2024 Nashville Film Festival

NextGen Program 2 (Virtual)

Expired October 6, 2022 4:59 AM
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Liz arrives home from school with some unexpected news: her (now ex-) boyfriend Johnny has broken her heart in two. Now she is left dateless for the big school dance and decides it’s better to not go at all than to go alone. When her oblivious mother and cartons of rocky road ice cream don’t seem to be helping, Liz looks back on her childhood memories for some sort of comfort from simpler times. Her nostalgia is interrupted by a “BUMP” in the attic. There she finds an unlikely sight. Her favorite childhood companion, a stuffed toy bunny named “Mr. Rabbit,” is waiting for her upstairs. Liz knows she has completely lost it, but by leaning into these childhood fantasies, she begins to find healing. Through more sugar highs, movie marathons, photo ripping, and even a bit of tee-pee style vandalism, Mr. Rabbit helps Liz let out and let go of her teenage rage. Even after all this, Liz is still upset about Johnny. Her final attempt at appeasing herself is ripping apart the dress she bought for the dance. Now it’s final: she is NOT going. Mr. Rabbit then provides Liz with a moving pep talk and encourages her to go and make some memories she won’t forget without Johnny. He reminds her that now she won’t have to go alone, since she has a companion to help her through. Soon enough, Liz arrives at the dance in a makeshift dress with her favorite friend in hand. They dance the night away without a care in the world. After facing this fear, going to the dance, and having the time of her life, Liz realizes she has what it takes to get through her heartbreak all by herself. She ends up putting Mr. Rabbit right back where she found him in the attic. Though she’s still heartbroken, she knows she can now face anything alone.

  • Runtime
    13 minutes
  • Director
    Colleen Hutchinson
  • Screenwriter
    Colleen Hutchinson
  • Producer
    Taylor Oaks
  • Cast
    Caelie Porter, Jeffrey Nichols, Vicky Williams, Harvest Giet
  • Cinematographer
    Jacob Opperman
  • Editor
    Noah Rodden
  • Production Design
    Sadie Baer, Erin Wester
  • Composer
    Tom Rosenthal
  • Sound Design
    Baxter Dowell, Noah Rodden
  • Music
    Baxter Dowell, Noah Rodden