My Old Ass

Grade: B+

After three movies of jumping around through time, frantically fixing things, the Back to the Future trilogy ends with Doc Brown proclaiming that “your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. The future is what you make of it, so make it a good one.” That’s the message you get from My Old Ass. The trailer makes it out to look like a comedy with some sort of possible swapped-body element, a la Vice Versa or Like Father, Like Son. Having seen it, I’d call it a sweet drama with occasional funny stuff. It has a time-travel angle, and it evokes the vibe of a show on the WB network in the 1990s. The main character is a teenager, and it takes place in a small town with lakes, boats, canoes, piers, and the like. Very Dawson’s Creeky. It’s an interesting fusion of ingredients, and it works very well.

Maisy Stella, born in 2003, absolutely lights up the screen, and will be a star. She plays 18-year-old Elliott. While camping with her two best friends, they take mushrooms, and during Elliott’s trip, her 39-year-old self appears, and talks to her. Aubrey Plaza is Older Elliott. She doesn’t really look like Maisy Stella, but bears a resemblance to “their” mother, played by Maria Dizzia (The Good Nurse, Orange is the New Black). There aren’t any of the usual questions asked (Who is the president? What movie wins the Oscar for Best Picture in 2032?), nor does the film devolve into an adventure where Stella’s Elliott has to prevent something bad from happening. They both seem to respect the unofficial rule that you shouldn’t know too much about your future. Plaza does warn Stella to “stay away from anyone named Chad.” The MacGuffin here might as well be called the Chad, as we spend the entire movie wondering what the deal is with that.

Younger Elliott, of course, ends up having a Meet Cute with a nice boy named Chad. She doesn’t see a thing wrong with him, and in fact, he enriches her life. The more she actively tries to be standoffish and steer clear of Chad, the more drawn by him she becomes. Meanwhile, her older self scolds her via text and calls. (“You’ve been talking to Chad?! What did I say to you?”) My Old Ass doesn’t bog us down with many technical details about HOW this time-jumping happened, or why they’re able to communicate. Plaza continually encourages Stella to spend more time with her family, particularly her mom and brothers. Go golfing with them, offer to help with the dishes, etc.

Up until we finally get an explanation for why Elliott-39 doesn’t want Elliott-18 to see Chad, there is at least one scene where I thought the other shoe about him was dropping, only to be wrong. Maisy Stella’s performance is a master class in levels, acting choices, and different line deliveries. She has so many notes and inventive ways to speak her dialogue. There’s a sneaky laugh in a climactic scene, where a hug lasts for a long time, and one participant doesn’t understand why. This is a movie with a nice soundtrack, lovely locations, and a beautiful, smart exploration into the importance of appreciating the present moment to the fullest. It has a love of life. Don’t pass on My Old Ass.

Grade: B+