Bring It On (film)
Bring It On is a 2000 American teen comedy film directed by Peyton Reed (in his theatrical film directing debut) and written by Jessica Bendinger. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford and Gabrielle Union. The plot of the film centers around two high school cheerleading teams' preparation for a national competition.
Bring It On
Larry Bock
- Universal Pictures (United States)
- Buena Vista Film Sales (International)[1]
- August 25, 2000
99 minutes
United States
English
$11 million[2]
$90.5 million[2]
Bring It On was released in theaters in North America on August 25, 2000, and became a box office success. The film opened at the number 1 spot in North American theaters and remained in the position for two consecutive weeks, earning a worldwide gross of approximately $90 million. The film received generally positive reviews and has become a cult classic.[3][4][5]
It was the first of the Bring It On film series and was followed by six direct-to-video sequels, none of which contains any of the original cast members: Bring It On Again (2004), which shared producers with the original, Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006), Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007), Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009), Bring It On: Worldwide Cheersmack (2017), and the TV film, Bring It On: Cheer or Die (2022).[6]
Plot[edit]
Cheerleader Torrance Shipman is a senior at Rancho Carne High School in San Diego. Her boyfriend, Aaron, is at college at Cal State Dominguez Hills, and her cheerleading squad, the Toros, is aiming for a sixth consecutive national title. Torrance is elected the next team captain, replacing her highly successful predecessor, "Big Red" after she graduates. In her first practice as captain, teammate Carver is injured and forced to sit the rest of the season out. Torrance holds auditions for a replacement and gains Missy Pantone, a skilled gymnast who transferred from Los Angeles with her twin brother, Cliff.
While watching the Toros practice, Missy accuses them of plagiarizing their cheers, which Torrance vehemently denies. Missy takes her to L.A. to watch the East Compton Clovers, a squad Missy's previous high school frequently competed against, who perform an identical routine. Isis, the Clovers captain, confronts the two revealing Big Red videotaped the Clovers' routines and stole them for the Toros. Torrance worries that she is cursed with bad luck after she dropped the Spirit Stick, an object that is never supposed to touch the ground, during a dare at cheer camp over the summer. The Clovers vow to beat the Toros in the national competition, which they could not afford to attend in previous years, and prove that they are better cheerleaders. Meanwhile, Torrance and Cliff begin to get to know each other and a mutual attraction grows between them as Aaron becomes more distant.
After Torrance informs the Toros about the routines, the team votes in favor of using the current routine to win. Torrance agrees, feeling there is no time to learn a new routine, while Missy reluctantly goes along with it. At the Toros' next home game, Isis and her teammates perform the Toros' routine in front of the whole school, humiliating them. After advice from Aaron, Torrance recruits the team to raise money through a car wash and hire choreographer Sparky Polastri. Polastri puts the whole team on a diet and regularly belittles them, but the team learns the routine in time for competition. At Regionals, the team scheduled before the Toros performs Sparky's routine, embarrassing the team who perform the same routine with little choice. Torrance speaks to a competition official and learns their choreographer has provided the routine for six other teams. As the defending champions, the Toros are granted their place in nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida, but Torrance is warned that a new routine will be expected. Big Red chastises Torrance for her inability to be a leader, and says that if she made any mistake as a squad leader, it was not stealing cheers but rather announcing Torrance as her successor. Crushed by Big Red's words and her failure to lead the squad successfully, Torrance considers quitting.
