The Laws of Vanity

Courtney Suveau is a model who was born with Venusagnosia, a rare neurological disorder that makes her unable to perceive beauty. Although she cannot have an emotional reaction to anything she sees, she has grown accustomed to being praised for her looks and relies on the admiration of others to define her sense of self-worth. When Courtney is invited to audition for the starring role of an upcoming film, she decides to move to Los Angeles and pursue an acting career, hoping to provide a better life for her ailing mother and to be recognized for her talent instead of her looks. Desperate to earn the approval of a ruthless casting director, Courtney tries to improve her acting skills by rehearsing with Gwen Bressly, another young aspiring actress whose short physique, geeky persona, and Ivy League education makes her the opposite of Courtney in almost every way.

Despite their many external differences, Courtney and Gwen forge an unlikely friendship, but as Courtney learns about all the rejection Gwen has experienced due to her appearance, it becomes clear their odds of success are anything but equal. Soon, Gwen begins to starve herself in her desperation to be seen as beautiful, and once Gwen has to be taken to the hospital to recover, Courtney is forced to confront the harm being caused by the beauty-obsessed culture of Hollywood that has always been so kind to her. She knows that Gwen will continue to suffer if the industry remains unchanged, but with the status quo aligned in Courtney’s favor, she may have to choose between what’s best for her friend and what’s best for herself. With the role of a lifetime just within her reach, Courtney will be forced to make an impossible choice between fame and friendship as she questions what she’s willing to sacrifice to support her friend and discover if she can learn to value herself no matter how the world chooses to see her.

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