One of the best running gags inMy Old Assis Spencer’s inexplicable obsession with Saoirse Ronan, but it’s unclear exactly why he loves theLady Birdstar so much. The sophomore outing ofdirector Megan Park,My Old Asshas proven to be a huge streaming hit since it dropped on Prime Video. It’s a unique spin on the coming-of-age comedy about a young woman named Elliott who starts appreciating what she has in life after taking magic mushrooms on her 18th birthday and meeting her 39-year-old self during the ensuing trip.
While Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza ably leadthe cast ofMy Old Assas the younger and older versions of Elliott, respectively, they’re surrounded by great supporting players. Percy Hynes White is unbelievably charming asElliott’s love interest Chad, Maria Dizzia and Al Goulem give delightful turns as her parents, and Seth Isaac Johnson and Carter Trozzolo are great as her younger brothers, Max and Spencer. Trozzolo’s character, Spencer, is particularly hilarious, because he has a deep affinity for his favorite movie star, four-time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan.
Why Spencer Is So Obsessed With Saoirse Ronan In My Old Ass
It’s Just A Fun, Quirky Detail That Makes His Character More Distinct
Spencer’s Saoirse Ronan fandom comes up a few times inMy Old Ass. He watches Greta Gerwig’sLittle Womenover and over again for Ronan’s Oscar-nominated performance as Jo March. He plans to move to Ireland when he’s older, just because of Ronan’s Irish heritage.The grandest display of his love for Ronan is when he puts up a collage of Ronanall over a wall of the bedroom he’s about to inherit from Elliott. Elliott is aghast when she sees it and wonders why he couldn’t wait until she left to plaster Saoirse Ronan all over her bedroom wall.
My Old Asshas an impressive 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
There’s no deeper hidden meaning to Spencer’s obsession with Ronan; it’s just a way to make his character feel more distinct. A more clichéd movie would have the protagonist’s little brother be obsessed with dinosaurs or baseball, butMy Old Assmakes Spencer a more unique and memorable character by having him obsess over the star ofAtonement. It’s just a fun, quirky detail that exists to round out his character. If he was obsessed with Lego orFortniteor something else more typical of a young boy, then he wouldn’t stand out as much.
Spencer’s Saoirse Ronan Obsession Helps Bring Elliott Closer To Him Before She Leaves
It’s Her Way Of Connecting With Her Little Brother
Spencer’s Ronan fandom is a way for Elliott to grow closer to her brother and get to know him better before she moves out. At the beginning ofMy Old Ass, Elliott can’t wait to leave home and become independent of her family. But when she meets her older self, who opens her eyes to how great her family is, she begins to appreciate them more. She starts spending more time with her family before she has to leave for college. She’s nicer to her parents and she commits entire days to hanging out with her brothers.
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As she tries to appreciate her family more onthe older Elliott’s advice,Elliott tries to find different ways to bond with her brothers before she leaves for college. Even though she doesn’t like golfing all that much, she starts riding along with Max when he goes out on the golf course to try and find some common ground with him. With Spencer, she helps him put up his Saoirse Ronan wall (despite being horrified by it at first) and even watchesLittle Womenwith him to have a sweet bonding moment.
What My Old Ass' Director & Writer Has Said About The Movie’s Saoirse Ronan Obsession
Megan Park Just Thought It Would Be Funny (& It Was)
In a recent interview withCosmopolitan, Park explained the film’s Saoirse Ronan joke and how it came to be. She said thatshe’s a big fan of Ronan herself and she loved the idea of Elliott’s little brother being obsessed with her. She added, “I can’t really explain it, but it just felt right.” There was, of course, the small matter of getting Ronan’s permission to use her image all over the movie and reference her in a bunch of scenes. But according to Park,theHannastar was “a real trooper” about it.
Park said that Ronan was “super down” for being included in the movie, and her agent felt that it was a “sweet homage” to the iconic actor.
Margot Robbie was one of the producers ofMy Old Ass, and she’d previously co-starred with Ronan in 2018’sMary Queen of Scots, so they had a pre-existing friendship. Robbie reached out to Ronan about using her likeness for Spencer’s movie star obsession in the film. Park said that Ronan was “super down” for being included in the movie, and her agent felt that it was a “sweet homage” to the iconic actor.
My Old Ass
Cast
My Old Ass follows Elliott, who encounters her future 39-year-old self during a transformative summer marked by introspection and discovery. Celebrating her 18th birthday, Elliott’s psychedelic experience prompts her to reevaluate her ideals on family and love as her older self offers sage advice and warnings.
