Bring It On (2000)
72%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 7 nominations
Bring It On is a film that, despite its seemingly shallow premise, manages to deliver a smart and sassy story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The film’s critique of the sports meritocracy is brutal, and Kirsten Dunst’s performance as Torrance is nothing short of cheerleading incarnate. While some may find the humor raunchy and the language offensive, the film’s tempered sexuality and warm didacticism make it a pleasant surprise in an otherwise dismal summer season of moviegoing. Overall, Bring It On is a moderately entertaining piece of filmmaking that spins off one sly little joke after another, and the smart ensemble makes every one of them work.
Bring It On is the perfect movie to watch when you want to feel like a cheerleader without actually having to do any of the work. Kirsten Dunst is a ray of sunshine as Torrance, and the jokes are so sly you might miss them if you’re not paying attention. Plus, who doesn’t love a good critique of the sports meritocracy? Just don’t expect it to hold up perfectly in 2022.
Production Company(ies)
Forty Four Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures,
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Oceanside, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sex-related material and language
Year of Release
2000
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 38m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 25, 2000 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 8, 2005
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union, Clare Kramer, Nicole Bilderback, directed by Peyton Reed, written by Jessica Bendinger, comedy, PG-13, box office performance, $68.3M, reviewed by Nell Minow, Lisa Alspector, Kimberley Jones, Stephanie Zacharek, Kevin Courrier, Robert Koehler, Olivia Popp, Betsy Bozdech, Leigh Paatsch, criticized for formulaic storyline, spoofing cheerleading, high energy, cheerleading squad, national championship trophy, stolen routines, hip-hop squad, shady turn, sex-related material, language, Universal Pictures, SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround, Dolby SR, flat aspect ratio
Worldwide gross: $90,449,929
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $156,877,784
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 820
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 17,107,719
US/Canada gross: $68,379,000
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $118,597,616
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 642
US/Canada opening weekend: $17,362,105
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $30,113,109
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 461
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $11,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $19,078,574
Production budget ranking: 1,387
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $10,273,812
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $127,525,398
ROI to date (est.): 434%
ROI ranking: 305
Eliza Dushku – Missy Pantone
Jesse Bradford – Cliff Pantone
Gabrielle Union – Isis
Clare Kramer – Courtney Egbert
Nicole Bilderback – Whitney Dow
Director(s)
Peyton Reed
Writer(s)
Jessica Bendinger
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (123) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (79) | Rotten (44)
Smart, sassy movie, but expect raunchy humor, language.
December 22, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
This earnest and arch story — so fast paced its formulas are wonderfully obscured — has an adolescent energy and a tempered sexuality, and it’s infused with the moral agenda of a warmly didactic sitcom.
July 25, 2007
Lisa Alspector
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A moderately entertaining, mostly inoffensive piece of filmmaking.
March 10, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/5
Kimberley Jones
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Bring It On spins off one sly little joke after another, and the smart ensemble makes every one of them work.
December 3, 2002
Stephanie Zacharek
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Who would have thought that a film about competing cheerleading squads would turn out to be the one very pleasant surprise in this very dismal summer season of moviegoing?
March 19, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
Kevin Courrier
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Dunst can’t really hold pic together.
February 14, 2001
Robert Koehler
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Under the films spry surface and Kirsten Dunsts sunny smile, theres a brutal critique of the sports meritocracy (and, more broadly, meritocracy as a supposed system that justly rewards hard workers).
February 16, 2022
Olivia Popp
Screen Queens
Dunst was born to play Torrance, a perky, sunshiny girl who’s basically cheerleading incarnate.
January 15, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Betsy Bozdech
DVDJournal.com
Not quite the powder-puff fluff it might have been.
September 24, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
“Perhaps the most unique thing about Bring It On is the way it realistically visualizes cultural appropriation.”
August 27, 2020
B.L. Panther
The Spool
this does not hold up well at all
June 22, 2020
Rachel Wagner
Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
There’s nothing authentic about Bring It On, which is at its best when completely immersed in satirical superficiality.
September 27, 2014 | Rating: C+
Brian Orndorf
Blu-ray.com…
Plot
The Toro cheerleading squad from Rancho Carne High School in San Diego has got spirit, spunk, sass and a killer routine that’s sure to land them the national championship trophy for the sixth year in a row. But for newly-elected team captain Torrance, the Toros’ road to total cheer glory takes a shady turn when she discovers that their perfectly-choreographed routines were in fact stolen from the Clovers, a hip-hop squad from East Compton, by the Toro’s former captain. While the Toros scramble to come up with a new routine, the Clovers, led by squad captain Isis have their own problems – coming up with enough money to cover their travel expenses to the championships. With time running out and the pressure mounting, both captains drive their squads to the point of exhaustion: Torrance, hell bent on saving the Toros’ reputation, and Isis more determined than ever to see that the Clovers finally get the recognition that they deserve. But only one team can bring home the title, so may the best moves win.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Bring It On includes Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union, and Clare Kramer.
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