Noli, is an intelligent girl but a poor farmer's daughter. She dreams of going to college to become a doctor. To realize her dreams, her father, Damian, mortgages his farm to a rich land owner, Dona Martina. But the old woman and his son, Anselmo, look down on Noli's family and sneer at her ambitions. Perseverance pays off and Noli is able to finish college and claims back their property from Dona Martina. Noli and Anselmo fall in love with each other. But Dona Martina resents the relationship. Noli gets pregnant, does not tell Anselmo and instead marries Arturo despite the objections of his sister, Margarita. Then Arturo commits suicide when he finds out that the child is not his. Years pass and Noli's daughter, Maggie, grows up to be a beautiful but rebellious young lady with her a mother's looks but with exact opposite character. She falls in love with Jun, who turns out to be Anselmo's son. Things soon become complicated.
Cast
Nora Aunor as Doña Magnolia "Noli" Dela Cruz vda. de Zulueta and Maggie Zulueta
Tirso Cruz III as Dr. Anselmo Santos and Anselmo Santos Jr.
Gloria Romero as Doña Martina Santos
Miguel Rodriguez as Señor Arturo Zulueta
Ana Margarita Gonzales as Margot Zulueta
Perla Bautista as Cedes Santos
Vangie Labalan as Matilde
Beverly Salviejo as Connie
Rolando Tinio as the principal
Manjo del Mundo as Noli's Brother
Production
The production of Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit lasted nearly three years, with Regal Films announcing its completion on August 12, 1989.
Release
Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit was released in the Philippines on August 17, 1989.
Critical response
This is the quintessential Tagalog movie and a loving tribute to the "Golden Age of Philippine Cinema." - Mario A. Hernando, Malaya Newspaper, 1989
Aunor is a prime mover here. It’s a relief to see her come out of semi-retirement in fine form, still eons away from the calculated angst of Sharon Cuneta. Aunor as a heroine is in a class by herself. No one, not even Vilma Santos, can quite strike the chord this Superstar, with her chocolate skin and sad eyes, does in the Filipino audience—for all her years in the movies and on TV, she has retained an admirably disciplined lack of guile as an actress. Her character—the brown-skinned peasant triumphing over the mestizo aristocrat—is laden with cliches, some of which Aunor has lived in real life. But Aunor was never one for predictability. Just when you expect her to resort to hysterical drivel, you gaze into her eyes, the eyes of an old woman, and feel a chill run down your spine. - Melissa G. Contreras, “Guy and Pip Grow Up,” Chronicle Weekend Guide, August 19, 1989
