The Muskoka-based coming-of-age comedy “My Old Ass” was released in selected theatres in Toronto on Friday and is scheduled to be released nationwide on Sept. 27.
Directed and written by Megan Park, a Lindsay Ontario, My Old Ass tells the story of an 18-year-old girl, Elliott, played by Nashville star Maisie Stella, who is spending her last summer at her family’s cranberry marsh before heading off for university. A magical mushroom trip unexpectedly brings Elliott face-to-face with her 39-year-old future self, portrayed by Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation). This meeting sets the stage for Elliott’s journey of self-discovery as she grapples with the life advice from her older self, which leads to a humorous and introspective exploration of personal growth, regrets, and the realities of adulthood.
Margot Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, co-produced the film alongside Indian Paintbrush. While Robbie does not appear in the movie, she and her husband, Tom Ackerley, oversaw the production in Muskoka, stayed for several weeks during filming, and even hosted a kickoff party at Beveragino in Port Carling.
Park, who spent summers in Muskoka as a child, filming in the region was a deeply personal choice. “Muskoka is such a beautiful place… I was shocked it hadn’t been featured in a movie before.” Park said in a recent interview with CTV. She has described the film as “a love letter to Muskoka.”
The movie’s Muskoka setting plays a pivotal role in the film’s story, with Park’s attention to detail helping to select the perfect spots. Muskoka411 interviewed the film’s location manager, Glenn Carter, who shared how over 50 Muskoka cottages were scouted before selecting one on Sterling Point, located on the north end of Lake Joseph. The film shot several scenes at the Bala Johnston Farm and various marinas and golf courses around Lake Joseph, Port Carling, and Bala. “We wanted something typical that really reflects Muskoka,” Carter said in our interview.
A notable location in the film is the historic Cleveland’s House, a landmark resort on Lake Rosseau that has fallen into disrepair. The production team originally scouted the property for a scene requiring an abandoned boathouse. However, as Glenn Carter, the film’s location manager, explained, the discovery of Cleveland’s House’s distinctive tower inspired a creative change in the script. “The director saw the tower out on the dock and thought it was so cinematic that she said, ‘Let’s change the script and have the characters go to this place off the water,'” Carter said.
The local community also played a big part in the production, with over 100 Muskoka residents participating as background actors. According to Norah Fountain, executive director of the Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce, the production poured an estimated $4-6 million into the local economy.
