Then again, they were never blockbusters. They'd return their low budgets and hopefully some profits, but they wouldn't set the world on fire, but they might stay in your heart forever.
I'm not talking about AIP or New World. Those indies specialized in something grittier, edgier, delivering what the studios were afraid to, or pooh-poohed. Whereas "My Old Ass" tests no limits, contains no titillation, other than the basic concept, it's wholly believable.
Yes, young Elliott converses with old Elliott as a result of taking mushrooms. And old Elliott is played by Aubrey Plaza, who has become one of our biggest movie stars, not by looks, by appearances in TMZ, but by sheer personality and acting chops. I'm sure you've seen some of Aubrey's appearances on late night TV. If not, you're in for a treat. She's sly, she's funny, she evidences intelligence, this is a movie star.
Not that Aubrey/Elliott has that much screen time, although her voice is heard throughout the picture.
Which is just shy of an hour and a half long. Quite a change in an era where every director considers themselves an auteur, needing hours to sell their message, if there really is one at all.
And there is a message in "My Old Ass." And it's kind of trite. And it's not really revealed until the end. But ultimately you're satisfied.
Bottom line, ignorance is for the youth. When you know little you take chances, you don't worry about consequences, you're all in, whereas when you get older and have experienced the let-downs and disappointments in life you become gun-shy. Knowing too much works to your disadvantage.
Oh, there's one extra twist. Which makes the message less pedestrian. Let's just say the experiences you have earlier in your life, the meaning they had for you, the private emotions... They never leave.
So "My Old Ass" got good reviews, but if you think this pic is going to draw people to the theatre, you'll be disappointed to find out that it has only grossed $5.4 million domestically, and only $0.3 million in the rest of the world, not even half of what Amazon paid for the flick at Sundance, $15 million.
But today the action is all in streaming television. And I prefer series, because of the depth, but "My Old Ass" works as a movie, because it's more about vibe than story, which is what a film usually conveys better than a multi-episodic production.
So it's set in the lake country of Canada, where I've never been but so many of my Canadian friends retreat in the summer. Not that different from New England lake country, but I haven't been there recently either.
It's the middle of nowhere, and in less than a month, young Elliott, played so naturally by fresh-faced Maisy Stella, will decamp for Toronto, for the U of T.
She's itching to leave, but knows she can always return.
Or is that not the way life works. What you think is still available...is it ultimately gone?
And she's young and brassy and confident but then she encounters old Elliott, Aubrey Plaza, who is not as excited at the age of 39 and young Elliott is confused, but ultimately decides to take Aubrey/Elliott's counsel.
So...
Nothing could be more different from what we've been concerned with in the world this past week. Sure, there are smartphones, but no politics, and no judgment of the internet.
But there are questions of friendship and sexuality and...
I saw that "My Old Ass" had finally made it to Prime, sooner than usual after debuting in the theatre, while I still remembered the reviews, which were good. And I turned it on...
And didn't want to turn it off.
And in this world of so many choices, that is rare.
It's billed as sci-fi, but if you're thinking of lasers and futuristic landscapes, don't bother. Would I say it's a chick flick? Not exactly. It's not gooey, although there is passion, and it's very realistic.
This is the life we all live, which we don't see in the news. This is the soul fulfillment we're looking for.
I don't want to overhype it. "My Old Ass" is not deserving of an Oscar (although more people will see it than many films that do win Academy Awards), but it hits a note. Not nostalgia. It's not pulling at your heartstrings. It somehow encapsulates regular life, which we're living 24/7, and that's why it resonated with me.
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