The Talk
At Rancho Carne High, capacity crowds root for the school's five-time defending championship cheerleading squad, led by the perpetually-perky Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst). Torrance's dreams of leading her team to nationals are deflated, though, when newcomer Missy (Eliza Dushku) informs the captain that her routines, handed down by the previous captain, have been stolen from the Clovers, a smooth-as-silk squad from inner-city Los Angeles.

The Walk
Exploiting a gaggle of stereotypes, Jessica Bendinger's screenplay finds good-natured humor in a sport begging to be satirized, and the jokes are more intelligent than cheap. "Bring" displays snippets of courage, mentioning controversial topics like homosexuality and race relations without exploring them too deeply. This movie is more in tune when its dynamic cast, especially Dushku and the robust girls of the Clover squad, shakes its pom-poms in the face of its challengers, laughs at itself and has fun.

Reprinted from Citysearch - By Sean O'Connell - August 25, 2000