My Old Ass Movie Review

“My Old Ass” is a fun little coming-of-age story mixed with a little ‘woo-woo’ voodoo. This allows an older version of the character to give advice to the younger one. It is not like “Back to the Future 2”. No, in this case, the mysterious trip in the ‘Way Back Machine’ is from drugs – not a DeLorean. And this one’s a kick in the Ass..

 

Out on a rural family-run cranberry farm in Canada, Elliott (played by Maisy Stella) is ‘waiting for her life to start’. She is turning eighteen today, and instead of spending time with her family, Elliott has other plans. She and her friends — Ro (played by Kerrice Brooks) and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler) — take Elliott’s boat on the lake to an island. They plan to go camping and get high.

 

Ro has scored some ‘magic mushrooms’ and they are ready to get psychedelic. Ro is high and off on her own. Ruthie is also high, and communing with nature. Elliott is a little upset that the drugs did not take effect. That is, until she sees herself. Well, it is the older version of herself.

 

Older Elliot (played by Aubrey Plaza) is sitting on the log next to Elliott near the fire. Elliott does not believe that the other one sitting there is really also her. But Older Elliot explains a few things that only Elliott knows about. She gets really freaked out.

 

Elliott wants to know everything about Older Elliot. If this is her eighteenth birthday, then is must be Older Elliott’s birthday also. Yes, she is about to turn forty. So, then — you’re middled-aged. NO! I’m just a younger Adult. But, why are you here?

 

Are you going to tell me secret things that I need to know to get rich and famous? NO! I am not going to tell you much of anything, because you need to discover and learn things on your own. No hot stock tips, or winning teams from the World Series…

 

Then Older Elliot tells her younger self this odd thing. Stay away from any guy named Chad! Chad is nothing but bad news and the dreaded gloom in your future. Elliott says she is not really interested in boys anyway.

 

She has always been attracted to other girls. So, is not even sure how this would be possible in her future. Older Elliot tells her that your views and your likes might change. But whatever you do — stay way back from Chad! Instead, spend more time with family.

 

The next morning, Elliott wakes up in the tent, but Older Elliott is not to be found. She tells nothing to Ro and to Ruthie. When Elliott gets back to her house, her mother (played by Maria Dizzia) says she missed the surprise birthday party from her family.

 

Elliott will be leaving for Toronto in a few days for college. She does not want to get caught up with all the emotions of good-byes and stuff. But she thinks back on what Older Elliot had said — ‘spend more time with family’.

 

Elliott goes to work for her dad out to cranberry ponds. She finds that there is a new summer hire to help with the work. And his name is — Chad. Yikes! Has the prediction from Older Elliott come true already?

 

Is Elliott prepared to banish this guy from her life — without even finding out anything about him? Elliott is pretty much ready to turn tail and run, but Chad seems to be a fairly nice guy. He knows the area surrounding, because his Grandfather also had a cranberry farm a few miles away.

 

But Elliott wanted to hook-up with a cute girl from the coffee shop — and now she has second thoughts. These thoughts are about Chad. He is charming, and he seems to have a lot of talents for various things.

 

Chad can speak French. He can repair a boat motor and he knows how to golf. That comes in handy, because Elliott’s brother Max (played by Seth Isaac Johnson) is really good at golf. Max is smart and he will some day take over the farm.

 

Elliott has a younger bother named Spenser (played by Carter Trozzolo). He is waiting for Elliott to leave for college. That way he can take her room and he can put up lots of pictures of his movie star crush — Saoirse Ronan.

 

Elliott is trying to put up all of this family drama. But for some unknown reason — Elliott can still contact her older self — the Older Elliott. She had put her phone contact into Elliott’s phone under the name “My Old Ass”…

 

Older Elliott is able to talk to Elliott on the phone, and she is ready to give the younger version more advice. Mostly it is a rehash of what she said before: spend time with your family and avoid Chad. But Elliot is starting to become more attracted to Chad, because she finds him interesting and charming.

 

Elliott is worried about her feelings, and she wants more feedback from Older Elliot. But her many texts and voice mails are going unanswered. Did something happen? Is there something bad that is about to occur? Should Elliott go ahead and get with Chad, and ignore Older Elliott’s advice? What is the worse thing that could happen?

 

The family has some surprises to reveal, and Elliott has more growing up to do. Chad continues to become a larger part of her life, and she is wondering if there can be a future between the two of them. Older Elliot finally answers back and lets Elliott know why she was concerned with Chad. But it is up to Elliott to make up her own mind and live her own life.

 

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“My Old Ass” is a charming coming-of-age story that allows an older version of the character to give advice to the younger one. This is not a side story quest, like from “Back to the Future 2”. Older Biff is not the one traveling back in time to give life advice and dating tips to younger Biff.

 

The story is sweet and focused on the life of Elliott. Maisy Stella does an excellent job in the role. Aubrey Plaza also is great as Older Elliott, in a more limited role. Percy Hynes White   seems just right as Chad. The locations in some various Canadian rural areas near the lakes are quite scenic. The movie is quickly paced, but has some breathing room for some emotional scenes.

 

“My Old Ass” is a cute story of what it takes to grow up, and how you might make some mistakes as you learn to make the right choices. This one’s a kick in the Old Ass..