The Understudy
REBECCA (Marin Ireland) is a terminally unemployed actress rooming with an equally unsuccessful screenwriter, SARFRAS (Aasif Mandvi). Much to the derision of her WASP family, comprising of senators (A…
The Understudy
REBECCA (Marin Ireland) is a terminally unemployed actress rooming with an equally unsuccessful screenwriter, SARFRAS (Aasif Mandvi). Much to the derision of her WASP family, comprising of senators (Amy Redford), judges (Peter McRobbie) and lawyers (Kerri Bishe), Rebecca ekes out a living by caring for a blind diabetic woman whilst careering from one disastrous relationship to the next. When invited to understudy the movie star, SIMONE, star of the "Drive By" trilogy, HARWIN (Kelli Giddish), in Electra, Rebeccas unfulfillment is compounded. Despite outshining the "Queen of action movies" with her talent, Rebecca finds herself bullied or ignored by the cast and crew, including IAN, the neurotic director (Richard Kind) and the duplicitous stage manager (Marcia Debonis). Her salvation appears to be in a relationship with the seemingly perfect NY Firefighter, BOBBY (Paul Sparks). A bout of flu for one actress leads to a life changing opportunity for another. Rebecca is thrust into the lead role on the first preview, winning the hearts of her colleagues, the audience, the critics and her formerly disapproving family. Success breeds success. Sarfras sells his script to a Hollywood studio with Rebecca attached to play the lead. A star is born. It all hinges on a triumphant performance of Rebecca as Electra. Opening night and the world is watching as... Simone miraculously recovers to reprise the role. Rebecca is distraught and evades the cast party hiding in the balcony, only to be discovered by the patronizing star. An argument leads to a tussle and Simone tumbling into the orchestra seats and into a coma. Rebecca, not knowing where to turn, finds herself thrust back into the title role at the price of sleepless nights and living with her fire fighter boyfriend who is becoming increasingly possessive and possibly psychotic. Rebecca struggles to hold onto her sanity as the spotlight is cruelly taken away from her once more and she finds herself replaced by the petulant pop diva, GRETA (Gloria Reuben). The maligned understudy is humiliated once too often. On finding that the arrogant celebrity suffers from a nut allergy, Rebecca decides to create an anaphylactic gateau which kills the unfortunate "Princess of Soul" during intermission. Two lose one star is unfortunate, to lose two brings the attention of the police to the doomed production, in the form of sardonic DETECTIVE JONES (Tom Wopat) and the ambitious CHIEF KINSKY (Reiko Aylesworth). Can Rebecca hold onto the leading role and her freedom?
The Understudy
Comedy,Drama
Film Details
REBECCA (Marin Ireland) is a terminally unemployed actress rooming with an equally unsuccessful screenwriter, SARFRAS (Aasif Mandvi). Much to the derision of her WASP family, comprising of senators (Amy Redford), judges (Peter McRobbie) and lawyers (Kerri Bishe), Rebecca ekes out a living by caring for a blind diabetic woman whilst careering from one disastrous relationship to the next. When invited to understudy the movie star, SIMONE, star of the "Drive By" trilogy, HARWIN (Kelli Giddish), in Electra, Rebeccas unfulfillment is compounded.
Despite outshining the "Queen of action movies" with her talent, Rebecca finds herself bullied or ignored by the cast and crew, including IAN, the neurotic director (Richard Kind) and the duplicitous stage manager (Marcia Debonis). Her salvation appears to be in a relationship with the seemingly perfect NY Firefighter, BOBBY (Paul Sparks). A bout of flu for one actress leads to a life changing opportunity for another.
Rebecca is thrust into the lead role on the first preview, winning the hearts of her colleagues, the audience, the critics and her formerly disapproving family. Success breeds success. Sarfras sells his script to a Hollywood studio with Rebecca attached to play the lead.
A star is born. It all hinges on a triumphant performance of Rebecca as Electra. Opening night and the world is watching as...
Simone miraculously recovers to reprise the role. Rebecca is distraught and evades the cast party hiding in the balcony, only to be discovered by the patronizing star. An argument leads to a tussle and Simone tumbling into the orchestra seats and into a coma.
Rebecca, not knowing where to turn, finds herself thrust back into the title role at the price of sleepless nights and living with her fire fighter boyfriend who is becoming increasingly possessive and possibly psychotic. Rebecca struggles to hold onto her sanity as the spotlight is cruelly taken away from her once more and she finds herself replaced by the petulant pop diva, GRETA (Gloria Reuben). The maligned understudy is humiliated once too often.
On finding that the arrogant celebrity suffers from a nut allergy, Rebecca decides to create an anaphylactic gateau which kills the unfortunate "Princess of Soul" during intermission. Two lose one star is unfortunate, to lose two brings the attention of the police to the doomed production, in the form of sardonic DETECTIVE JONES (Tom Wopat) and the ambitious CHIEF KINSKY (Reiko Aylesworth). Can Rebecca hold onto the leading role and her freedom?.