'My Old Ass' Star Maisy Stella and Director Megan Park

Summary

Episode Summary: 'My Old Ass' Star Maisie Stella and Director Megan Park

Podcast: All Of It
Host: Alison Stewart
Release Date: December 26, 2024
Guests: Maisie Stella (Lead Actress), Megan Park (Writer and Director), Julio Torres (Comedian and Actor), Aubrey Plaza (Actor)

Introduction

In this episode of All Of It, hosted by Alison Stewart, the spotlight is on the critically acclaimed independent film "My Old Ass." The discussion delves into the film's themes, character development, and the collaborative process behind its creation. The episode features insightful conversations with Maisie Stella, the film’s lead actress, and Megan Park, the writer and director.

Exploring "My Old Ass"

"My Old Ass" is a coming-of-age tale that follows Elliot, an 18-year-old Canadian girl who, while celebrating her birthday with friends and experimenting with mushrooms, encounters her 39-year-old self. This surreal meeting leads to meaningful exchanges where older Elliot imparts life advice about relationships, family, and self-discovery.

Megan Park explains the inspiration behind the film's premise:

Megan Park [02:13]: "I was feeling really nostalgic... exploring this idea of a younger and older version of the same person talking."

The film not only captures the essence of adolescence but also addresses the complexities of growing up and understanding one's roots.

In-Depth Conversations with the Creators

Megan Park on Writing and Directing

Megan Park discusses her journey in crafting the narrative of "My Old Ass":

Megan Park [02:54]: "Driving the boat Rip first of all, just like opening a movie with, like a young woman ripping around a lake on a boat is cool. I just hadn't seen that before."

She reflects on her growth from her first script, "The Fallout," highlighting the lessons learned in storytelling and character development:

Megan Park [05:26]: "I learned the most about myself as a writer in the edit of The Fallout."

Park emphasizes the importance of trusting the audience and allowing the story to evolve organically during the editing process.

Maisie Stella on Portraying Elliot

Maisie Stella, who plays Elliot, shares her experience and connection to her character:

Maisie Stella [05:09]: "I always just wanted to do something natural and that felt special and real."

She discusses the significance of Elliot's confidence and the relatable struggles of balancing friendships and family relationships.

Behind the Scenes: Chemistry and Collaboration

The episode provides an inside look at the on-set dynamics between Maisie Stella and Aubrey Plaza, who portrays the older Elliot.

Julio Torres, involved in the project, praises Aubrey Plaza's performance and their on-screen chemistry:

Julio Torres [08:39]: "She was so, so, so good to me and yeah, I hope I was good to her. I really adore her."

Megan Park recounts the casting process and the decision to cast Aubrey Plaza, despite initial concerns about physical resemblance:

Megan Park [10:28]: "It became funnier... it's like, my old ass and Aubrey's not even 40. It just fit and it made sense."

The collaborative effort extended to the film’s editing, where pre-recorded ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) sessions allowed actresses to refine their interactions:

Megan Park [12:08]: "Aubrey was really helpful in adding in some great improv stuff after the fact in ADR."

Themes and Emotional Resonance

The film delves into themes of self-discovery, familial bonds, and the passage of time. It poignantly portrays Elliot's realization of her parents' humanity beyond their roles as caregivers.

Julio Torres [14:23]: "This movie is like a visual representation of... you just have that nostalgia and I, yeah, I don't know. You can't really ask people to take a specific thing, but I hope that people take [away a sense of gratitude]."

The ultimate goal, as Megan Park hopes, is to inspire viewers to express love and appreciation to their loved ones:

Megan Park [17:17]: "We keep saying the ultimate compliment is when people say they get in the car and they call their mom or they call their dad and either just say I love you."

Memorable Moments

A standout moment from the discussion is the playful reenactment of a pivotal scene where young Elliot meets her older self:

July Torres [07:55]:
Adrien Brody: "Tell me something good."
Julio Torres: "Why are you struggling to find something good from the future?"
Adrien Brody: "This is good."

This clip underscores the film’s blend of humor and introspection, highlighting the unique interaction between the characters.

Conclusion

Alison Stewart wraps up the segment by transitioning to the next feature, "Dee Dee," another coming-of-age story, ensuring listeners stay engaged with the rich tapestry of New York City's independent film scene.

