Interview - Diving Deeper with Poolman’s Stacey Sher
The Toronto International Film Fesitval is never shy to program films directed by actors (let alone their debut features), with this year’s offerings including films by Anna Kendrick (Woman of the Hour), Tony Goldwyn (Ezra), Patricia Arquette (Gonzo Girl), Kristin Scott Thomas (North Star), and Finn Wolfhard & Billy Bryk (Hell of a Summer), just to name a few.
However this year, Chris Pine’s slacker-noir Poolman, though an unexpected selection as a film shrouded in mystery prior to its premiere, arguably became one of the most in-demand tickets during the festival. With only TIFF’s program notes and a single still from the film, Poolman producer Stacey Sher headed to the red carpet ready to remove the shroud of mystery ahead of its world premiere.
For those that may not know, Stacy Sher is an American film producer who has made significant contributions to the film industry, working on a variety of successful and acclaimed projects. Her early work includes being a production assistant and coordinator on films such as The Outsiders (1983) and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). In the ‘90s, Stacy Sher name became more well known as she worked as an executive producer on Tarantino's cult classic Pulp Fiction (1994), which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and received several Academy Award nominations.
Stacy Sher's filmography displays a dedication to human storytelling and her ability to work on projects build such a strong connection to the viewers.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What was the inception of Poolman, and when did Chris [Pine] bring the story to your attention?
Stacey Sher: So Chris and Patty Jenkins were talking about the movie, the character of Darren Barrenman, really. This sort of naive, big-hearted, kind of Forrest-Gump-Ted-Lasso, sort of a guy. And they started vamping on it while they were making Wonder Woman 1984. Then when the pandemic hit, Chris and his writing partner [Ian Gotler], who produced the movie with Patty and me, started writing the script on spec. I think every step along the way, it was an exploration. "I have this character, I really want to explore. Wow, I have a script now. I really want to play this character. I think I really want to direct this film." When he realized he had to, and really was passionate about directing it, he, Patty and Ian started talking about other partners. That's when we met, and I jokingly said, "You guys have to do this with me. I know the real Erin Brockovich" - you'll understand that when you see the movie - and in the script there were a few references to The Fisher King, which was one of my first associate producer credits.
With Chris not being here due to the strike, what is your perspective about the future of film festivals that want to champion independent films and singular voices among a sea of studios launching their films for awards season?
Stacey Sher: I hope it's a super fertile future. We need it. You know, when we talk about studio films - I come from a tradition of going in between independent and studio films - but one of the things that, even in our Jersey Films days, the decisions that Danny [DeVito], Michael [Shamberg] and I were always making was, "you can have an independent, authentic, and idiosyncratic voice, but do you want to connect with a large audience?" I think that was always our intention, and if you look at the two biggest hits of the summer, they're independent filmmakers that are making films on bigger canvases. The takeaway isn't “let's do every single toy,” the takeaway is “find a combination where the fascination of the filmmaker and their authentic voice meet,” like Greta Gerwig, or in the case of Christopher Nolan, who has evolved to be one of our great auteurs. You want to invest in those original voices, and they're grown in independent film.
In terms of film influences for Poolman, clearly, Chinatown has been touted as a major one specifically.
Stacey Sher: There's also Hal Ashby's Being There, and a little bit Harold and Maude. There's certainly some Coen Brothers, you know, there's a little bit of love for The Dude. I mean, who doesn't love The Dude? There's an idiosyncratic homemade quality to it, like in a Wes Anderson film, but it's much more naturalistic than in a Coen Brothers film, though there's a lot of love for Hal Ashby there.
Your recent Hollywood Reporter interview noted that you chose to world premiere at TIFF, as you really wanted to bring the film here for this kind of audience. Not just because it's a major public festival, but because of how audiences receive these films, and how they can be taken by surprise with an unexpected instant hit.
Stacey Sher: I think the audiences at TIFF are spectacular. I've been really fortunate to have films here through the years. I think the first one was Gattaca. It's a great cinema town. People love movies, they're great audiences, and I think there's a reason why it's always been a good predictor of how things are going to connect with audiences. It's a sophisticated audience, a passionate audience, but also not a cynical audience, and we're so honored to be here.
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