The title doesn’t set the mood for one of the best movies of 2024. “My Old Ass” is the most delicately pleasant coming-of-age movie I’ve seen since “Garden State” (2004), boasting one of those reality-adjacent movie worlds I’d like to live in. And then I realize it’s only a movie and that makes it more bittersweet.
Which isn’t to say writer-director Megan Park is disconnected from reality — certainly not from emotional reality. “My Old Ass” does have a magical realism premise, though: 18-year-old Elliott (Maisy Stella in a star-making turn) drinks mushroom-enhanced tea on a camping trip with friends and sees her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza) from the future.
Since the film is so clearly autobiographical, I’m guessing Park – herself an actress – conceived herself in the role. She resembles an older Stella, and so would “Friday Night Lights” veteran Aimee Teegarden. The eventual casting of Plaza was perhaps for the sake of commercial attention, but I can’t quibble.
“My Old Ass” (2024)
Director: Megan Park
Writer: Megan Park
Stars: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Percy Hynes White
Plaza’s natural sardonic nature, exemplified on “Parks and Recreation,” combines well with bittersweet life lessons, regrets and memories as Park puts a less sit-commy spin on “Dating Rules from My Future Self.” A quick line about the differences in their teeth smoothly addresses that the movie knows Older and Younger Elliott don’t look quite the same.
Also standing out is Percy Hynes White (TV’s “The Gifted”) as the nicest guy you’ll ever meet named Chad. He’s a “summer boy” at Elliott’s family’s cranberry farm. I imagined Pennsylvania, but the film was shot in Canada and Elliott plans to attend the University of Toronto. This is one of those Canadian productions that wants to seem as American as possible (and it succeeds).
A ‘Garden State’ for Gen Z
“My Old Ass” could be for Gen-Z’ers what “Garden State” is for Xennials like me. It’s about the transition from youth to adulthood, with a Manic Pixie Dream Person thrown in. But that aspect is deeper here. (“GS” is one of my all-time favorite movies, so appreciate the level of praise I’m giving.)
While Elliott (a tomboy in the old parlance) is the main character, we can also see the love story – its joyful ease, but also the danger of pain — from Chad’s perspective. The slightest tinge of the controversial “Chasing Amy” (1997) comes into play, but Park dodges potential criticism because this is not a story about a man turning a lesbian straight.
In fact, I assumed Elliott’s bisexual nature would go unspoken. The issue pops up a bit more than I thought it would, but labels, socio-politics and (thank god) actual politics never become the point. It’s about Elliott’s heart and gut, as her friend Ro (Kerrice Brooks) advises when Elliott admits she “low-key” loves Chad.
Neither Elliott nor Chad is there to save or guide the other. A wonderful moment finds Elliott – a chaotic boat driver – saving Chad from banging his head on a bridge. The caring and attentions go both ways. And structurally, we already have Older Elliott as the magical figure, thus allowing Chad to be grounded in reality even if he borders on being something out of a dream. The casting of White – not exactly plucked from Hollywood’s Stable of Hot Guys – adds to us defining him by his character.
Don’t need ’shrooms to enjoy it
Park delicately taps into universal nostalgia and regrets as Elliott – on advice from her older self — tries to bond with her brothers (one who loves golf and the farm, another who is amusingly smitten with the actress Saoirse Ronan). And she has a tear-jerking heart-to-heart with her mom (Maria Dizzia) on the porch, with lovely Midwestern woods and a lake in the background, as Park allows a bit of the parental perspective.
“My Old Ass” undercuts its crass title with indie-style opening titles, natural beauty on the cranberry farm lensed by Kristen Correll, the right touch of piano score from Jaco Caraco and Tyler Hilton, and just enough needle drops. The ’shrooms-induced Justin Bieber segment might mean nothing to older viewers, but it might pack nostalgic punch for Gen-Z’ers.
Granted, these Gen-Z’ers do have a way of politely peppering curse words or sexual references into the regular conversations that’s a bit awkward. But it feels honest, so I’ll allow it – even if they say “d*** sex.”
The organ that matters most in “My Old Ass” is the heart. While I can’t spend more time in the film’s world beyond the admirably modest 89 minutes, I can watch with eagle eyes for Park’s next project.