‘Poms’ stays light-hearted, with a good message for some laughs

If you’re in the mood for a light-hearted “chick” flick that subtly nudges you with a good message on the side, then Poms might be right up your alley.  Opening May 10, 2019, Poms tells the story of Martha (played by Diane Keaton) who moves from the grey hustle-bustle of New York City to a lush retirement community somewhere in Georgia to live out the rest of her days in peace and solitude.  But when she meets her new neighbor, Sheryl (played by Jacki Weaver), that plan goes up in smoke and Martha ends up deciding to form a cheerleading squad since she was never able to fulfill her cheerleading dreams of days gone by.

On the surface, this story appears to be extremely cheesy, but it’s actually quite empowering by the end.  Keaton has frequently played a few shy and introverted characters that end up coming out of their shells as their stories progress.  (Check out Book Club, Mad Money, and The First Wives Club.)  She’s got that rhythm down pat even lightening the colors and fabrics of her wardrobe as her characters transform.  But in Poms, she’s matched up with the breath of fresh air that is Jacki Weaver. Even the timber of her voice contributes to her comic timing and delivery of totally unexpected one-liners in this production.

“Poms” stays light-hearted for some good summer fun

There are a few…..well, several….jokes of an adult nature but they are delivered so quickly and subtly that younger audiences may not even notice them.  What they will catch onto is the general message that we should all live our lives to the fullest while we still can. Retirement is not painted as a series of sad days hiding away in a dark room, but as an opportunity to re-live a perpetual summer vacation later in life.  The retirement community depicted in the film is very similar to The Villages in central Florida where parking spaces are sized for personalized golf carts, dozens upon dozens of clubs to join, and enough activities to make retirement into a “Disney World” for its residents.  It’s enough to make anyone dream of playing in the sun all day long!

Finally, the less noticeable reminder that sneaks up on us is that there can be fabulous relationships between seniors and teenagers.  Not only do these “grandparent” role models help shape teens into young adults in general, they have a very different perspective than the “parent” role.  The retiree cheerleaders reminded the teens that age is just a number that shouldn’t limit what people can do. We can all be fabulous at any age if we just make the time for it and ignore potential limitations.  Try telling Helen Mirren she’s too old to do something and let’s see what happens!

Poms is a good summer film for the whole family.  Take a break from the heat and share some laughs with the kids.  You’ll want to get some pom poms and coordinate a rah-rah-sis-boom-bah session of your own.

Poms gets 3 out of 5 stars

Check out the Poms movie trailer below!