If you’ve subscribed to this newsletter for a while, you already know that I’m a sucker for a time travel trope. Traditional time travel, Groundhog Day time loops, parallel universes, portals to the past—anything that offers a chance for characters to change things or reflect or get a do-over. I’m just endlessly fascinated by the philosophical dilemmas it brings up.

So when I saw the New York Times recommending a movie with a teen protagonist on the brink of adulthood communicating with her 39-year-old self, I was in.

I expected hijinks and comedy. And there was definitely some of that. But what I didn’t expect was to have to find tissues by the time I was done. I mean, it’s called My Old Ass. How did I end up crying? But it was totally worth it.

Subscribe now

Streaming on Amazon Prime

Elliot (Maisey Stella) is eighteen and about to leave her family’s cranberry farm for college. She’s ready to get out of her small town and start her adult life. But on the night of her eighteenth birthday, she and her friends go out to the woods to have a transcendent experience by taking some mushrooms.

While her friends have silly trips, Elliot ends up hallucinating her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). And that older version of her has some warnings. Spend time with your parents, spend time with your brothers, remember this beautiful farm, and most of all, stay away from a boy named Chad.

Elliot has no idea what to think of this and isn’t too worried about whoever Chad is. She likes girls anyway, so why would a Chad hold any interest—until he shows up as the summer farmhand.

Also, that hallucination…turns out she can still communicate with older Elliot on her phone.

What follows is a sun-dappled few weeks of Elliot processing what she’s learned and dealing with the sometimes heavy/poignant things that come along with growing up and leaving home. Plus it’s all set on a beautiful Canadian lake. (I’m a sucker for a lake/creek setting. I think it’s in my DNA from my early love of Dirty Dancing and Dawson’s Creek.)

There was so much to love about this movie. I found the dialogue to be authentic instead of the overly sophisticated dialogue we often see in teen characters. The awkward scenes had a sweetness to them. The friendships were delightful. I loved the cast.

However, what I loved most of all was the depth baked into this story. As a mom to a 17-year-old who will be a senior in the fall, it probably hit me extra hard, but I loved that this looked at two sides of the coin because of the time travel element.

One, it showed how flippant we can be at eighteen about leaving home. We’re so ready. We want to be grown up. We forget that it’s usually the last time we’ll be having dinner with our family every night. We forget that (if we have siblings) we’ll probably never live together again. We don’t realize how many things we’re doing for the last time in our childhood. (Oof, right?)

Then, on the other side, we have her 39-year-old self looking back and trying to give her younger self advice. When we’re older we have that gift of hindsight, but we also can’t go back and change things (unless you too figure out a way to time travel through shrooms, lol.) But also, if we could change things, should we?

So, I love that this movie somehow pulled off bawdy humor, illogical time travel (don’t question it, just go with it), coming-of-age romance, and also still punched me right in the gut with its poignancy.

I want more movies to do this. I don’t need big action and explosions and superheroes. I need characters going through things and making me feel stuff.

If you’re unsure if this is for you, the trailer gives you a good idea of the vibe.

Also, a heads up. This is rated R, so despite the teen protagonist, this isn’t necessarily a teen movie.

If you need something to watch with kids tonight instead, reach for an oldie but goodie that has a totally different vibe but also speaks to the theme of cherishing your childhood and has a magical element: Big with Tom Hanks.

Now, excuse me, while I go and find my kid and hug him. :)

Hope you have a great weekend! Do you have any fun plans or are you doing a Friday Night In like I am? And if you’ve watched something great lately, let me know!

Leave a comment

Share

Subscribe now