"My Old Ass" stands out as a heartfelt exploration of growing up, enriched by stellar performances and thoughtful direction. Through All Of It, listeners gain a deeper appreciation of the cultural narratives that shape our lives.

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Note: This summary captures the essence of the podcast episode, highlighting key discussions, insights, and memorable quotes to provide a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

Listener support WNYC Studios this is all.

[Maisie Stella]

Of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart.

[Alison Stewart]

We're celebrating some of this year's most.

[Maisie Stella]

Interesting independent films, including a few that are up for Independent Spirit Awards. We've talked to a lot of nominees on the show, including comedian Julio Torres.

[Alison Stewart]

About his surrealist comedy Problemista, director Brady Courbet and actor Adrien Brody about the post war drama the Brutalist and Rose.

[Maisie Stella]

Glass and actor Katie O'Brien about the seductive thriller Love Lies Bleeding.

[Alison Stewart]

In this hour we'll hear about two coming of age tales. One about an 18 year old Canadian girl who meets her 39 year old self called My Old Ass. Another about an impressionable teenage boy nicknamed Dee Dee. Then later, disability rights activists Patrice Jetter and Ted Passion talk about making the movie. So let's get this started with the coming of age story My Old Ass. In the film, we follow Elliot, a do what she wants 18 year old who chooses to celebrate her birthday by camping with her friends and taking mushrooms. Her trip leads her to an encounter with her 39 year old self. But instead of a simply trippy conversation, Elliot's older self starts offering some life advice. Spend more time with mom, avoid a guy named Chad and contemplate a future away from her small Canadian hometown. My Old Ass is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Actor Maisie Stella, who plays Elliot is up for an Independent Spirit award for best breakthrough performance while the film itself received a nod for best screenplay. Writer and director Megan park and lead Maisie Stella joined me a few days before the movie opened in theaters and I began my conversation by asking Megan how she settled on the premise.

[Megan Park]

My brain is very weird. No. You know, I was home in Canada where I grew up and I was feeling really nostalg. I just had my first child but was sleeping in my childhood bed and was just feeling really reflective. And I think there's, you know, there's a scene in the movie where Chad and Elliot are talking about, you know, there was a time when you went out and you played with your friends for the last time and you didn't know it was the last time. And if you did know, would you appreciate it more? Would it ruin the moment for you? So it was really that feeling that made me want to explore this idea of a younger and older version of the same person talking. And then the mushrooms came much later in the writing process, oddly is like what's a fun grounded way into that, that idea?

[Maisie Stella]

What were your first impressions upon reading the script?

[Julio Torres]

Oh my gosh. Well, I Had I had read Megan's other script, the Fallout, and I just was very like, so moved by her writing. She's like literally my favorite writer. And then when I read the mild as script, I was like, my first reaction of it was like, anxiety over not getting to do it. I was like, okay, this would be my worst nightmare if I don't get to touch this, this movie and like really get to do it. And yeah, I just was very excited with it. I think, like, she writes for the, for this generation in like a way that I haven't really seen before. And yeah, as a young actor, that's always like really exciting to see dialogue that feels natural and real.

[Maisie Stella]

When you read Elliot, what were some qualities that you admired in Elliot? 18 years old, she's start in the world.

[Julio Torres]

I feel like Elliot was like, beautifully confident, like beautifully sure of herself in a way that I really enjoyed like getting to do. I felt like I was like, oh, I really. I want to try. I want to try to like really make this and make this me. But yeah, I don't know, I feel like that was probably my favorite element of Elliot that I hadn't really seen in like a young girl lead of just like not really being like troubled with, you know, a lot. And I don't know, she was just very like, bright.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, it's funny because people are thinking McMazestella.

[Aubrey Plaza]

I know the name.

[Alison Stewart]

I know the name from Nashville.

[Aubrey Plaza]

You were a little kid.

[Julio Torres]

Yeah.

[Maisie Stella]

You think about it in terms of.

[Alison Stewart]

When you decided, like, I'm gonna make.

[Maisie Stella]

A grown up movie, like, what did.

[Alison Stewart]

You want to look for in a script? Any script.

[Julio Torres]

I mean, I had been auditioning like since Nashville ended and I had like. I don't think I ever thought about it like that of like looking for a grown up role. And I think I just. When you're growing you. You naturally kind of, things start to change of what you're considered for. All I've ever wanted to do though was like something that felt grounded and real and natural. And the years that I wasn't working was like such a consumer of all art and of film that I really figured out what I liked and what I didn't like. And my old ass was like, for real, my ideal project, like my dream project. And doing that as my first movie is like, I'll literally never get over that. The luck. But yeah, I think I just, I always just wanted to do something natural and. And that felt special and real.

