Betty's all about the magic. She digs all the unreal film sets and movie magic of Hollywood: Since she grew up in a movie business family, she feels totally at home: "Look at this street. All cardboard, all hollow, all phoney. All done with mirrors. I like it better than any street in the world. Maybe because I used to play here when I was a kid." (That's Betty showing Joe around a set on the Paramount lot.)

But showbiz comes with a dark side, too, forcing Betty to try to change her appearance in order to find acting work:

BETTY: I come from a picture family. Naturally they took it for granted I was to become a great star. So I had ten years of dramatic lessons, diction, dancing. Then the studio made a test. Well, they didn't like my nose—it slanted this way a little. I went to a doctor and had it fixed. They made more tests, and they were crazy about my nose—only they didn't like my acting.

Ultimately, this teaches Betty to shoot for something other than stardom, so goes into screenwriting—since screenwriters, while they might attain some real recognition and a lot of cash, never really become major celebrities. It also reminds her to keep it real. So, while she has idealism about movies, she also wants them to say something, to have a greater point. She seems to be helping Joe shake off his own cynicism in the process—although we all know at this point that it's not going to work out.