My Old Ass

My Old Ass
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMegan Park
Written byMegan Park
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyKristen Correll
Edited byJennifer Vecchiarello
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byAmazon MGM Studios
Release dates
  • January 20, 2024 (2024-01-20) (Sundance)
  • September 13, 2024 (2024-09-13) (United States)
Running time
89 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$627,315[2][3]

My Old Ass is a 2024 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Megan Park. It stars Maisy Stella in her film debut, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks, and Aubrey Plaza.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024. It was given a limited theatrical release in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on September 13, 2024. It received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

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Elliott drives her boat toward a marina with her best friends Ro and Ruthie aboard. Her family is waiting for her at home with a surprise birthday cake celebrating her 18th birthday. Elliott stops at the local coffee shop and hooks up with the barista, Chelsea, with whom she has been flirting since 8th grade. When she returns outside, Ro reveals that they brought along hallucinogenic mushrooms for the trio to take together in the woods.

When they reach the woods, the friends set up a tent and use the drugs to brew tea. Elliott doesn't feel any effects, as Ro and Ruthie trip out. A woman appears next to Elliott and uses a scar on her rib cage and knowledge of Elliott's asymmetrical breasts to prove that she is Elliott from the future. Elliott doesn't believe her at first, but they begin to bond as the 39-year-old Elliott talks about her life as a PhD student. Older Elliott chastises her younger self for neglecting her family, especially since she will soon be leaving for college. After young Elliott begs for some life-changing advice, older Elliott tells her to avoid a boy named Chad. The pair go to sleep together, and older Elliott puts her number in younger Elliott's phone. Elliott wakes up outside as Ro and Ruthie pack the boat. Elliott goes home and snubs her mom but expresses sympathy when she finds out about the birthday cake surprise. The next morning, she hooks up with Chelsea again and is almost late to work on her family's cranberry bog. After working hard, Elliott skinny-dips and encounters a weird boy swimming around her. He says that he works for Elliott's father at the bog and reveals his name is Chad; Elliott runs away.

Seeing that older Elliott left her phone number under the contact "My Old Ass", Elliott texts her. Initially freaking out that this works, she throws her phone into the lake. Elliott eventually goes skinny-dipping again and again sees Chad, who offers to fix her broken boat. They bond while he works, but Elliott realizes she is too close and runs away. Elliott confesses to her older self that she spoke with Chad but calls him harmless. Older Elliott refuses to say what will make Chad such a problem. Elliott starts avoiding Chad, instead spending time with her two brothers, Spencer and Max. She and Max find some common ground over golfing.

One morning, Elliott wakes up to find Chad at the family breakfast and tries to escape by golfing with Max, who invites Chad. While playing, Max reveals the family is selling the bog. Upset Elliott leaves to talk to her dad, who confirms this. Unable to reach her older self, Elliott gets the rest of the drugs from Ro and has a hallucination where she is Justin Bieber and gives Chad a red rose. Elliott starts to let Chad in, and they spend time together. While trying to sell her boat, Chad and Elliott kiss, causing Elliott to freak out and run away. She talks to Ro about possibly being bisexual and not a lesbian as she thought, and Ro offers support. Elliott introduces Ro and Ruthie to Chad and goes on one last boat ride with him, but the motor fails mid-ride as it starts pouring. The pair gets to a lookout shack, and Elliott tells Chad how she feels and discovers he already attends her college. They have sex.

Chad drops Elliott at home, and she meets her older self. Older Elliott reveals that Chad will die and that she cannot save him. Older Elliott doesn't want younger Elliott to experience the same pain, but she refuses to give up on him. Chad returns and acknowledges older Elliott, meaning that everyone can see her. The Elliotts introduce Older Elliott as Younger Elliott's aunt, and Older Elliott leaves forever, giving Younger Elliott her blessing. Elliott talks to her mom about her childhood and tells her how much she will miss her when she leaves for college. She tells her mom she will always need her, and they reaffirm their love for each other. Elliott hears older Elliot telling her not to live for the past or future, but for herself in the present. Elliott takes her boat on one last ride on the lake, saying goodbye.

Cast

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Production

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In March 2022, it was announced that Megan Park would write and direct her sophomore feature film, a coming-of-age comedy titled My Old Ass, with LuckyChap Entertainment and Indian Paintbrush producing.[4]

Principal photography started on August 15, 2022, in Muskoka Lakes, Ontario, Canada.[5] Tyler Hilton revealed in a January 2023 interview that he was scoring the film and Aubrey Plaza was starring.[6]

Release

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The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024.[7][8] Amazon MGM Studios acquired distribution rights to the film for $15 million, with plans for a theatrical release before making the film available on Prime Video for streaming worldwide.[9]

The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States, originally scheduled for August 2, 2024,[10] but delayed to September 13, 2024.[11] It is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom by Curzon Film on September 27, 2024.[1]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 112 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "A humorous sci-fi cocktail with a twist of drama, My Old Ass doesn't throw out the wisdom with the reckless abandon of youth and the effects are hallucinogenic."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[13]

Accolades

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In January 2024, Maddie Ziegler was an honoree of the "Breakthrough Artist" award by Variety and Golden Globe.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "My Old Ass (15)". British Board of Film Classification. July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  2. ^ "My Old Ass". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved September 28, 2024.Edit this at Wikidata
  3. ^ "My Old Ass". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  4. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 9, 2022). "'My Old Ass': Megan Park Directing Her Second Film; LuckyChap & Indian Paintbrush Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  5. ^ Cruickshank, Andrew (September 14, 2022). "Margot Robbie's production company filming a movie in Muskoka". Cottage Life. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  6. ^ Jacobs, Meredith (January 2, 2023). "Tyler Hilton on Why People Still Love 'One Tree Hill' & Making Christmas Movies". FOX 28 Spokane. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  7. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 6, 2023). "Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  8. ^ "My Old Ass". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 26, 2024). "Sundance Buzz Title My Old Ass Selling to Amazon MGM for $15M+ WW; Wide Theatrical Release Planned". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  10. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 22, 2024). "Amazon MGM Studios Dates Sundance Acquisition My Old Ass for Late Summer Theatrical Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Grobar, Matt (June 27, 2024). "'My Old Ass' Trailer: Maisy Stella Takes Shrooms And Meets Older Self Aubrey Plaza In Amazon MGM's Sundance Crowd-Pleaser". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "My Old Ass". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 23, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  13. ^ "My Old Ass". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  14. ^ Earl, William (January 11, 2024). "Variety and the Golden Globe Awards Announce Party at Sundance Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
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