Definition
Bring It On is a 2000 American teen comedy film directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jessica Bendinger. It stars Kirsten Dunst as Torrance Shipman, the newly appointed captain of the Rancho Carne High School cheerleading squad, who discovers that their previous captain stole routines from an inner-city squad, the East Compton Clovers. What follows is a surprisingly sharp commentary on race, class, cultural appropriation, and the cutthroat politics of competitive cheer—all wrapped in sparkly uniforms and synchronized splits.
Why It Matters
Bring It On shouldn’t have been this good. A cheerleading movie in 2000? It should have been disposable fluff. Instead, it became a cult classic that spawned five direct-to-video sequels and a Tony-nominated Broadway musical. The film was unapologetically feminist before that was a marketing strategy, centered on female athleticism and ambition without male-gaze pandering. It also gave Gabrielle Union one of her breakout roles as Isis, the Clovers’ captain, delivering lines that still resonate: “This is not a democracy. It’s a cheerocracy.”
Example
The climactic cheer showdown at the national championships remains iconic. The Clovers perform an original routine that blows the Toros out of the water—literally, since the Toros’ stolen routine was set to water-themed choreography. The film also gave us the “spirit fingers” gesture, which has been referenced, parodied, and meme’d for over two decades. In 2023, the cast reunited for an Elle magazine photo shoot, proving the film’s enduring cultural footprint.
Internet Angle
Bring It On is a permanent fixture in internet culture. “Bring it on!” as a catchphrase is used constantly in comment sections, gaming streams, and Twitter/X replies. The film’s GIFs—especially the Clovers’ synchronized routines and the “spirit fingers” moment—are deployed in Slack channels and Discord servers to express anything from competitive energy to ironic enthusiasm. The movie also became a touchstone for discussions about cultural appropriation in the 2020s, with new generations rediscovering its sharp social commentary through TikTok clips.
Related Terms
- Cheerocracy: The film’s playful portmanteau of “cheer” and “democracy,” now used to describe any group decision-making that feels more chaotic than democratic
- Spirit fingers: The delicate, wiggling finger gesture that became the film’s signature move
- Cultural appropriation: The central conflict of the film, years before the term became mainstream
- Gabrielle Union: Actor who played Isis; went on to become a major Hollywood star and advocate
- Kirsten Dunst: Actor who played Torrance; already a teen star from Interview with the Vampire and The Virgin Suicides
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