations, socioeconomic status, ethical dilemmas, and personal interests.
REFERENCE LIST
Bawan, O. M., Pascual, M. P., & Gabriel, A. G. (2017). Hazing and organizational tradition in a higher education institution in the Philippines what has the law got to do with it. SCIRP. https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=81140
Interaksyon. (2017). REVIEW | “Bar Boys” is a feel-good film on being a law student and a student of life. Interaksyon.
Ortiz, S. (2020). Binging during quarantine: Bar boys. Film Development Council of the Philippines.
Paronable, P. (2022). Bar boys: The bourgeoisie, the burgherdom, and the proletariat. Village Pipol.
Respicio, H. (2024). A comprehensive legal discourse on the formalities of professional greetings and communications within the Philippine Legal
Framework. RESPICIO & CO.
https://www.respicio.ph/dear-attorney/a-comprehensive-legal-discourse-on-the-formalities-of-professional-greetings-and-communications-within-the-
philippine-legal-framework
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