Two-Eleven-Double O

Bring It On
Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union
Released: August 25, 2000

I'll admit it: before I saw this movie I thought that all cheerleaders did were wave their pom-poms, jump around a bit, and yell "Go, team go!" at football games, and wear cutesy matching outfits. I would not count cheerleading as a sport, but more of a recreational sport like golf or bowling. Let's be honest: cheerleading is pretty lame.

But then I saw this movie and I had a new respect for cheerleaders. Like Eliza Dushu's (or, "The Dushku" as my brother likes to call her) character, Missy, I didn't know there were cheerleading competitions where cheerleading squads compete against each other and make up their own routines with insane gymnastic moves and with precise coordination. Now that's what I call a real sport!

This movie has a cult following with cheerleaders. Or at least, I'm pretty sure it does. There's a really funny scene in Fired Up (that really stupid movie where two boys pretend to be cheerleaders so they can spend the summer at a cheerleading camp) where all the cheerleaders are watching Bring It On and they're reciting every line. It's so funny. I love the gay kid who says, "I love that Jesse Bradford kid! No, really, I love him!"

Hey, it's Glory!

The Toro cheerleaders at Rancho Carne High School in San Diego are the best squad in the country and have won the nationals for several years now. Their captain has graduated from high school and now the torch has been passed to senior Torrance Shipman (played by Kirsten Dunst) who now must make sure their squad continues their winning streak.

You know how in Glee it seems like the only class they have is glee class and all the other subjects are ignored? That's exactly like Bring It On. I think you only see Torrance in one class.

When one of their teammates is taken out due to an injury they hold auditions for a new member and end up choosing Missy, the new girl from L.A. When she sees the girls perform a cheer, she gets all haughty and drives Torrance all the way to L.A. (102 miles!) and when they get to a school in Compton (and they just HAPPEN to arrive right at the moment to see the Clover cheerleading squad performing), they're doing the exact same cheer the Toros were and Torrance suddenly realizes that her predecessor had been stealing the Compton Clover's cheers all this time and they've been winning the competitions with stolen cheers and moves.

Game on! 

Suffice to say, they are pretty screwed and must come up with a whole new routine and cheer in order to qualify for the nationals which takes place in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 11, 2000 (the meaning of my title in case you were wondering). And let me just say, the routines are the best part of the movie and are excellent and fun to watch.

Meanwhile, Torrance begins to have a romance with Missy's brother, Cliff (Jesse Bradford) who makes her a mixed tape (tape?! Now by 2000 I'm pretty sure we had evolved to CDs!) even though she's already dating this goober of a guy who's now in college and cheating on her with women in their 40s. Hmm, guess who she will end up with?

This movie is a lot of fun to watch, but even more surprisingly, it's actually really good for a teen movie. I've seen it at least six or seven times and I never get bored with it. Soon I'll be able to recite it verbatim like those cheerleaders in Fired Up! 

Is there a party scene? Of course not! These girls are too busy cheerleading to party! 

Is there a prom scene? Of course not! These girls are too busy cheerleading to attend dances!

Is there a football scene? Of course. The joke is that the football team is awful while people come to see the cheerleaders.

Is there a makeover scene? No, unless you count Missy's off-screen makeover from L.A. tough girl to cheerleader.

Is there a scene where all the different high school cliques are being shown? No

Was this movie spoofed in Not Another Teen Movie? Yes, "It's already been brought-tan" is one of the most memorable lines from that film.

Do I own the soundtrack/favorite song - I own the soundtrack and my favorite songs are "Anywhere USA" by PYT, "See Ya" by Atomic Kitten, "Jump Up" by  Da Beat Bros, "Freakin' You" by Jungle Brothers, and even though it's not on the soundtrack, it is featured on the trailer, so I'm gonna count "Happy Boys and Girls" by Aqua because that song is a-w-e-s-o-m-e. (I mean, anything by Aqua is awesome...)

Darkest scene - Cliff tells two boys in his class the last school he went to the kids brought guns and homemade bombs. What, did he transfer from Columbine?! This does take place during the '99/'00 school year....oh, wait, he's from L.A.

Favorite line - It's hard to choose a single one, but I do love "Cheerleaders are dancers....who have gone retarded!" 

Favorite character -  I like Missy and Cliff - Missy because she tells it how like it is, and Cliff because he's cute and cool. For a minor character, Torrance's little brother is really funny, although he kinda reminds me of my brother (even though mine is older). Like Justin, my brother also likes to provoke (I've still never gotten over the time he kept throwing this blue Nerf football at my friend and me) and do gross things like fart right in front of you.

Favorite scene -  The Toro's and Clover's routines at the end and I also love the cheer at the beginning. 

Hey, it's the '90s! - Yes, this movie came out in 2000, but the first half of it takes place during the latter months of '99. I already mentioned the mixed tape (which is more '80s...), there's also Torrance's felt '99, '98, and '97 numbers she has on her walls (presumably cheer-related). In the scene where Torrance is riding in her boyfriend's car, her hair is done up in little barrettes. I remember wearing my hair like that in the '90s! It wasn't often because it took forever to do, but it sure brought back memories...

Torrance may have been a graduate of the class of 2000, (a very respectable graduating year) but I'm going to give you another reason why the class of '99 is still the best ever:

1. Many teen/high school movies came out in 1999.

2. The song  that told people to "party like it's 1999."

3.  Buffy Summers is an alum from the class of '99.

4. Bella Swan is not a graduate from the class of '99.

5. "You Get What You Give" by the New Radicals was released when the class of '99 were seniors.

6.  "Graduation Song" by Vitamin C may have been released for the class of 2000, but it was recorded and probably written in 1999, so I like to think that she got inspiration from the class of '99 for that song.

7. At my school, our class was the last who could leave campus for lunch as freshman.

8. Baz Luhrmann's "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" was released in the spring of '99 and has advice for graduating students.