[Aubrey Plaza]

This is the second film that you've written.

[Alison Stewart]

You mentioned The Fallout.

[Aubrey Plaza]

For people who didn't remember the film, it was on hbo. It was really a heartfelt film about kids who survive a school shooting.

[Alison Stewart]

First of all, what did you learn.

[Aubrey Plaza]

From writing the Fallout?

[Megan Park]

Well, the Fallout was the first thing I'd ever really written, so I didn't know what I was doing at all. I just was totally emotion led and not thinking. Kind of the miracle that it worked out. So I think it's sort of like the sophomore album thing where I was thinking a little bit more from the get go on this one and definitely putting more pressure on myself. But it was also really fun headspace to be in, and that was a little bit purposeful. I mean, making the Fallout was a heavy headspace to be in for two years, understandably. But it was a story I was really important and I really wanted to tell. But I wanted to be in a bit of a lighter headspace while still exploring. You know, there are some heavy things in this film, but I think I almost learned the most about myself as a writer in the edit of the Fallout. And I would say that I would will probably say the same thing about making my next movie. I learned the most about myself as a writer and a director in the edit of this movie. Again, because I think you're really faced with not only the ideas that you had, but what you actually got and how much you were willing to trust your audience as you were writing it while you're putting it all back together.

[Maisie Stella]

What's an example? I'm really curious about the edit because that's sort of a fun place to be.

[Megan Park]

It is, yeah. It's really fun. I mean, it can be really vulnerable and hard. I would say it's the hardest part of making a movie, at least for me. But I think a good example for this film is there's a big, you know, reveal at the end and you really have to walk that line of how much to give away or not give away. And there was a whole other scene with older and younger Elliot that I think alluded a lot to what was going to potentially happen. And I was really nervous, you know, like, I don't know if people are gonna pick up on it or get it. And my editor really was like, I think you have to trust people and you don't have to give away as much as you think you do. And it was very much Kill youl Darlings too, because Aubrey and Maisie are so great together. Their chemistry is incredible. And I loved the scene, but it was definitely the right decision. And there Was many moments along the way where our editor, Jen Vecchiarello, who is a genius and deserves all, all of the credit in the world for this film, but she really helped me. Yeah. Trust the audience more.

[Maisie Stella]

We are talking to writer, director Megan park and actor Maisie Stella about the film My Old Ass. It's a coming of age film about an 18 year old who receives advice from her 39 year old self. Let's give people a listen to what it sounds like when she's getting advice from herself from this clip. This is when Elliot meets her older self, old ass Aubrey Plaza, and she asks her to tell her something good about her life in the future.

[Julio Torres]

Tell me something good.

[Adrien Brody]

Something good.

[Julio Torres]

Why are you struggling to find something good from the future?

[Adrien Brody]

This is good.

[Julio Torres]

Okay.

[Adrien Brody]

You're gonna be psyched. Okay, tell me that you are a PhD student. Yeah.

[Julio Torres]

No. What? You're joking, but I don't want to.

[Adrien Brody]

Tell you in what. Because I want you to have something to look forward to.

[Julio Torres]

Look forward.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah.

[Julio Torres]

Did you just tell me I'm in my 40s and I'm still in school.

[Adrien Brody]

30S, 30s.

[Maisie Stella]

All the old asses in here. I'm laughing, Juliana's laughing, Kate's laughing. Tell me a little bit about the chemistry between you and Aubrey Plaza.

[Julio Torres]

I mean, I am such a true fan of hers. I think she's just the most brilliant genius thing that's ever lived. And so to get to be in a movie with her was so surreal and much less like literally being her baby self. But our chemistry, like she only filmed with us in person for like a week. Most of our time, you know, talking is really like through ADR because there was a lot of phone calls and stuff in the movie. But yeah, we kind of tried to dive right in. It was really lucky. We just had like an instant connection. I mean, she has sisters and is just a very like soft. She's a very soft center and was just really loving. Secret softie, we say secret softie. She was so, so, so good to me and yeah, I hope I was good to her. I really adore her.

[Maisie Stella]

Did you work with her at all so that you had the same mannerisms as older you and younger you?

