As a gamer with a penchant for movies that pack a punch, I must admit that “My Old Ass” has left quite an impact on me. This isn’t your typical coming-of-age tale; it’s a refreshing twist that resonates deeply, especially for those of us from the Gen Z generation who are still figuring out our identities.
SPOILERS are ahead for My Old Ass.
My Old Ass is one of those 2024 movies that just completely snuck up on me and simply won my heart. Sure, I knew I had to see another comedy starring Aubrey Plaza, but it’s one of the best coming-of-age concepts I’ve seen in years. The movie follows a high school senior named Elliott who decides to go on a mushroom trip with her friends for her birthday and ends up connecting with her 39-year-old self (Plaza), who leaves much to be desired. It has a lot of profound things to say, but one subject that’s worth talking about is how it handles its queer protagonist.
In the opening of “My Old Ass,” Maisy Stella‘s character Elliott is introduced as a confident and open lesbian. The narrative implies that she is attracted to women, which makes her wary when her older self warns her about a man named Chad. As the story progresses, Elliott develops a relationship with Chad against her older self’s advice, and unexpectedly finds herself falling in love. In a pivotal scene with her friend Ro, she questions her sexuality, wondering if she might be bisexual, as she never expected to feel such feelings for a man. Elliott realizes that her sexuality is not as straightforward as she once believed.
In an unexpected moment, Ro reassures Elliott during her confusion about her newfound feelings for men, emphasizing that this doesn’t make her any less “queer” or questioning her identity. This scene offers a more complex portrayal of bisexual characters than what has been commonly seen in the past. Megan Park, the writer and director, explained to me some insights about the scene:
It was such an important scene and that line specifically… is so important to that moment. I just had never seen a character who identified one thing [and changes her mind]. It’s usually the other way around, you know? And, coming out stories are really important, but this was sort of hopefully a fresh take on sort of that queer conversation that I think feels a little more authentic to Gen Z, and definitely to Elliot. And, it was really important to get it right in the script, and we talked to a lot of people and we made sure that it really tracked and felt real and grounded.
In today’s world, an increasing number of Gen Z individuals might be discovering their non-heterosexual identities earlier in life. Park believes that the unusual coming out scene in the show could offer a novel perspective on a frequently used theme in LGBTQ+ films, which has grown repetitive and clichéd. In the series “My Old Ass“, Eliott discovers that she had unexplored aspects of her sexuality during the 17 years she lived, as many can relate to. It’s important to remember that our understanding of ourselves and our sexuality at 17 is not always a permanent truth. Stella shared with TopMob that:
That scene alone was like one of my favorites. And that line, from the first time I read that script, was one of my favorite lines of the movie. And I think that my favorite thing to see in movies and especially coming of age, just like I really enjoy watching genuine confusion and self-exploration. I find it really comforting to watch because I’ve experienced so much confusion and self-exploration in my everyday life that getting to do that was actually really satisfying for me – especially in a way of like sexual identity and sexual confusion. And I don’t know, it actually was one of the safer parts of the script to me. And, we talked about it all so much and made sure that it felt right and felt just genuine and honest. I think playing a character that’s only being honest with themselves is always gonna be something that I find beautiful.
In their recent chat, Park and Stella praised Margot Robbie for her role as a producer on “My Old Ass”. Currently showing in cinemas!
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2024-09-18 04:37