Betty Tells Her Story

"This classic study of the tyranny of the beauty ideal is perhaps more relevant today than ever before. Brandon's film tells a story that is funny, moving, and powerfully illuminating."
–Jean Kilbourne
Creator, "Killing Us Softly"

MORE ABOUT THE FILM

The story Betty tells is a simple one. She needed "the perfect dress" for a very special occasion. Betty describes in amusing detail how she found just the right one, spent more than she could afford for it, modeled it for admiring friends, felt absolutely transformed and then...never got to wear it. The story and Betty are witty, engaging and delightful.
Then Betty is asked to tell her story again. This time the story is strikingly different. While the facts remain the same, Betty reveals how she really felt: her anxiety over buying the dress, her discomfort at being praised for beauty she feels she doesn't have, and her subsequent bewilderment at the way things turn out. Betty becomes withdrawn, sad and vulnerable, and her voice, body and words express the painfulness of the memory. The contrast between the two stories is haunting.

Our culture's emphasis on female "beauty" underscores the poignant saga of Betty's search for "the perfect dress". The film is as meaningful and moving today as it was when it was made.

Appropriate for:
College/University

20 minutes • VHS
20 minutes • 16 mm

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20 min./ VHS

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20 min./ 16 mm

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REVIEWS

"Betty Tells Her Story is, in my opinion, a masterpiece...It is impossible to imagine any woman over 12 not relating to the film. Its emotional impact is overwhelming..."
Mary K. Chelton
School Library Journal

"Brandon is to be congratulated... this is a film about human beings - how they talk and feel, hide and reveal, and hurt."
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune

"Seldom in a film does the warmth and the human spirit of an individual come across as it happens here; seldom does a person reveal herself so honestly and openly."
Patricia H. Black
Film Library Quarterly
full review

"...a shattering verbal/non-verbal ballet of changed emphases, no longer hidden nuances, and dropped masks."
Amos Vogel
Film Comment

"The warmth, sincerity and beauty of Betty will live with this viewer for a very long time. Highly recommended for public library collections. An excellent discussion film."
Ed Peltier
Boston Public Library

More Reviews

AWARDS / SCREENINGS

Museum of Modern Art
Festival Award, Ann Arbor Film Festival
National Broadcast, The Learning Channel
Nominee, National Film Registry
International Festival of Women's Films, Paris
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Chicago Art Institute
Film Forum, New York
Robert Flaherty International Film Seminar

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