Diane Keaton continues her tour of movies involving older women refusing to go gently into that good night with this week’s Poms. In the movie she stars as Martha, a woman who is being reluctantly sent by her family to live in a posh retirement community, the kind of place that offers plenty of activities and amenities but which she sees as simply a place to go and die.
Once there she meets the other still-feisty residents. When one of them uncovers that Martha used to be a cheerleader the group decides that may just be the activity they need to keep them active and engaged. So they set out to practice, enlisting the aid of a younger woman named Paige (Alexandra Ficken) to coach them and get them ready to actually compete.
The Posters
A white-haired cheerleader is shown in close up from behind on the first poster, the rest of the squad in the distance closer to the crowd watching their routine. While no faces are shown, the cast list is shown at the top. The biggest value proposition, though, is offered in the copy explaining the movie comes from the same studio that produced Bad Moms and one of the producers of Book Club, which also starred Keaton.
Everyone is actually shown on the theatrical poster, though some of their faces are clearly Photoshopped onto other bodies. It’s the same basic scene, with all the women decked out in their cheerleading gear and standing on the performance floor soaking in the attention and applause of the crowd. The same previous credits are shown and both posters feature copy promising “It’s never too late to chase a dream.”
The Trailers
Martha isn’t thrilled to be entering retirement home living in the first trailer, even if there is tennis and other activities. She meets some of the other women there and the group sets out to start a cheerleading squad for the community, not for anyone else but just as an affirmation of vitality for themselves. They recruit a younger woman to help with choreography but suffer some setbacks because of their advanced age, overcoming everything to make one last run at dancing and enjoying life.
Online and Social
You’ll find all the usual information about the movie on its official website, including links to buy tickets and more.
Advertising and Cross-Promotions
TV advertising started at the end of last month with a spot that featured the same beats as the trailer, only in condensed form. Another longer commercial came out a bit later that expanded that somewhat.
Promotional partners for the movie included:
- Princess Cruises, which ran a sweepstakes offering the chance to win a trip for four on one of their boats.
- E-Z Go, though details on the deal weren’t easily found. Still, it makes sense for an electric golf cart company to partner with a movie set in a retirement community.
- 24-Hour Fitness, with the same situation in place.
- Red Hat Society, which promoted the movie on its website.
Media and Publicity
STX appears to have enlisted cheer squads in select cities along with others to enjoy early screenings in an attempt to get word of mouth started with a relevant audience.
Keaton made appearances on “Ellen,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and elsewhere. She also did various interviews, as did other members of the cast, most of whom spoke at the movie’s premiere about the continued need for stories featuring casts of all ages, including older women.
Overall
It’s a nice little campaign that is never meant to be anything more than it is, a theatrical alternative for audiences who have zero interest in super heroes, endgames, video game characters and other “franchise” offerings from the studios. It uses the charm of Keaton and the other members of the cast to reach that audience in a way that shows it’s a pleasant, inoffensive and life-affirming story free of special effects and drama but filled with moments to cry over and rally around.
Picking Up the Spare
TV advertising finally started just days prior to release, with a number of spots focusing on the warmth and gentle humor of the movie.
Weaver was profiled while Perlman showed up on late night talk shows. Keaton also received a substantial profile that let her talk about where she is in her career.
Cinematic Slant 