Morgan Gould's 'Gorgeous' Delivers a Positive Message

You look gorgeous!

Gorgeous is a short film directed by Morgan Gould. Beth is ecstatic about her wedding day tomorrow. When Beth models her wedding dress, her excitement deflates after her mother criticizes her weight.

I saw Gorgeous in a short film screening at the New Hampshire Film Festival in Portsmouth, NH. The short created an impactful audience response that I will never forget. This film delivers an important message about body positivity: never let anybody make you feel less about your body. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.

Nicole Spiezio (Beth), Nancy Robinette (Susan), and Emily Kunkel (Molly) star as a family of three; a mother and her two daughters. Having previously worked with all three actresses onstage, Gould was excited to work with them on this project. Each actress delivered a remarkable performance, bringing honesty and emotional depth to their roles.

Beth remains positive and happy, despite criticism about her weight. Spiezio implements a strong performance, skillfully portraying the hidden struggles beneath her character’s confident exterior. Beth is an inspiring role model, encouraging others to think positively about their physical appearance.

I loved the sibling relationship between Beth and Molly. I smiled when Molly giddily jumped up and down like an excited child when Beth showed her the wedding dress. It’s a sweet sibling moment and Molly defends her sister, no matter what.

However, Beth’s mom, Susan, ignores the stunning wedding dress and coldly insults her daughter about her weight. While Susan retorts that she was once plus-size herself, she should not be so judgemental towards her daughter. She is trying to do what’s best, but negative feedback doesn’t influence the right response.

I was surprised to learn that this was Morgan Gould’s film debut. While she’s never been a movie director before, Gould has experience directing shows in theater, writing for TV, and as a playwright. She thought of the idea for her film at the time of the Hollywood strikes and having experience as a story writer made her feel more confident about the creative process.

Gorgeous’s fabulous film crew did an amazing job on this short film. They helped Gould learn so much, including her style. The film was shot in two days on City Island, in the Bronx, at Emily Kunkel’s home. They also filmed at a beautiful beach located right down the street. The film is seamless in every sequence from camera angles, to sound, and edits. Sound also plays an integral role, guiding the tension of the scene.

Gorgeous centers around an issue that most of us have struggled with. Body image comes with silent battles that some have found difficult to discuss. Gould wanted to tell this story using a more optimistic perspective. “I want fat audience members to feel seen, to feel like it’s our ACTUAL complicated experience, not a weird stereotype,” Gould explains.

The audience's reaction to this short is something I will never forget. There was an audible response and disappointment resonated in the air at Susan’s disheartening comments. The ending of this short made everyone in the audience smile enormously, even cheering out loud for the two women in the finale. And this was a serendipitous moment that was not in the script! It is my favorite scene because it’s the exact definition of human kindness.

Morgan Gould’s short film Gorgeous is an inspiring story. Gould has also mentioned that in other screenings, the film has had positive responses. “If you look around you, you can find the love you need,” Gould expresses. “I like showing that a fat woman can get hurt and bounce back. That we can be okay.”