Last night, my sister Erin Nicole (a.k.a. Dazzling Erin) and I watched the classic 2000 cheerleading movie Bring It On on AMC.
Why Were We Watching It?
Seriously, how can you not watch Bring It On?
Back in high school, while I was doing my goth ballerina thing, Erin Nicole was a cheerleader and, though she denies it, she pretty much was Kirsten Dunst back then. Anyway, Erin usually refuses to watch Bring It On because she says she had already had to sit through it a few hundred times by the time she turned 17. For this reason, I always make it a point to let Erin know when Bring It On is on TV and to try to trick her into watching it with me.
But last night, to my surprise, she was the one who saw the movie listed in the guide and started watching it because, according to her, there was nothing else on. (Personally, I think Erin was feeling nostalgic but she denies it.) I joined her shortly after the movie started and, according to Erin, I spent the next two hours jumping around and acting all hyper. That’s not quite the way I remember it but Erin’s the cheerleader so I’ll take her word for it.
What’s It About?
Torrance (played by Kirsten Dunst) is the new captain of her high school’s cheerleading squad and is determined to lead them to yet another national title. However, Missy (Eliza Dushku), a new member of the squad, reveals that the squad only won those titles by stealing routines from an inner city cheerleader squad. Torrance now has to create an original routine while dealing with her cheating boyfriend (Richard Hillman) and flirting with Missy’s brother (Jesse Bradford), who looks a lot like Paul Rudd and is skeptical about whether cheerleading’s really all that important in the grand scheme of things.
What Worked?
Let’s just come right out and say it: Bring It On is one of the greatest high school movies ever made. It’s fun, it’s funny, and best of all, it’s real. The film’s director, Peyton Reed, the film’s writers, Jessica Bendinger and Stephen White, and the film’s cast all perfectly capture just how important the little dramas are when you’re a teenager. The film even manages to say something very important about issues like race and economic inequality.
Plus, as Erin and I both agreed last night, Jesse Bradford is HOT!
According to Erin, she has flashbacks and starts laughing uncontrollably whenever she hears the line “These are spirit fingers!”
What Didn’t Work?
It all worked. Seriously, if you can be critical of a film like Bring It On then you’re probably taking life too seriously.
“OH MY GOD! Just like Erin!” Moments
Last night, I finally got Erin to admit that she liked Bring It On because it reminded her of her cheerleading days but Erin added, “But I wasn’t as bouncy as Kirsten Dunst is in this movie.” To that, I can only smile and say, “Whatever,” because, as everyone knows, the Bowman Girls are always bouncy. That’s a part of our charm.
Lessons Learned
If you’re going do it, then bring it!
Through the Shattered Lens 