Bring It On
Peyton Reed’s “Bring It On” was considered a surprise hit when it came out in August 2000, but the truth is, when you see it, it’s not a surprise at all that the film found an audience. Jessica Bendinger’s wicked, witty screenplay has just enough vulgarity to have the appeal of an “American Pie” with the intelligent riffs of archetypes that made “She’s All That” and “Cruel Intentions” stand out in the deluge of teen comedies that was in theatres during that time. That it was brought to life by a talent cast just adds to the fun.
One of the strengths of “Bring It On” is how it turns the “underdog sports” formula not on football or basketball but on cheerleading. The focus on nubile women in tiny skirts is an obvious one for bringing guys to a movie they might otherwise avoid, but the truth is Bendinger’s script shines some light on the athletic aspects of cheerleading most people don’t really think about when they see squads do predictable routines during football and basketball games. This is the same savvy that would turn “Pitch Perfect” into another unorthodox hit for Universal a few years ago when they took on a cappella life in college. Not surprisingly, both scripts were written by women with a genuine interest in the subject beyond just making something different. This is intelligent comedy writing that plays off of both the characters and situations– I defy anyone not to enjoy this film. The endless direct-to-DVD sequels, however, you can probably skip.
The film follows Torrence Shipman (Kirsten Dunst) as she becomes the team captain of the award-winning Toros, a southern California high school cheerleading team that has won five straight national championships. They are the toast of the town, and the school, because the football team sucks. (As someone who was in a high school band that overshadowed our less-than-stellar football team, I could identify with the Toros.) Things start to fall apart early, though, as one of their members gets injured at the first practice. Tryouts are needed, and despite some pushback from some fellow seniors (Clare Kramer and Nicole Bilderback), Torrence is insistent on bringing a transfer named Missy (Eliza Dushku) on the squad– she’s a gymnast, and has no love for cheerleaders, but she’s unquestionably got talent. She also has some knowledge of the Toros’s routines, and how they were lifted from an inner city squad called the Clovers, led by Isis (Gabrielle Union). This news rocks Torrence to her core, and it’s not long before things really start to unravel. With a sixth National title on the line, Torrence and the Toros have to challenge themselves like never before.
The tone for the film is set in the first scene, which mixes cheerleading routine with Busby Berkley musical number and a smart-ass sense of humor into a wildly funny opening that gets right to the heart of Torrence’s anxieties about taking over the team. Dunst has been very hit-and-miss over the years when it comes to material, even in movies that really hit with audiences (see the first “Spider-Man”), but she has a great role to play here, with a lot of different emotions to play with different people, from the antagonism with Kramer and Bilderback to the cheerful friendship with Dushku to complicated love with Richard Hillman’s Aaron (her college-bound boyfriend) and Jesse Bradford’s Cliff (Missy’s old-school rock brother) and the leader vs. leader tension with Union’s Isis. She’s had more prestigious roles in films like “Interview With the Vampire” and filmmakers like Sofia Coppola and Lars von Trier, but this is definitely one of her finest moments on screen.
Sarcastic wit aside, this is a sincere piece of film comedy and underdog writing. It follows a lot of the genre formulas to a “t,” but Reed and Bendinger are focused on making a smart movie that plays to everyone first and foremost, and they succeed extremely well at it. It’s peppy, fresh and funny with some real emotions behind it. This isn’t just another teen movie but a sports film that can stand up to maybe not the top tier of the genre, but at least is just outside the top 10. That sounds like I’m overselling it, but dammit this movie works too well to be dismissed. Bring it on, indeed.
