In director America Young’s darkly comedic short Betty & Mary: The Actors Prepare, two actresses clash and connect in the bathroom of an audition over a minor waitress role.
We first meet Betty (Dana Lyn Baron), an older actress clad in an ill-fitting blonde wig, as she stares herself down in the bathroom mirror while preparing for her audition. When Betty begins to experience excruciating abdominal pain, her younger rival Mary (Tally McCormack) enters and tries to help. Tensions brew as the two women discuss fame, womanhood, and the pressure of aging in the industry.
The script, written by Baron, tells an intimate story of two professional rivals while ruminating on a woman’s struggle to survive in the cutthroat world of acting. Betty and Mary are from different worlds and generations, yet are forced to compete for the same small part. Betty is filled with brittle anger and pain, stuck in pointless auditions and feeling the weight of her age and the opportunities that seem to have passed her by. Mary, full of youthful confidence and inexperience, seems to be a harsh reminder of Betty’s lost youth in the midst of her health crisis. As they go through an emergency together, they’re able to finally forge a connection. Baron deftly cycles through tonal shifts, balancing tender and heartfelt moments with humor, absurdity, and even elements of horror.
This short seems particularly well-suited for an audience who works in the industry, as their creative team have woven in details big and small that reward an attentive audience. From a plainly printed sign on the wall about actors parking in the lot, to the makeshift waitress costumes both women wear, the world feels fleshed out and recognizable. However, they also use the setting to effectively develop arc and surreal moments. An extended Shakespearian allusion running through the short casts Betty in the role of Lady Macbeth, left haunted by her past choices and the blood on her hands. The film takes big creative swings that reflect Betty and Mary’s personal and professional lives.
The film’s success rests on the chemistry and dynamic between its two title women. Betty and Mary’s relationship walks a careful tightrope, as they have to let down their guards and move past assumptions in order to truly connect. McCormack is solid as Mary, caring and personable even as Betty tries to push her away. However, this short serves as a starring vehicle for Baron, who eschews vanity for a wonderfully elastic and layered lead performance. Baron shows vulnerability from the film’s opening moments, as Betty begins her pre-audition ritual in extreme closeup. Her character is put through an emotional wringer, and Baron beautifully navigates the journey.
The film’s technical elements do a lovely job in furthering the film’s vividly creative energy. Justin Ivan Hong’s cinematography stays close, emphasizing the size of the bathroom that Betty and Mary are in together. In such a small and simple space, we stay focused on the actors, letting their dynamic blocking drive the camera movement. The film’s editing (Elisa Daniels) is sharp, as cuts seem to reflect but not overshadow the tone. Betty and Mary’s story is accompanied by an original score from composer Antoni Mairata. Mairata offers a classic sound, aligning carefully with the story to emphasize the moments of high tension. The result is a beautiful piece of music, though there are moments where it could be used a little more sparingly.
Betty & Mary: The Actors Prepare is a unique and empathetic exploration of a woman feeling like she’s running out of time. America Young and team use the tense setting of survival in the cutthroat acting industry, making for a rich and affecting story that feels universal.
