Poms (Zara Hayes, 2019) starts with Martha (Diane Keaton) moving from her home of 46 years into a retirement village, fending off insensitive garage sale shoppers and her own anxieties about the transition. Cynical, urbane Martha, in her jeans and khaki, is immediately uncomfortable with the bright, flowing colours and pastels and the relentless optimism that surrounds her. But she has a secret that ultimately helps her to emerge from her grouchy and self-imposed isolation – her dreams of being a cheerleader ended, as a teen, when she had to care for her cancer-stricken mother. Now Martha, desperate not to let anyone know she’s been diagnosed with cancer herself, decides it’s time to cheer again.
At first, the cheerleading club is largely a joke designed to annoy her snooty neighbours. But as the club grows, it becomes a source of increasing emotional and social strength for the women who are training together, as they learn to defy the paternalistic younger people who think they know best.
Let me just say here, I love cheerleading movies. Bring It On is one of the greatest films of the 21st century. But I’m A Cheerleader – classic! Poms hits all the beats I want from a movie like this. Hilariously awkward auditions and rehearsals, passionate friendships, mean teenage rivals, and overcoming adversity through choreography and pleated skirts.
There are obviously far too few Hollywood roles for older actresses, so its great to see the Poms cast shine here. Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Pam Grier and the other club members all do a fantastic job conveying both the joy and stress their characters face when they challenge other people’s expectations about what older women can do.
Conveniently, there are no managers in this movie – and most retirement village managers we’ve met would be far too depressing to include in a movie about terminal cancer. I watched this right after writing a lengthy submission on the lack of effective dispute resolution mechanisms for retirement village residents, and was left wishing a gang of rebellious cheerleaders could tackle all the problems we see in retirement villages. Maybe this can be HAAG’s next working group?
Recommend this movie if you’d enjoy a light comedy with a serious emotional heart and a triumphant cheer routine at the end.