‘Bring It On’ Turns 20: Filmmakers Reflect on Making the Cheerleading Classic and Spotlighting ‘Cultural Theft’
Twenty years after “Bring It On” debuted, “Brr it’s cold in here” and “This is not a democracy, it’s a cheerocracy” have shown no signs of being shunted aside from the cultural lexicon.share
But in the late ’90s when screenwriter Jessica Bendinger shopped her lengthy 120-page script around Hollywood, every major studio passed on making a teen movie about cheerleaders. She was about to give up hope that the Rancho Carne Toros and the East Compton Clovers would get their due on the big screen when producers at Beacon Pictures fell in love with the screenplay and agreed to make the movie. (Universal Pictures ended up distributing the film in theaters.)
Despite the initial reluctance of many executives, “Bring It On” became a hit when it was released in theaters on Aug. 25, 2000 — eventually grossing $90 million at the box office. The legacy of “Bring It On” extended far beyond that original movie, later spawning five direct-to-DVD sequels and a Broadway musical that boasted songs from “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The film, now considered a cult classic, also solidified Kirsten Dunst as a box office draw — she’d had a big year in 1999 with “The Virgin Suicides,” “Drop Dead Gorgeous” and “Dick.” In “Bring It On,” she played Toros captain Torrence Shipman alongside up-and-comers Eliza Dushku as edgy cheerleader Missy Pantone and Gabrielle Union as the Clovers’ fearless leader, Isis.
“Bring It On” follows two rival high school cheer squads as they prepared to compete for the national title. But the coming-of-age story is more than just impressive stunts and spirit fingers. The film’s central conflict — Torrence and the Toros find out their team’s five-time winning routines were stolen from Black cheerleaders — weaves in a timely and timeless social message about cultural appropriation and white privilege.
In honor of its 20th anniversary, Bendinger and director Peyton Reed reunited to reminisce about making the movie and tease plans for a sequel with the original cast.