upworthy

Local Boy Meets His Hero, Mariah Carey

Sweet, sweet fantasy, baby. Photo: Eric Charbonneau/Courtesy of A24

Heartwarming! On April 10, one very lucky local boy got a chance to meet his hero. Ari Aster, age 36, was positively beaming standing next to Mariah Carey at the April 10 after-party for the premiere of Beau Is Afraid. Aster, who wrote and directed the film, looked very sharp and smiled ear to ear while taking a photo with the elusive chanteuse. Carey didn’t attend the event just to make Aster’s fondest wish come true; her music, specifically the 1995 hit “Always Be My Baby,†plays a pivotal role in the film, underscoring a sex scene between Parker Posey and Joaquin Phoenix. Aster has said in a post-screening Q&A that the rights for the song were not cheap, so we’re glad to hear that A24 provided the budget for this moment of movie magic to happen. We are sure the film, which comes out on April 21, will be just as touching and happy as this moment.

Local Boy Meets His Hero, Mariah Carey