Poms 2019

     POMS is a comedy about a group of women who form a cheer leading squad at their retirement community, proving that you're never too old to 'bring it on!’  It is based on a true story about a group of ladies called the Sun City Poms.  This film is about women facing their old age as they choose to live.  Some in isolation, in denial, willing to be inspired, afraid to be seen as failures.  There is nothing groundbreaking in the writing but most of us live ordinary lives.  The acting is out of the ordinary by the seniors.  There is too much focus on Diane Keaton but it’s her story to tell?  The women show a lot of spunk in their roles!!     
     When I looked up POMS on Amazon for reviews, the rating was for 100% Pomegranate Juice drink?  There is also a documentary movie titled POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.  Pomeranian puppies for sale is also a listing!!  There is a good ensemble cast but there are many cliches including references to plucky underdogs can triumph, friends are really important and life is short so live it fully.  3* (this movie is OK)
 
90 min, Comedy directed and written by Zara Hayes and also written by Shane Atkinson with Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Celia Weston, Alisha Boe, Charlie Tahan, Rhea Perlman, Phyllis Somerville, Pam Grier, Patricia French, Ginny MacColl, Carol Sutton, Bruce McGill, Alexandra Ficken, David Maldonado, Karen Beyer.

Imdb 5.9 out of 10 with 3516 reviews, Roger Ebert 2 1/2* Nell Minow, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 868 ratings, Rotten Tomatoes 36% with 84 critics 74% with 839 user ratings, Metacritic 36 out of 100 with 17 critic reviews (positive 3, mixed 7, negative 7), 6 out of 10 with 15 user scores (positive 7, mixed 4, negative 4), indiewire.com Grade D.

Special Note:  Patricia French appears with Diane Keaton, Pam Grier, Rhea Perlman, Phyllis Somerville and Jacki Weaver on the DVD cover but her name isn’t listed?  Celia Weston’s name appears but her picture is not on the cover?  There is a mistake in the scene with Martha stuck behind a gold cart upon her arrival.  The camera shows her in her car from the side.  In this shot she’s moving much faster and the background is totally different.  I looks like the filmmakers simply inserted a shot from her on the freeway by a mountainside from earlier in the film?  Sheryl walks up to Martha’s house saying she hoped her new neighbor would be a man.  There was clearly a “Welcome Martha” sign in the front yard.  Sheryl should have known the new neighbor is a woman?  In the closing credits, “Stars and Stripes Forever” is misspelled as “Stars and Stripe Forever?”  The rating is PG-13 for some language and sexual references.

Box Office:  $10,000,000 estimated budget, opening weekend USA $5,361,937, gross USA $13,631,124, cumulative worldwide gross $16,418,218 for a profit of $64,182,218.