Allan Watched "My Old Ass"
Extremely heartwarming and a bit trippy, My Old Ass is greater than its premise, and executes an important message flawlessly.
Gut Feeling
There is so much to like it Megan Park’s coming-of-age film, her second winner in a row after the success of her debut film The Fallout. Most of the charm and heart in the film is felt when you don’t harp on the premise, which is a take on preparing to leave home for college, but with a mix of mushrooms and conversations with a future self.
Elliott, portrayed flawlessly by Maisy Stella (Nashhville, Spirit Riding Free), thinks she knows what she wants as she finally makes her move for her lifelong crush Chelsea, and goes to an island on the lake to take shrooms with her best friends Ro (Kerrice Brooks) and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler). The “trip” brings us the 39-year-old version of Elliott (Aubrey Plaza) who makes herself available to impart wisdom on her younger self and warn her to stay away from a boy named Chad (Percy Hynes White). It also brings with it a huge ask of viewers: do not focus too much on this supernatural premise.
Message Over Premise
When you get over the fact that the premise makes no sense and is filled with flawed mechanics and plot holes, you are left with a truly great coming-of-age film. The thesis is clear throughout, and told to us while avoiding too many cliches, and in all you take in the message of allowing yourself to take risks, because it is how you learn and grow, even when it hurts. Where the film misses is it feels like Park had an idea, “I want the older version of me to tell my younger self the keys to life”, and had to really shoehorn it in at the beginning and the end instead of just relying on the really great script within it.
Other than the two big scenes with both Elliotts, the Sci-Fi nature is largely ignored, which was a good thing. Elliot falling for Chad against her older-self’s wishes is a truly beautiful lens to look at young love, what it should mean, and why people should go for it and make mistakes. The leads are magical throughout and there is no overbearing third act full of sadness and dread, but instead a story that barrels through its flaws and lands its lasting message.
Big Performances
The film as a whole feels small like the Canadian town it is set in. Basically everything happens on the family cranberry farm or the surrounding lake front, but the feeling you get from the leads are big enough to elevate the film to a really profound level. The balance of taking risks while listening to perceived wisdom rests on Elliott’s face throughout, and Chad’s relentless and effortless kindness and feeling of being a safe partner for Elliott is really successful because of the work of Stella and White.
Now if you were to see any ad for this movie, you would think it is 90 minutes of Aubrey Plaza being Aubrey Plaza, and if that is what you are here for, you will be disappointed. Plaza is great in her scenes and does not veer too far from the core of what makes her likable in everything she does. She particularly crushes the emotional conclusion of the film, and provides some good laughs, but overall, she is just a sounding board for the movie.
I left My Old Ass really pleased that I let myself sink into the story despite it’s Sixth Sense meets Freaky Friday jumping-off point, and if you can suspend disbelief for an hour and a half, you will be rewarded.
Random Thoughts
It feels like Hollywood still doesn’t know how to leverage Plaza enough. The sense is that she is so “specific” that she doesn’t work as a lead, but her not being a generic Hollywood actress is what makes her special. She can carry any scene in a dramatic or comedic vehicle, and her characters from Parks and Rec to White Lotus to this film are not carbon copies at all. She is due for a true leading role.
I love Marvel movies, but this film reminded me of a few things I resent about what they have done to the industry. For one, any play on timelines and multiverses are totally ruined for me, and it is a persistent thorn in this film. A movie like this still also faces a huge challenge to breakthrough in any major way in the dying embers of the comic book era, and needs to heavily lean on Plaza being in the cast to get eyes on it, when the movie itself is extremely worthy of a large audience.
It is also hard to ignore Plaza and New Jersey’s own Maria Dizzia being in a film together while they both grace us in Agatha All Along. We can’t escape you, Marvel!
Dizzia is great as Elliott’s mom, and leads a tiny but mighty supporting cast. It even uses a viral sensation turned actor in a way that isn’t cringy, which is hard to do, by casting the “Sighing Shoveling Kid” Carter Trozzolo as the youngest brother. He is an absolute delight.
I would also watch an entire series built around Ruthie. Maddie Ziegler provides the two biggest laughs of the movie and she deserved so much more screen time.
I want to take a second to mention that everything I know about cranberry farming I learned on Sesame Street this past year. Bogs are cool!
One thing that takes a film, especially a coming-of-age story, to the highest level is a strong soundtrack, but boy this film’s music is extremely generic and forgettable.
Lastly, the title stinks. Truly. This movie deserves a better title.
Quick Hits
How many times have I seen this movie?
This was the first time but I see a rewatch in my future.
Where was I watching it?
In my office on a nice day off with a mug of room-temperature coffee and a day-old bagel.
Favorite trivia about the movie
I don’t know if I would classify this as my “favorite” thing I learned, but the biggest standout of my post-viewing research is that Park’s husband, Tyler Hilton, composed the soundtrack. More proof nepotism is bad.
Favorite part
The Bieber moment was a lot of fun and the one time they really toyed with the tripping portions of the movie.
Least favorite part
I don’t like that they build Chelsea up in the beginning and then she is a non-factor for the entire movie. Again, the story writing was hanging by a thread throughout and you have to just forget about some of these details to fully enjoy the movie.
Would I recommend this movie?
Absolutely and easily. A good movie for anyone.
So What Does Allan Give It?
One Gold Thumbs Up! Overall, a score of 78. The film is better than the premise deserves, but it is a testament to strong acting and letting things be simple that makes My Old Ass work.
