A good mistake

Rating: 7/10 (12 August 2014)

So here I am, a 50 year old man who wants to see a movie starring Kevin Spacey who plays a teacher. That's all I know. I get to the theater to buy the ticket, look up at the marquee and see a title -- "Bring It On". That sounds like the title. About 30 minutes into the film I finally come to the conclusion that what I'm watching is not starring Kevin Spacey, although I kept thinking that he would eventually come into the film...it was in a school. So I almost decide to leave...what do I want with a cheerleader movie. But then I think, what the heck. It is kinda interesting, funny, enthusiastic. Might as well watch it since I already paid my $$$. Later I realize the film I was really looking for was "Pay It Forward", not "Bring It On".
I really enjoyed this movie. As a teacher/school administrator, I rather liked the way the kids were portrayed here...perhaps exaggerated a bit...but pretty much on target. A little raunchy humor, but not much...enough to be funny, not enough to offend. And a good story -- award-winning cheer leading team learns some lessons when they learn their cheers were all stolen from a mostly-minority cheer leading team who couldn't afford to compete nationally. Each team pulls itself up by the bootstraps and then comes the next national competition. Who will win? This was the first film in which I paid any attention to Kirsten Dunst, and she did very nicely here; very believable as the head cheer leader. I'm not familiar with Eliza Dushku, but she does fine here in a role as a sort of out-of-the-mainstream girl who reluctantly joins the cheerleaders. Jesse Bradford is quite engaging as her slightly eccentric brother. Gabrielle Union -- probably the most beautiful actress in Hollywood -- is great as the captain of the other cheer leading team...a little tough, but with just the right balance to be sympathetic. Nathan West is very good as one of the hunky male cheerleaders, as is Huntley Ritter, who plays a gay male cheerleader. The late Richard Hillman is very good at playing an obnoxiously (and fake) supportive two-timing boyfriend. Really, the entire cast does a terrific job, raising what could have been an obnoxious teen-movie into a very good motion picture. Kudos to the director and writer for making this a film that is better than might have been done with such topics.
A surprisingly good film that just downright fun...and far above the level you might think it will be. Recommended.