[Julio Torres]

Yeah, well, I had been filming for like two weeks when Aubrey was attached. So I, you know, in a normal situation I would be matching her. But because I already. My character was already kind of established, she kind of met me where I was at a little bit more. So she was being sent like dailies when I was filming. So she kind of had. She Was kind of like watching me and, like, studying mannerisms and physicality and stuff. And then when we met in person, she definitely, like, her eyes, like, the way she was looking at me was like, this is crazy. Aubrey Faz is, like, recording me with her eyeballs, but she's just the coolest. And she, like. I think we kind of. We kind of tried to make it, like, accept our differences. You know, it's from 18 to 39, so they're not gonna be identical, of course, but we definitely wanted there to be specific, like, mannerisms. And energetically, we kind of tried to meet in the middle and, like, kind of have a similar vibe, I guess, more than. More than anything else.

[Aubrey Plaza]

What was the process like writing the same character at two different ages?

[Megan Park]

Well, funny enough, when I first wrote the script, I wrote older Elliot as in her late 40s, early 50s. And I was really hung up on that through the casting process too. And especially when we built it around Maisie, it was like, who's blonde? Who looks like her? And we're putting all these photos side by side without really thinking about the energy match as much. And Maisie has such. Such a specific, unique, special, special energy. And so it proved to be really difficult. And then we were kind of coming down to the wire. We were making the movie already, and we did not have our older Elliot.

[Maisie Stella]

Wow.

[Megan Park]

And there was a list of people that somebody had made. And I looked down and I saw Aubrey's name on this piece of paper. And it was sort of like this lightning bolt moment where I thought, yes, I love her. I'm a fan of hers. I knew Mazy was. We were like, who do you want to see when that camera pans over on the log and she's meeting her older self? I know they don't look alike. I think I can write around that. And it became funnier to. Especially as somebody who's, you know, in their mid-30s hanging out with 18 year olds, I had personally never felt older. And it became like, oh, yeah, that's all the jokes and even the title of the movie. You know, it's like, my old ass and Aubrey's not even 40. You know, it's very just. It just fit and it made sense. And there was an energy match that I knew after spending so much time with Maisie, I felt like it was just gonna flow really well. And their chemistry was just so instantaneous on a personal level, that obviously really helped as well.

[Aubrey Plaza]

There's a part in the movie where old Elliot puts her phone number in your phone Young Elliot and so that they can talk.

[Alison Stewart]

And I realize Aubrey's not in a.

[Aubrey Plaza]

Lot of the movie actually.

[Alison Stewart]

She's actually on the phone a lot. So one.

[Aubrey Plaza]

Can you explain. Can you explain how you direct someone who's on the phone or who's just in audio?

[Megan Park]

Well, it's tricky. You know, there are. Sometimes you can actually have the actor on the phone lie. But, you know, Aubrey, again, was only in town for a week and then she was in a different time zone. And so she had recorded pre recorded some of the more important ADR moments. But we also ended up changing a lot of those phone calls to sort of suit our needs in the edit, which was nice. So a lot of it was actually Maisie and I me reading the lines off camera on the day and then having Aubrey come in. And she was also really helpful in adding in some great improv stuff after the fact in adr. So it was sort of. That was the place we had the most flexibility making the movie and the edit were those phone calls. So they changed the most out of anything from the script.

[Maisie Stella]

How is that for you?

[Julio Torres]

I mean, I. I don't think I understood, like, how much of it was on the. Was on the phone until, like, after, honestly, I think when we were doing adr. But I love it. I think it gave. I think it gave you so much room to play and literally from what was written phone call wise to what is now is so different and so much, like funnier. Like, I just feel like it kept getting funnier and funnier and yeah, so doing the ADR was. I really enjoyed getting to do that.

[Megan Park]

I think at one point I was directing Maisie in a scene laying on a floor next to a bed so you couldn't see me on camera. Also reading Aubrey's lines on camera, that was fun, but tricky.

[Maisie Stella]

When you first in the film, we meet Maisie's character, Eliot, and she's about to head off to college. She's hanging out with her friends. She's preparing for the mushroom trip in the woods. Why did this seem like the way you wanted to introduce us to Elliot?

[Megan Park]

You know, you want to get to that mushroom trip right away. So it was sort of getting to see her with her friends.

[Julio Torres]

I love how early on it is so unexpected.

