My Old Ass was “very close to home” for Aubrey Plaza

My Old Ass was “very close to home” for Aubrey Plaza

As a seasoned film critic with decades of watching movies under my belt, I have to say that Megan Park’s My Old Ass is a refreshing take on the coming-of-age genre. Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella deliver compelling performances as two versions of the same character at different stages of life, exploring the wisdom that can be gained from both perspectives.


One common thought exercise is contemplating the advice we’d give to our less experienced, younger selves if we could do so. What valuable insights would we share to help them sail through life more smoothly?

In Megan Park’s latest coming-of-age film, “My Old Ass,” a question is posed that has been raised before – could there be lessons to learn not just from our older selves, but also our younger counterparts?

In the intriguing movie, the blossoming actress Maisy Stella takes on the role of a girl about to celebrate her 18th birthday. On a psychedelic journey involving mushrooms, she encounters an older version of herself, portrayed by Aubrey Plaza, who is over two decades her senior.

She mentioned that she recently celebrated her 40th birthday. When we filmed the movie, she was either 38 or 39 years old, which made it incredibly personal for her as it felt like she was almost conversing with her younger self and revisiting a time when she wasn’t quite so cynical or battered by life’s struggles.

She mentioned: “It was quite invigorating to ponder… for instance, recalling those times when life was so ordinary, uncomplicated or optimistic, if you get my drift.

However, Plaza pondered over the opposite perspective as well – the advice she would give to her younger self, should she truly have the opportunity to do so.

She expressed that she’s absorbed quite a bit, and she finds herself in a position where she could tell her past self, “Don’t fret. It will all turn out okay.

Despite portraying the same character at distinct stages of her life, Plaza and Stella had limited chances to collaborate and brainstorm about the project prior to filming. However, they managed to create a sense of consistency for the character by picking up on subtle cues during production.

Stella clarified that she believes we utilized our time effectively, and there was a unique, relaxed quality to our interaction where we didn’t overburden ourselves with stress or focus on unimportant matters.

It seems as though we effortlessly bypassed tension related to our contrasts and various aspects. Instead, it felt like we concentrated predominantly on the tangible side of things.

Plaza mentioned: “During our encounter a few days prior to filming, I made sure to observe Maisy’s speech patterns closely since she had distinct Canadian expressions in the way she pronounced certain words.

I hadn’t considered it until I arrived, but then I realized, ‘Wow, her speech is quite distinct from mine,’ so I decided to focus more on understanding her.

Instead, the focus was primarily on expressing her soul and energy, and creating a joyful experience. In essence, one could say that all unnecessary elements were set aside, when you truly trust that their affection for each other is genuine, and that they’re united in this venture.

My Old Ass is showing in cinemas from Friday 27th September 2024. 

Read More

2024-09-26 23:04