It also includes a well-adjusted gay male cheerleader in a prominent role.

The movie sets the comedic pace immediately with a cheer that will have you chuckling with laughter--and putting you at ease because the cheerleaders obviously aren’t taking themselves too seriously. Under the direction of their Bob Fosse-type choreographer Sparky Polastri, it's hard to take anything seriously. “Darcy, you should stop eating," he tells one of the cheerleaders. "You see, when you skip a meal, your body feeds off its fat stores. And if you skip enough, maybe your body will eat your ass!”

The Toros squad is comprised of newly-appointed captain Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst), a gaggle of female cheerleaders, and two male cheerleaders: Jan (Nathan West), a strait male cheerleader, and Les (Huntley Ritter), an openly gay male cheerleader. Both are equally well-regarded, and they have a genuine camaraderie that extends to the rest of the squad, as well.

The story meanders around Torrance’s love interests and her determination to take her squad to Nationals, the arrival of “the new girl” Missy Pantone (Eliza Dushku) who is recruited due to the loss of one of the team members and the rivalry between the Toros and the underprivileged East Compton Clovers, whose own captain Isis (Gabrielle Union) shows just as much conviction, if not more, to take home the gold at Nationals.

As the battle rages, both squads fight determinedly to out-perform and embarrass each other, and the viewer is left wondering who to root for: the underdog, or the proven success story.

It is encouraging to see such a positive gay portrayal in a movie that has become a cult classic among both teens and gay men. Les’s attitude towards his sexuality is refreshingly open and he is obviously accepted throughout his social circle. “You speak fag?” a new cheerleader asks him, to which he responds cheerfully, “Oh, fluently!”

The jocks of the school are not as open-minded, and they constantly berate Les (and Jan) with condescending and gay-baiting remarks. Effected only slightly by their homophobic undertones, Les maintains a chipper outlook and throws the jokes right back in their nonplussed faces (although heterosexual Jan is more sensitive to their comments).

Director Peyton Reed chose a fabulous cast, which is evident in the excellent acting throughout the movie. The script is smart and playful, and while the stereotypes are glaring, the writer serves them up primarily to dismantle them.

Besides providing hours of entertainment, Bring It On's precise jocoseness leaves the viewer feeling that perhaps cheerleaders are people too.

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