Director Report Card: Peyton Reed (2000)

3. Bring It On

Following his two stints in the Wonderful World of Disney, Peyton Reed started to distinguish himself as a director of respected sketch comedy shows. He handled episodes of “Mr. Show,” “The Upright Citizens Brigade” and the entire run of “The Weird Al Show.” With this experience under his belt, he would begin work on his first theatrically released feature. (He made the transition because the “Upright Citizens Bridgade” producers worked on this movie too, because Hollywood really is usually about who you know.) “Bring It On” would become a surprise hit in 2000, staying atop the box office charts for three weeks. Somehow, despite being highly watched among people of my generation, I have never seen this motion picture before.

For the last several years, the cheerleading team of Rancho Carne High School have won championships. Now, the leadership of the cheer team is being transferred to someone new. Torrance Shipman might be a quality cheerleader but she's not doing as well in grades or social graces. Her relationship with her now college-age boyfriend is dissolving. The other members of the cheer team are starting to turn against her, especially once she begins to support new recruits like the feisty Missy. Upon discovering the previous cheer captain was stealing the routines from an all-black neighboring school, and with regional championships coming up, Torrance is sent into a full-on crisis.

A big reason why I never got around to watching “Bring It On” before now is because of my aversion to sports movies. “Bring It On” doesn't go out of its way to avoid the typical “inspirational” story beats you expect. Despite being reoccurring champions, the Rancho Carne Toros suffer misfortune after misfortune. After discovering their former cheer captain stole their routines from a rival school, the team is humiliated when the other cheerleaders show up at a game and mirror their moves. They hire a choreographer who is a huge asshole and also sold his same routine to other teams. This make these regular winners seem like plucky underdogs, who have to rally their team spirit and work hard to succeed. Naturally, the new team members disagree at first but become great friends in time. Most of these moments hit exactly when you expect and there's never any doubt what's going to happen.

Despite being unapologetically formulaic, “Bring It On” does a smart thing. The film begins with a sequence where the cheerleaders perform a sexually teasing routine full of intentionally artificial dialogue and elaborate choreography. Though this is quickly revealed to be a dream, it immediately sets a precedence. “Bring It On” does not take place in our world. Much like “Heathers” before it, the characters speak in cartoonish slang that clearly isn't meant to reflect reality. The politics of high school are exaggerated, the bullies being nastier, the rivalries more extreme, the competitions fiercer. That allows “Bring It On” to get away with all the expected story beats, because it's not like the movie ever attempted to be real. It's a live action cartoon, well aware of it, and has a good time embracing that quality.

The dialogue and clearly goofy story are not the only way “Bring It On” hyperbolises the high school sports comedy. Apparently, as written, “Bring It On” was much rauchier. The movie was toned down to a PG-13 during filming. However, the finished product is still surprisingly naughty. (You don't see too many PG-13 flicks with fingering jokes.) The cheerleading routines are highly sexualized, the uniforms showing lots of skin and the girls' skirts often flying upward. There's a bikini car wash sequence, which doesn't back away from being leering. The conversation is frequently crude, even politically incorrect at times. There's even a strip tease as part of the cheer auditions. And yet, somehow, “Bring It On” avoids ever feeling sleazy or exploitative. Its horny tone reflects the hyper-extended libidos of its characters. Moreover, most of the actresses are in their twenties, so it never feels too seedy.

Reed occasionally showed some energy in his television movies. Being a movie about the acrobatic world of competitive cheerleadering, “Bring It On” rarely sits still. The camera is moving from early on. As we explore the high school setting for the first time, there's a sense of free form roaming energy as we glide from location to location. The dance and cheer sequence are shot with a similar zest. Reed's camera is often tumbling along with the girls as they somersault, spin or flip through the air. He even sneaks in some pretty fun shots, such as framing some in-between the girls' legs. It is a fast-paced film in the way its executed.

That “Bring It On” is so energetically directed brings something else to mind. This is basically a musical. Granted, there aren't very many traditional singing moments. Yet the chants of the cheer squads are more-or-less songs, a group of people pumping out rhyming verse to a recognizable rhythm. The cheers are essentially the same as dance numbers. And they are super elaborate, with people being lifted into the air and flipping over themselves. It's a comparison Reed is obviously eager to present, as the opening dream sequence is obviously shot like a classical musical moment. And the soundtrack isn't half bad either, even if R&B influenced pop like this really isn't my genre. (The connection is such that a stage musical, with music from that “Hamilton” guy, hit playhouses in 2011.)