[Megan Park]

Driving the boat Rip first of all, just like opening a movie with, like a young woman ripping around a lake on a boat is cool. I just hadn't seen that before.

[Maisie Stella]

Did you know how to ride a boat? I was wondering that. I'm watching, like, does she do this?

[Julio Torres]

Yeah. I have a little boat where I live in Nashville. But it's a different type of driving. Mine has a wheel, and this was, like a little twisty wrist thing in the back. But I did. I got my boating license and took boating lessons and tractor driving lessons. It was sick. It was so fun.

[Aubrey Plaza]

She has a relationship with her family in the beginning. How would you describe how it plays out over the film without giving too much away?

[Julio Torres]

I don't. I feel like. I always say, like, this movie is like, a visual representation of, like, the moment that you, like, randomly look at your mom and you're just like. You have this, like, a sad feeling, and you're just like, oh, God, you're just like a girl, and you're just trying to figure this out, and this is your first life, too, and you're just like. I feel like that is the tone of Elliot's discovery with her family is like, the accidental harm that can be done to your parents, which I really, really related to. And I have, like, perpetual guilt over just the accidental things that, you know, making your mom feel like you don't want to hang out with her and you would rather go hang out with your friends because it's true. You would rather hang out with your friends when you're 17 than hang out with your mom. But it's still a sad thing that she had to feel that, you know, it's like, even if it is kind of true, like, of course, yes, I wanted to, like, go out with my friends instead of staying home watching a movie with my mom. But it's still, like, you still have that guilt. And I just feel like that's Elliott's experience is just the wake up and the feeling grateful for them and the loving them. Like, when you just are like, oh, I actually really love you as a human and not just as a parent. Yeah.

[Megan Park]

And she doesn't, like, become somebody who's like, I can't, you know, I can't leave home. I can't leave my parents. You know, I feel it's just sort of that gratitude because you have to go out and live your life when you're 18 and you can't, you know, you have to still go through all those things, but there's just an appreciation, I think.

[Julio Torres]

Yeah. Ground. Just a grounding. Just. Yeah.

[Maisie Stella]

There's a scene, a mushroom scene, where you kind of turn into Justin Bieber.

[Julio Torres]

I kind of do.

[Adrien Brody]

Yeah.

[Julio Torres]

Kinda. Yeah.

[Maisie Stella]

That looked kind of fun.

[Julio Torres]

The dancing looked good. It was so fun.

[Maisie Stella]

It was fun.

[Julio Torres]

Are you kidding? I'M asking, what do you mean? Yes, obviously, like it's as fun as it looks like it was. It was one of the best days of my life being. I wish I was, I wish I was Bieber every day. Like if that's what he gets to live life, like, it was just, I, I felt so cool. Like I was, had such a. I was walking different, I was talking different. I didn't know, I didn't know how to act. I couldn't shake it off.

[Megan Park]

Yeah, I love Maisie before she played Justin Bieber and then there was Maisie after.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, yeah.

[Maisie Stella]

When you think about like an 18 year old going to see this film, what do you hope they, they go and talk about afterwards?

[Julio Torres]

I mean, I feel like I was so lucky to get to experience like the concept of this movie at 18. I was literally 18 when I filmed it. I filmed it two years ago and it was so necessary for me and like so important that I was reminded of all of those things. And I feel like I, when I started filming, like, I really genuinely thought I, like, I was so ahead of Elliot. I was like, oh my God, Elliot, so naive, like girl, like we know that all these things. And I was, I was so much more like with Elliot than I thought I was and like needed to hear all these things and I feel like, I just hope that people. I think the message of the movie is clear and you feel it in your belly when you leave. Like you just like have this like nostalgic feeling and I, yeah, I don't know. You can't really ask people to take a specific thing, but I hope they take.

[Megan Park]

We keep saying the ultimate compliment is when people say they get in the car and they call their mom or they call their dad and either just say I love you. Yeah, that's kind of the nicest.

[Julio Torres]

I hope that's what people take.

[Maisie Stella]

That was my conversation with writer and director Megan park and lead Maisie Stella about the film My Old, which was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards.

[Alison Stewart]

Up next, the film Dee Dee tells the story of an awkward 13 year old boy whose adolescent angst clashes with his friends, his mom and his crush, all before the start of his freshman year of high school. That's next.

[Ira Flatow]

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