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Cheering Soon At A Theater Near You!
A behind the scenes sneak peak at the new movie Cheer Fever.
Issue: February 2000
Glamor...excitement...suspense...daring stunts—cheerleading has it
all, so it’s a wonder Hollywood hasn’t discovered it sooner. But
finally, the general public can get a firsthand view of the compelling
world of competitive cheerleading when Cheer Fever—a film produced by
Universal Pictures and Beacon Communications—hits the screens later this
year.
The movie, starring Kirsten Dunst, focuses on two fictional rival cheer
squads—America’s top cheerleading team, the San Diego Toros (with
Kirsten’s character, Torrance Shipman, as captain) and an inner city,
hip-hop cheer squad from Los Angeles named the Clovers. Trouble erupts
when Torrance realizes that some of her teammates have been stealing
cheer routines from the Clovers. As the Toros pursue their sixth
national title, the Clovers are looking to even the score. This leaves
Torrance to rally her team to create a new winning routine, while the
Clovers keep the competition fierce as each team vies for the national
championship.
Kirsten, a former cheerleader herself, brought real enthusiasm and
experience to her role. "I became a cheerleader in eighth grade," she
says, adding that one of the reasons she chose to do the movie was
because she liked the fresh, passionate way it portrayed cheerleading
and its challenges. (Kirsten’s real-life cheer credits were profiled in
AC’s December 1995 issue.)
Director Peyton Reed with Kirsten Dunst on the set of Cheer Fever.
Also reflecting the movie’s commitment to showing the real deal on film,
Cheer Fever’s crew turned to Ray Jasper, owner of the Champion All Stars
Gym in San Diego, to choreograph and recruit actual cheerleaders like
former University of Louisville cheerleader Tannaz Emamjomeh (see
sidebar) and Austin Payne, NCA’s 1998 Best Male Cheerleader. "I thought
it would be good for the movie to bring in the best cheerleaders in
America," says Ray. He held a casting call at his gym, auditioning more
than 200 cheerleaders before choosing a small, highly skilled group to
fill out the film’s rival squads.
Not to be upstaged, the movie’s young stars nixed the idea of using
stunt doubles, training instead at cheerleading camp to learn some
basics. With simple preps and lifts under their belts, they were ready
to join the real cheerleaders in practicing the movie’s choreographed
routines. It took another three weeks for the Toros, who had 14 real
cheerleaders on their squad, and an additional two weeks for the
Clovers’ squad, featuring 16 real cheerleaders, to ace the moves. "We
were really crunched for time, but everyone’s attitude helped us get
along and move fast because everybody really wanted to make the movie,"
says Ray.
"It was also a major challenge for the movie people because they didn’t
expect it to be so difficult," Ray continues. "They thought we could
come in, do a routine and get it done; they didn’t realize how long
cheerleaders have to practice and they now have a new respect for them."
Ray was drafted for the movie by screenwriter Jessica Bendinger, who had
seen his routines at Nationals and at his gym. "We made sure we had the
resources we needed to make the movie as realistic as possible," says
Jessica, who also spoke to a lot of cheerleaders to get their stories
and learn their lingo. "The movie really gets into the meat and potatoes
of the sport, showing how much hard work and sacrifice it takes to be a
cheerleader. I really hope cheerleaders embrace and love this movie, and
forgive any inconsistencies they may see between the real sport and the
movie version."
Judging from the insider buzz, Cheer Fever hits the mark. "The movie did
a good job portraying cheerleading from the athletic aspect; the skills
displayed by each squad are really up to par and current," says Tannaz.
She adds that the cheerleaders working on the movie were excited that
somebody actually took the time to investigate their sport and that the
movie shows all the mental, physical and emotional strength it takes to
be a good cheerleader.
"Cheerleaders are out there for themselves in a very pure way that I
found completely compelling, completely unusual for that age group and
completely worthy of turning into a movie. I hope cheerleaders get their
due with this movie," Jessica concludes. "This is really my love letter
to them."
As Cheer Fever gears up for a nationwide release, stay tuned to AC for
the latest scoop on this fab flick.
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