Is Bring It On the Greatest Sports Film of All Time?

Sure, some may immediately chide at a suggestion such as that and throw around stereotypical suggestions such as Raging Bull, The Wrestler or even Rocky. Maybe Pride of the Yankees or Bull Durham for baseball fans. While those people wouldn't necessarily be wrong per se, I don't believe they'd be right.

Peyton Reed's Bring It On is the greatest sports movie of all time. Have you watched it since it came out in the year 2000? I actually imagine a lot of people that read this blog have indeed seen it again because I know there's a very dedicated group of fans of that movie. Like Mean Girls, from 2004, it is a movie that shows up all the time on TV and so many people own it on DVD and quickly became an iconic movie for a generation (that's no hyperbole in case you couldn't quite tell). I don't know about you, but if I had to choose I'd rather watch Bring It On right now rather than Raging Bull, as good as the latter is.

From the opening dream sequence ("I'm sexy, I'm cute" - a cheer that entered pop culture) to the tooth brush and bed dancing moments of absolute cuteness to the really brilliant cheer routines and the bonza performance by Eliza Dushku (and, yes, even Kirsten Dunst), Bring It On is filled to the brim with amazing stuff. It has refreshing portrayals of not only gay characters, but also gay/straight relationships as well as broader gender issues. It even has unexpectedly forthright views on sex and the filthy edge it has is balanced perfectly.

Sure, it might not have the bravura filmmaking of Raging Bull or the grittiness of The Wrestler, but I'd wager and say that it's insights into the mentality of athletes as well as its representation of what will do to themselves to succeed is the match for any other sport film you can name. And with energy to spare. Besides, Field of Dreams may make grown men cry, but does it have Spirit Fingers? I think not.


I wanted to embed scenes for you, but I'm not allowed.