Academy award winner and iconic actress, Diane Keaton teams up with director, Zara Hayes in the inspiring comedy, POMS, proving that it’s never too late to chase your dreams!
Martha [Diane Keaton] decides to up and move her life to Sun Springs Retirement Community where she plans to hibernate indoors while she waits for her time to go. To her surprise, her neighbor is a sassy woman [Jacki Weaver] who won’t let that happen! Together they start a cheerleading team and show the younger girls that age is only a number. The Knockturnal had an exclusive interview with lead actress, Keaton and director Hayes as we discuss the difficulty in learning the routines, tackling stereotypes surrounding aging and much more. Check it out below!
The Knockturnal: How hard or easy was it for you to learn that cheerleading routine?
Diane Keaton: It was hard for me to learn that cheerleading routine, it was impossible! I did not enjoy it and I hope I’ll never do it again.
The Knockturnal: Oh really?
Dian Keaton: Are you kidding?
The Knockturnal: Your on-screen chemistry with the cast is amazing, you guys seem like best buds but how often do these relationships translate off camera?
Diane Keaton: You know what, I have a story for that! I have something to say! This was the most unusual movie because exactly what you’re saying. Were we friends? Yes! It became kind of a family and Zara Hayes, the director, she found all these people in all these various places, you know not all in New York, not in L.A. and she put together this and we have her to thank and what happened at the premiere a couple of nights ago was that the production company flew in all the characters, that never happens but that’s because it wouldn’t of been the same without everybody because this is a movie about friendship, about people, about you know what it’s like to get older but also have ya know these wonderful moments and the younger like Alisha Boe and Charlie Tahan. I mean it’s such a good movie in that regard and so that was a wonderful time for me, that never happens.
The Knockturnal: This was a pretty legendary cast, how was it working with this group of women?
Zara Hayes: Incredible! I had the best time and I learned so much from these women and they were so open to me and so kind in the way that they approached working with each other and with me and they were just a group of incredible ladies.
The Knockturnal: How did you go about choosing cheerleading as opposed to any other activity or sport?
Zara Hayes: Well because I’m a documentary maker by background and I actually came across the fact that there are teams of women across the U.S. who are cheerleading in later life, they’ve set up cheerleading teams, so it is a real thing. But the reason I wanted to make a movie about it is because I think that it’s the ultimate reclaiming of a stereotype of what like you are or are not allowed to do. Society is always telling women what they can and can’t do and cheerleading is very much for younger women and these women in real life are saying, well screw that, I want to do it and why can’t I and if you don’t want to watch me then don’t but I want to do this and that’s why I kind of honed in on cheerleading.
The Knockturnal: This movie does tackle a lot of stereotypes surrounding aging, especially for women, so I want to know, is it now appropriate to ask a woman her age?
Zara Hayes: Oh, I think so, completely because what’s the problem with whatever age you are? I mean to me it’s not the number that’s the problem it’s the perception we have of the number. We’re seeing such a societal change in aging population whereby the actual age of a human being and where they’re at in their life in terms of their career and life stages are, everything is changing and up for grabs. Baby boomers are living longer and having a great time in their retirement and they’re staying healthier for longer and yeah personally, I don’t ever have a problem speaking about age and I think to shy away from that and to kind of try to deny the reality is a part of the problem because we’re all trying to pretend, oh if I could just look a bit younger, then it’ll be better. Well why don’t we celebrate looking older and appreciate it because it’s beautiful.
The Knockturnal: Normally you do documentaries, this film was amazing so is there anything else that you’re working on? Where can we see you?
Zara Hayes: Well I’m working on having a child in the next few weeks. I’ve got a baby, a baby boy due in the next month and I’m developing my next ideas and actually one of the stories I’m developing is also about women who sort of change the world so it’s a historical story but I hope to get that off the ground.
POMS is in theaters, May 7.