Wilson is in search for a funeral crier after the untimely death of his father. Despite the waning of professional mourners, his family insists to find one and thus hires Stella, a hustler who has lost custody of her son Bong after being imprisoned for a year. Her ex-husband Guido decides to take Bong to Cagayan de Oro to relocate. Despondent, she pleads Guido to let Bong stay with her just for the summer which he reluctantly agrees. Stella tags two of her friends, Aling Doray "Rhoda Rivera", a former B-star actress who happens to cling onto the fading memory of her career and Choleng, a religious woman who is vowing to avoid sinning after having an affair with her friends husband. Stella decides to try her luck by applying as a singer in Japan and joins TV show contests in order to have a stable job but she fails to do so. The three friends bond and talk about each of the crisis in their lives which deals with acceptance and relationship. During the burial of Wilson's father, he decides to eventually seek reconciliation by appreciating all of the things that his father has done way back when he was still alive. Each three of the women also have their own healing as well with Aling Doray eventually reminiscing and seeking acceptance about a career who has since diminished long before, Choleng who finally breaks free from the chains of being imprisoned as a mistress and eventually does her own good deeds by serving the foundation and charities. Stella, whose son is being sent away to Cagayan de Oro grieves that she has been a failure as a mother but despite that, she still enjoyed the few moments she was with her son. Stella receives a call from Wilson saying that a Japanese promotion company is hiring entertainers to which she immediately applies and tries her best to fix her life. She applies as a karaoke actress and eventually got the job. Aling Doray as well received her luck after the film she used to star in received a sequel to which she reprises her role. Choleng who was falling for the wrong guy all along gets engaged to someone she truly loves. Stella, who now has a stable job sends letters to her son and tells him that one day they will soon be reunited.
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 13 reviews. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 54% based on reviews from 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The story was praised by several critics. A.O. Scott of the New York Times wrote "Its most winning attribute is a kind of sloppy, unassuming friendliness, a likability aptly reflected in its characters.." Eddie Cockrell of Variety wrote "Unlike many Filipino pics, which run at a fevered emotional pitch to Western sensibilities, “Crying Ladies,” moves smartly and evenly under the direction of debut helmer Mark Meily. Perfs sparkle, with each thesp comfortable navigating between broad comedy and legitimate pathos." The film received some negative reviews. V.A. Musetto from the New York Post wrote "There aren't many surprises as the story unfolds in soap-opera fashion, with a happy ending for all concerned."
