February 13, 2023
Argy skewers reality TV in her smart debut. After 20-something Emily Boylan loses her admin job, she’s approached by a casting associate for The One, a Bachelor-esque reality show with a last-minute opening. Four days later she’s on her way from Boston to Los Angeles to meet Dylan Walter and the other 29 women vying for his proposal. Supporting Emily is Miranda, one of the show’s three producers, who needs a win and sees Emily as her ticket, a “fresh package of Model Magic.” Over a grueling six weeks of production, Emily struggles with her insecurities and people-pleaser tendencies while grappling along with the other women over what it means to be desired for superficial reasons rather than being loved for who they are. Through it all, Emily tries to figure out who “Real Emily” is, aware that “Screen Emily” will remain cast in history. Argy takes on voyeurism, feminism, and gender norms, as Emily wonders if she really ought to put all her energy into finding love, which is what she was conditioned to do all her life. It makes for a winning portrait of a young woman trying to come into her own. Agent: Amy Williams, Williams Company.
June 10, 2024
Newly fired and with no plans on the horizon, Emily joins the cast of The One, a popular dating reality show. Having never watched the show, Emily wonders how hard it can be to play herself in front of cameras. But when she arrives, it suddenly becomes clear she has been chosen to be Dylan's wife. She is assigned to cutthroat producer Miranda, who is willing to do anything to mold Emily into the perfect wife. Despite Miranda's machinations, Emily is unsure if she really is The One, especially when a fellow contestant catches her eye. Phoebe Strohl and Suehyla El-Attar Young give voice to Emily and Miranda, two very different women seeking their places in the world. Strohl's pitch-perfect narration captures Emily, who goes from aimless to someone who knows herself and strives to live her truth. El-Attar Young's narration of Miranda, a grittily determined woman desperate to prove her worth in television, perfectly balances Strohl's Emily. VERDICT Argy's debut offers a savvy and pointed commentary on reality tv and its insidious effects on popular culture. A winner for fans of Laura Dave's Hello, Sunshine or Holly James's Nothing but the Truth.--Elyssa Everling
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