Bring it on The complete story of the cheerleading movie that changed, like, everything (no, seriously)

Review by Booklist Review

Few movies defy the odds like Bring It On, a low-budget production about high-school cheerleading subculture that opened at number one in August of 2000. Leads Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union were known, but became famous once Bring It On hit it big. This book is a definitive history of the film's creation and cultural impact. While readers don't need to have seen Bring It On to enjoy it, the film's fans will read the upbeat tale in droves. The first half is a wild behind-the-scenes peek at the making of the movie, the ambitious script that took years to green-light, the grueling shoot, and the underdog success of the film's release. Wickman then unpacks the impact of the cult classic on the new millennium. Bring It On addressed the athleticism of cheerleading, the feminism of cheerleaders, and the appropriation of Black culture by white performers long before other movies or the larger culture were doing such things. Wickman cites data on the film's sustained popularity across racial and age demographics throughout the two decades that followed. Like the film that inspired it, this book is a lesson in cultural optimism.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Bring It On, the 2000 teen comedy that generated six sequels, is "the greatest cheerleading film that was almost never made," according to this peppy debut from journalist Wickman. Noting that Bring It On grossed more than $90 million worldwide, Wickman, a self-professed "unofficial historian" of the film, examines its enduring appeal and its celebration of the athleticism of cheerleading. She also shares plenty of behind-the-scenes details: screenwriter Jessica Bendinger pitched the movie 27 times before it was put into development, actor Marley Shelton was originally envisioned as Toros captain Torrance Shipman before Kirsten Dunst got the role, and Gabrielle Union auditioned for rival teen cheerleading movie Sugar & Spice but was put off by the script's lack of diverse characters. Though Wickman succeeds in demonstrating that the film resonates with an audience that extends beyond cheerleaders and teen girls, she also conveys how it felt to see Bring It On for the first time when she was 12: "I firmly believe that the magnetic pull of Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union combined is more than any human can withstand." Readers will revel in this nostalgic look at a pop culture phenomenon. (Dec.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Journalist Wickman celebrates the movie Bring It On with research, interviews, and reasons why it still has maintained its popularity since 2000. Screenwriter Jessica Bendinger worked hard to have the film realized and not altered. Early on, Jonathan Demme was a powerful advocate. Most people who don't know anything about it think it's just a cheer movie, but this piece of pop culture endures for many reasons: Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union, LGBTQIA+ awareness, and feminist respect for the sport of cheerleading. The movie is fun and subtle. Wiseman offers background on the actors and their feelings about the film, which opened to big box office success and became a cult movie. Perhaps that is due to it being one of the few major teen films that centers around girls. It also addressed issues such as systemic inequality, cultural appropriation, and intersectional feminism, all which make it even more relevant today. VERDICT Libraries should have a copy for fans of the film and its (as of 2022) six movie sequels.--Barbara Kundanis

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