Writer-director Traven Rice’s Lay Lefty Down follows a woman forced into a surprise funeral that turns a deeply personal moment into a public event. As the afternoon unfolds and familiar faces surface, she’s pushed to decide whether to shut it all down or finally confront what she’s been carrying. The short film is a comedy, surprising, right? Rice wrote the screenplay from a story by himself and Brady Walker.
Abby (Alexandra Seal) sits alone in her car, smoking and bracing herself before walking into her Aunt Eudora’s house. She’s recovering from a recent mastectomy and expects a quiet visit, but instead is greeted by a full-blown surprise funeral service… for Abby’s left breast. Eudora (Tovah Feldshuh) has decorated the house, gathered guests, and organized a ceremony to honor “Lefty,” complete with boobalicious decorations and baked goods.
Abby is horrified and immediately wants to leave, but the spectacle has only just begun. As Abby tries to process what’s happening, she learns that Aunt Eudora has invited everyone in her personal circle, along with Abby’s social media friends. Among the attendees is Abby’s estranged husband, Harlan (Walker Hare), whose presence adds another layer of tension. A bit upset with the theatrics, Abby decides to give an Irish goodbye, but Aunt Eudora stops her with a stunning confession.
Alexandra Seal plays Abby in Traven Rice’s dark comedy short Lay Lefty Down.
“…a surprise funeral service… for Abby’s left breast…”
Rice’s inspiration for Lay Lefty Down comes straight from her experience with breast cancer. She reflects on how the process was “isolating and scary.” She quickly realized many people were uncomfortable even talking about it, especially the mastectomy, so she leaned into humor as a way to cope and to invite conversation. The filmmaker has a strong command of storytelling, striking a good balance between humanity and reality. In lesser hands, this could have been a silly jokefest, but Alexandra Seal as Abby plays the reality of the situation. It’s a ridiculous idea, but there’s heart and soul behind it. The message, in the end, is that you don’t have to go through it alone, and doing so can invite regret.
By the time the last bit of confetti falls, Lay Lefty Down turns a wildly odd setup into something that lands on a painfully human level without losing its bite. Rice closes her short with the reminder that survival isn’t a solo mission, and sometimes the only way through is letting people in. This turns out to be especially true when they show up with titty cupcakes and boobie décor.
"…a ridiculous idea, but there's heart and soul behind it."