Aaron recommends that Torrance step down from her position as captain and considers selling her out to her team rivals Courtney and Whitney. When Cliff sees Torrance and Aaron together kissing, he severs his friendship with her. Torrance breaks up with Aaron after confronting him about being distant and not believing in her, as well as catching him cheating. She uses Cliff's previous encouragement and his personally made mixtape for her as inspiration for the team to have a real original routine. When the Toros learn that the Clovers are unable to get the funds to pay for nationals, Torrance asks her father's company to sponsor the team; Isis refuses, calling it "guilt money". Instead, the Clovers write to a local talk show host from their neighborhood and get the funds needed to go to Florida. At nationals, both the Toros and the Clovers make it to the finals, with Cliff making a surprise appearance in the audience to cheer the team on. Torrance and Isis give each other last-minute advice. Ultimately, the Clovers come out victorious, with the Toros coming in second. Despite their loss, the Toros and Clovers leave with a newfound respect for each other, with Isis complimenting Torrance on leading the squad and Torrance admitting the Clovers were deserving of their victory. As the Toros celebrate another successful season, Cliff and Torrance share a kiss.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Jessica Bendinger, a former journalist and music video director, originally pitched the idea for the film, then titled Cheer Fever, as "Clueless meets Strictly Ballroom set at the National High School Cheerleading Championships", saying she was obsessed with cheerleading competitions on ESPN.[7] Bendinger said the idea combined her love for hip hop music and cheerleading.[7]
The film's depiction of cultural appropriation was informed by Bendinger's experiences as a white writer covering hip hop artists at music magazine Spin, a predominantly white publication.[7][8] Said Bendinger: "Having seen white kids emulating hip hop moves at those [cheer] competitions, I thought, 'Well, what if.' I started asking what if questions...until I got to, what if the best team in the country had been stealing their routines? What if that squad they’d been stealing from finally came to show up and compete for their crown?”[7]
Bendinger's pitch was passed over 28 times before finding a home at Beacon Pictures.[7][9]
Marc Abraham and Thomas Bliss came on board to produce the film, as well as director Peyton Reed who had previously helmed two made-for-television films for Walt Disney.
Casting[edit]
Prior to auditioning for the film, actors were expected to have a cheer prepared.[10] To avoid the use of stunt doubles, Reed required all the actors to participate in a four-week cheerleading camp.[10] Reed and Gabrielle Union met numerous times to discuss the best way to approach her character.[10] "I think she was able to find what was cool about that character, in a way, I doubt other actresses could. Whenever she's on the screen she has this charisma," Reed said of Union.[10]
James Franco and Jason Schwartzman both auditioned for the role of Cliff Pantone.[9] Kirsten Dunst originally turned down the role of Torrance Shipman as she was not interested. Marley Shelton was the second choice for the role but she decided to star in the film Sugar & Spice instead.[9][11]
Filming[edit]
While editing the film, Reed and editor Larry Bock watched cheerleading exploitation films from the 1970s.[4] The movie clip shown to the cheer team during the 'types of dance inspiration' montage is from Sweet Charity.[12]
Most of the scenes in the film were shot in different locations and high schools in San Diego County, California, as well as San Diego State University.[13][14] Local high school cheer squads were used as extras. Filming took place from July 12 to September 10, 1999.
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Bring It On was released in North America on August 25, 2000. The film grossed $17,362,105 in 2,380 theaters during its opening weekend, ranking first at the North American box office, beating The Cell and The Art of War.[15][16] Although it experienced an 34% decline in gross earnings, the film held the top position for a second consecutive week.[16] The film went on to gross $68,379,000 in North America and an additional $22,070,929 in other territories for a total gross of $90,449,929.[2]
Legacy[edit]
Cultural impact[edit]
In the years since its release, Bring It On has been lauded for being a rare teen film to address issues of systemic inequality,[5] cultural appropriation, and intersectional feminism,[33][34] which are seen as major factors for the film's continued legacy.
Beatrice Hazlehurst of i-D wrote, "While its racial inclusion — especially among primary characters — already put the film far ahead of its time, the dynamics of social strata woven throughout the tapestry of Bring It On allow it to hold up so well 20 years later. By wrapping its arms narratively around 'not only people of color, but queer kids and kids who might feel othered,’ Bendinger says Bring It On offered the overlooked and ostracized the chance to see themselves on screen."[5]
This was echoed by actor Jesse Bradford: "[The movie] managed to shine a light on problems like appropriation and white fragility... in light of recent history, Bring It On seems relevant right now."[5]
Sequels[edit]
Bring It On is followed five direct-to-video sequels & one television film sequel: