Directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng, Rory B. Quintos, Don M. Cuaresma, Laurenti Dyogi, Michael de Mesa and Ricky Davao, starring Judy Ann Santos in the title role.
The eldest Socorro is renamed Esperanza (Judy Ann Santos) by a poor couple, Celia (Sylvia Sanchez) and Raul (Joel Torre), who takes her in but never tells her she is adopted.
She grows up in this environment where she is mistreated or ignored by her adoptive illiterate mother, Celia, and yet sees her lavish attention towards her own children JunJun (Emman Abeleda) and Andrea (Tanya Garcia).
Regina (Angelika Dela Cruz), the youngest of the three siblings, is adopted by a rich couple, Belinda (Teresa Loyzaga) and Mayor Joaquin Montejo (Lito Legaspi) who are childless.
While he was imprisoned, his wife Celia betrayed him and had a relationship with a man named Duarte (Ronnie Lazaro) Mayor Joaquin Montejo became the most influential person to the life of Esperanza, to the adoptive family of Danilo, and to Anton because of the following reasons: 1.
Esperanza, Anton, and Cecille make their escape from the hands of Mayor Joaquin Montejo and managed to go to Manila where they were orphaned by Lola Pacita (Gloria Sevilla) together with her grandson Carlo in the slum area.
However, the siblings were still fortunate to have Lola Pacita, Bayani (Diego Castro), Buboy, and Lolo Cirilo (Amado Cortez) who were on their side at times of happiness and crisis.
In the city, they even experienced bullying from the hands of Oca (Allan Paule), the henchmen of Sargeant Mulong Garido (Val Iglesias), the corrupt policeman assigned in the nearby community where they lived.
They were reunited with their father but had so much sufferings from the hands of Sandra, her personal assistant Ramona (Mel Kimura), and her daughter from her first husband Paula (Dimples Romana).
Meanwhile, the Salgado siblings met Emil Peralta (Romnick Sarmienta) and his sister Issa, who opened another life opportunity in the province and brought them to San Miguel where they lived together once again.
Without knowing, Emil was the right-hand man of Monica De Dios (Jackielou Blanco), the long-lost friend of their mother Isabel and wealthy administrator of the hacienda owned by Donya Consuelo Bermudez (Rosa Rosal).
The opportunities of living in the province of Quezon enabled the Salgado siblings, Anton and his mother Elena (Melissa Mendez), together with the Miguel family to leave Manila.
It was a sad moment of their life that Esperanza and Danilo left their father, their friends, and adoptive grandmother Lola Pacita in the city.
New problems on their way were experienced by the siblings while living in the San Miguel province such as the love triangle between Danilo, Noel, and Emil's sister named Issa (Monina Diaz-Bagatsing), the betrayal of Emil to Esperanza and Miguel Family as he connived with Mayor Montejo, the maltreatment and human rights abuses of Duarte to Celia's family, the extra-marital relationship of Raul and Karla (Stella Ruiz White), the revelation of Karla to what happened to Esther during her overseas work, the political struggles and killings during the election, and the adoption of Mayor Joaquin Montejo to Cecille just because Belinda left all her wealth to Cecille according to the last will and testament.
Moreover, it was also the time of the golden age of political career for Mayor Raul Estrera while Celia exhibited a character who is hunger for power and fame.
After the election, it was also a turning point wherein they were finally introduced to Monica De Dios (Jackielou Blanco) in the hacienda and she revealed her true identity to help them.
Monica's real objective was to reunite the Salgado siblings as secretly instructed by their legitimate grandmother Donya Consuelo (Rosa Rosal).
On the other hand, Monica's plan was genuine but she was not successful for making the siblings reunited in the hacienda due to many struggles and because Esperanza and Danilo did not want to leave their adoptive family who became important part of their lives.
Esperanza was really saddened and hurt which made her developed close relationship with Robbie (Dominic Ochoa), the brother of Sandra Salgado.
First, Sandra and Celia had connivance to introduce a fake heiress Socorro named Elaine (Jennifer Sevilla) which unfortunately convinced Donya Consuelo.
Sandra treated the Bermudez family, including Luis, Esther, and Noel, as slaves while Esperanza searched for her true mother in Manila.
Searching for work due to hardships, Esperanza meets Louie Villareal (Mat Ranillo III), the owner of the flower shop and convenience store where she got employed.
Louie recommended Esperanza to a job as the nurse aid or companion to Isabel Ilustre, Jaime (Tommy Abuel)'s wife.
While working as a servant in the flower shop of Louie, Esperanza meets Brian (Piolo Pascual), a new suitor who was a detective and eventually became her boyfriend later for a short period of time.
On the other hand, a problem aroused on Miguel family as an extra-marital relationship of Luis and Marita (Via Veloso) was formed, which led to anger of Ester, Danilo and Noel towards them.
She has been planning for years to get vengeance on her father's family, even sending her lover Brian as her spy who accidentally fell in love with Esperanza.
Due to Juan's return, Cynthia started to abuse Isabel with the help of her household helper Mameng (Luz Fernandez).
As a result, Cynthia also abducted Esperanza to join Isabel and her captives and attempted to take her planned revenge out on the Salgado family.
It was released on February 10, 1999, on the same day as Mula sa Puso, and was later selected by Star Cinema as its entry for the 25th Metro Manila Film Festival, which began on December 25, 1999.
Esperanza: The Movie earned a total of PHP 16 million during its theatrical run, and was eventually distributed to home video one year later, in December 2000.