By TJ REID for the Keizertimes
Everyone wants to be able to tell their younger self something, if only to convince themselves to trust Rufus and get into the mysterious time-traveling phone booth at the Circle-K. Potentially universe-destroying paradoxes aside, it could be quite useful.
One could change the world, gain riches beyond their wildest dreams, or at the very least get a good grade on their history report. My Old Ass is of similar scope to the latter situation, and the small story contained therein feels universal because of it, not to mention heartwarming, sad, and, most ironically of all, timeless.
Maisy Stella plays Elliott, an eighteen-year-old who is eager to leave home and move on to the next phase of her life, but not before she does mushrooms in the forest with her friends and somehow meets her thirty-nine-year-old self played by Aubrey Plaza. The two (one?) do what anyone else would in this situation—they freak out, reminisce, maybe kiss a little, and ultimately do their best to exploit the situation in order to create a more perfect life for themselves in the future.
Most of the advice that Old Elliott gives Young Elliott is predicable and just common sense; hang out with your family more, don’t waste a moment of life, and, most importantly, stay away from guys named Chad.
But these are lessons that every teenager should learn, and the growth that Elliott experiences is poignant, sweet, and feels applicable to everyone regardless of their situation. This emotional journey takes up the vast majority of the film, but the simplicity and straightforwardness of the story (which was aptly penned by Megan Park, who also directed) is an asset to the film in this case, as is the limited cast and beautiful settings.
Maisy Stella does a great job as our main character, someone who is young, naïve, yet fully three-dimensional. And Aubrey Plaza (who, regrettably, isn’t in it much but I guess is still technically the main character because she’s also Elliott?) shines by giving us just a hint of that classic April Ludgate sass but by also showing off a slightly more dramatic side that I have never seen her exhibit before.
They make for quite the enjoyable duo, even if they don’t really look that much like each other and even if their actual shared screen time is limited. Embedded in the story of Elliott becoming a more present and appreciative person is a love story between Young Elliott and the aforementioned Chad (Percy Hynes White), and it is also very simple while also being satisfying and sweet.
We never learn why these time-traveling shenanigans happen or what the mechanics are, but My Old Assis not the type of movie where this matters. The time-traveling via hallucinogenic mushrooms premise is more of an excuse to explore a classic coming-of-age tale that pulls some heart strings, elicits a few laughs, and leaves a glowing impression. What would I tell my younger self? Probably to see this film a little sooner than I did.
My Old Ass is now available on Amazon Prime.
Photo Courtesy of Amazon Prime