“Bring It On” is also pretty funny, maybe the biggest reason why I enjoyed watching it. The surreal dialogue is a frequent source of giggles. The sequence devoted to the asshole choreographer, who does nothing but neg the girls after he arrives, takes that exaggerated quality as far as it'll go, making such a ridiculously overblown moment that you can't help but laugh at it. This is present, and even more intentional, in Torrance's flashbacks to Cheer Camp, where she believes she cursed herself. Reed ramps up the silliest of these moment with melodramatic camera movements, drawing the ridiculousness of these social beliefs into sharp focus. My favorite funny bit in the film is near the end, when we get a quick glimpse at some of the other cheerleaders competing in the finals, who are dealing with physical issues – a broken nose and vomiting – in their own upbeat ways.

Perhaps a reason “Bring It On's” popularity lived on beyond its intended ephemeral theatrical release is because of its surprisingly progressive politics. You do not expect a high school comedy/inspirational sports story to acknowledge the cultural divide present in American society. The largely white students of Rancho Carne High copy the hard work of their black rivals, flat out stealing it and taking credit. With the exception of Torrance and Missy, the other cheerleaders are largely okay with this. They don't care as long as they win. Later on, the black team can't put together the fiances necessary to enter the tournament. Torrance rallies support for them, getting them into the contest where – spoiler alert! – they win. While this plot turn has its own political pitfalls – the black characters can only succeed with the white girls help – a movie of this level acknowledging topics like racial division and cultural appropriation is totally unexpected in and of itself.

Another element that makes “Bring it On” work way better than you'd expect is its winning cast. The film is largely a vehicle for Kristen Dunst. Dunst's character is a little more complex than you initially assume. She isn't just a blonde cheerleader, mean girl queen bee. She has struggles with her parents, who are expecting her to do better with her grades. She questions the status quo of the cheer world. This gives Dunst more to chew on as an actress but that almost doesn't matter. She has so much bubbly charm as Torrance, that you just love watching her have a good time. So much of “Bring It On” floats by on Dunst's winning smile and easy-going charisma.

”Bring It On” follows the expected beats of the sports comedy which includes, of course, a romantic subplot. Like the rest of the movie, this proves shockingly compelling. Torrance is introduced with a lunk-head, jocko boyfriend. After he goes away to college, it becomes increasingly clear that he's not being faithful. Around the same time, she develops an obvious chemistry with Cliff, Missy's brother. Cliff is a punk rock enthusiast, allowing Reed to sneak in a lot of those indie rock references he likes. (I didn't spot a Superchunk T-shirt, though I might've missed it.) The relationship is largely free of drama and develops in a smooth and likable way, best shown in an adorable scene where Torrance dances to the mix tape Cliff made her. Dunst and Jesse Bradford have a really sweet back-and-forth.

That's not the only person Dunst has a winning rapport with. For most of the film, Torrance is paired up with Missy. Initially, the two couldn't be more different. Missy is a snarky and tough girl that only wants to join the cheer team because the high school, which she newly transferred to, doesn't have a gymnastics department. However, Torrance quickly learns to appreciate the girl's grit and attitude while Missy learns cheerleading isn't all that bad either. It's a buddy movie arc we've seen a hundred times before but it works because Eliza Dushku, playing one hundred percent to type, plays off Dunst so well. You know it's coming but watching these two warm up to each other is pretty fun, in fact.

After its success in theaters, “Bring It On” would continue to be popular on television and home video. This would turn it into a cult classic of sorts, among both male and female audiences. Teen girls liked the strong female characters and teen boys probably responded to the attractive cast. Universal Studios would embrace this success with a long line of direct-to-video sequels. There's five in total, with the most recent coming out in 2017 and featuring a hashtag in the title. (No, I'm not reviewing them.) Considering the enduring value of the “Bring It On” brand name, I'm surprised there hasn't been an attempt at a theatrical reboot. While I dismissed the movie for years, I probably should've given this one a chance sooner. It is a charming and funny flick. [Grade: B]