Director: Megan Park
Writer: Megan Park
Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Maddie Ziegler, Maria Dizzia
Synopsis: Elliott Labrant, who has been advised by her future self not to fall in love, is sure she can do so after being given the advice. That is, until she meets the boy her older self warned her about.
If you like high-concept sci-fi films, then you’re in luck: My Old Ass is for you. If you adore nothing more than an irreverent coming-of-age comedy, look no further: My Old Ass is for you. If you appreciate a film that reminds you the importance of what it means to be appreciative, or just simply love having a great time at the movies, I am incredibly happy to report: My Old Ass is for you. Megan Park’s second feature, My Old Ass, is an absolute delight from beginning to end. From the very first frame of the film, it’s full of a wonderful energy that sets the stage for a rolicking time at the movies.
There’s a youthful exuberance that just pours off of the screen. We’re immediately introduced to three teenage girls boating around, clearly having the time of their lives. Elliott (newcomer Maisy Stella), Ro (Kerrice Brooks), and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler) are getting ready to celebrate. It’s Elliott’s 18th birthday, and for the occasion, the girls have decided to go camping and take mushrooms. Within seconds of seeing this group of friends interact, the fun they’re having is infectious. It truly feels as if they have been friends their entire lives. While the film pivots in a more focused direction after the first act, one could imagine a full coming-of-age film about this trio just enjoying the remaining days of summer. Where the film decides to go is strong in its own right, but it’s honestly upsetting that there’s never much more of this delightful friend group. It’s just a really wonderful way to start the film, and considering the direction the film takes, to have more interactions amongst the three of them would be nothing but beneficial.
Somewhere along the way, Elliott encounters her older self (Aubrey Plaza). Unsure how to handle the situation, this interesting sci-fi idea takes on a very comedic framework. Rather than get bogged down in the how or why, Stella and Plaza have such fun banter. Smartly, the film isn’t even remotely interested in getting into the specifics of just what it is that’s occurring. All the viewer needs to know is what 18-year-old Elliott needs to know. 39-year-old Elliott doles out information sparsely as to make sure there’s some surprises still left for her younger self. The most important things she tells Elliott is to not take her parents and two brothers for granted, and to stay away from a mystery person named Chad (Percy Hynes White). What should be easy enough of a task, considering 18-year-old Elliott has no idea who Chad is, is immediately upended by his perfectly odd arrival. From there, the film pivots hard into a lovely rom-com of sorts, where Elliott is actively trying, and consistently failing, to avoid the seemingly sweet Chad.
As somebody who has never particularly enjoyed The Office, there’s admittedly one quote that has always stuck with me. “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them.” Elliott only has three weeks in her small town home before moving to Toronto. It’s not until she speaks with her older self that it begins to settle in just what it means to leave home. Also having been clued into a startling revelation about what her parents will be doing after she goes away, Elliott’s world begins to crash down on her like a ticking clock. Any semi-adult viewer will become emotional over this notion of no longer being able to return to a specific moment in time. We can look back on memories and be comforted by them, but there are moments in our lives that pass and force us to make a painful realization. Some of our favorite activities, our favorite people, our favorite places, might some day cease to exist. We don’t realize that as children, but what happens if we’re explicitly told that it’s inevitably coming? So with that, Park’s film certainly tugs on the heart strings when showing Elliott’s attempts at savoring every available moment with family. While it feels as if the experiences could be a bit more varied, they’re certainly effective in achieving the end result. Especially when it comes to Chad, perhaps one of the most affable and endearing rom-com men we’ve had in some time.
Hynes White portrays Chad with such effervescence. He’s full of life, yet doesn’t seem to fully realize it. Played with a goofball mentality that’s impossible to not smile at, older Elliott’s warning to stay away from him only becomes more confounding. As young Elliott needs more information, she decides to take more mushrooms in the hopes of speaking with her older self once again. It doesn’t work the same way this time around, but instead, delivers what is likely to be one of the most surprising, and funny, sequences of the year. And it’s in the moments and sequences like these, where My Old Ass feels at its most fresh. It’s also in sequences like this one that remind both the audience and Elliott that these carefree moments of childhood only last so long. Life is full of many moments that will be missed. Hopefully, we’ll be able to catch as many as possible. And in the meantime, we should savor every moment, for accepting defeat before the moments even come is no way to live a life. Surprisingly enough, My Old Ass ends on a relatively somber note, at least in comparison to the rest of the film. But it comes from a place so life-affirming and tender that all in all, it’s a deeply happy ending, one that leaves both its characters, and the audience, all the more fulfilled.
My Old Ass celebrated its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the Premieres section and is currently seeking distribution.
