After a run of failed auditions, Emily (Liz Lester) has reached her limit. Out one night, she confesses to her longtime friend and bartender Debbie (Angela Price) that she’s ready to give up acting, but Debbie is determined to not let Emily let go of her dream just yet. Writer/director Samuel Edelsack’s tenderhearted short film Small Chance or No Chance celebrates the pursuit of passion and the importance of having someone in your corner.
Edelsack’s script is sweet and simple, following an actress contending with her struggle toward success. After an auspicious start in drama school, Emily has faced countless rejections and subsequently lost faith in herself, her dream seemingly forever out of reach. The topic is familiar, the rocky road to fame well-documented in film and television. As a result, the short feels strongest when it moves past platitudes and focuses on the relationship between Emily and Debbie. Debbie believes in Emily, ready to offer a joke, a compliment, or even a piece of tough love to convince her to keep pursuing her dreams. Friends since middle school, Debbie mines their past for anecdotes, giving context and weight to Emily’s love for acting and reminding her what she’s fighting for. One audition has the potential to change someone’s life, and Debbie wants Emily to keep fighting for that chance.
Director of Photography Thomas Cadawas offers a restrained style, largely static camerawork allowing the performances to take center stage. The film’s lighting is a particular highlight that simply, yet beautifully captures the setting. We’re first introduced to Emily as she performs a monologue from Romeo and Juliet, framed in closeup against a black backdrop. Despite no establishing shot, the bright overhead stage lighting immediately offers a sense of place as Emily performs her audition piece. That confident aesthetic continues throughout the film, adding texture to each scene.
The film’s warmth is rooted in the chemistry between the film’s two leads. Lester is tasked with a challenge, subtly and effectively tracking Emily’s highs and lows as she grapples with the difficulty of her dream, taking her everywhere from defeated to joyful to determined. Price is a charming companion, offering a sympathetic ear and a quick quip as she tries to steer Emily on the right path. The affection they have for each other is apparent, letting Debbie’s words of support land with the weight of the history they share.
Small Chance or No Chance is centered around one woman’s dream to be an actress and the stumbling blocks she encounters on her professional journey. A celebration of chasing one’s dreams, Edelsack’s film feels most powerful when it champions the value of having a support system to help along the way.
