The use of “One Less Lonely Girl” in Aubrey Plaza’s comedy “My Old Ass” was approved by Justin Bieber.
The fact that Justin Bieber approved the inclusion of his song “One Less Lonely Girl” in the Aubrey Plaza-led comedy startled the My Old Ass team.
After the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, January 20, director Megan Park noted in a post-screening Q&A, “We weren’t sure Justin was going to let us.” “Once he gave us the go-ahead, we were thrilled. We leaned into it even more.”
The movie tells the tale of Maisy Stella’s character, Elliot, a Canadian teenager preparing to enter college. She eats mushrooms with her pals when they hang around in their little town.
Elliot meets a 39-year-old version of herself during her journey, played by Plaza, who advises her against falling in love with her crush, Chad (Percy Hynes White). Later in the film, Elliot imagines playing Justin Bieber’s “One Less Lonely Girl” for Chad while she is still high on mushrooms.
Fans of Justin Bieber hold a particular place in their hearts for “One Less Lonely Girl.” The song is a mainstay in the performer’s set list; it was taken from his 2009 first album One World. The 29-year-old singer usually chooses one girl to serenade on stage when he plays the song during his gigs.
Stella, 20, made a joke during the Q&A on Saturday, saying, “Guys, Justin Bieber watched that.” “Justin Bieber watched that, which makes me so ill.”
During the discussion, Park, 37, revealed that the soundtrack for My Old Ass was greatly impacted by her Canadian heritage, which was the primary reason she wanted Justin Bieber’s song to be a standout feature in the movie. In addition to having humorous sequences, Park aimed for her film to include scenes that reminded audiences of memorable childhood experiences.
She said, “I kept thinking about this idea: there was a time when you did something like play pretend with your friends, and then you just never did it again,” “That made me really emotional. I also wanted to immerse myself in a joyful film and something that made people feel nostalgic for an easier, simpler time in life. Because life can be hard and s—y sometimes. I wanted to have an escape.”
For her part, Plaza raved about meeting Park and how much she valued the director’s unusual mode of transportation while filming.
“Megan is the only director I’ve ever worked with who Jet Skis to work,” Plaza remarked, going on to describe how Park brought her to their first meeting on a paddle boat. “She paddled over me. And I sat there for a while just staring at her, inching along. I was like, ‘What the? What have I got myself into?’ And [then] I felt like, ‘This is right.’”
