Fired Up!

Fired Up! is rated PG-13: for crude and sexual content throughout, partial nudity, language and some teen partying.

In his directorial debut, Will Gluck has done little to improve the image of cheerleaders or even teens in general. Casting 28-year-old Nicolas D’Agosto and 31-year-old Eric Christian Olsen as a pair of sex-crazed high school football players, he’s managed a script comprised of crass sexual humor, copious crude terms for body parts and derogatory jokes about sexual orientation. Rounded out with repeated, rousing cheers of “FU”, the movie also contains several scenes of sexual activity between heterosexual, same-sex and adult/teen couples.

In the story, quarterback Nick Brady (Olsen) and his teammate Shawn Colfax (D’Agosto) can hold their own on the gridiron but they have an even bigger reputation for holding off the field. So the thought of wasting two weeks of their lives in the sweltering heat at football camp with a bunch of guys doesn’t seem very inviting—especially since these players can hardly stop ogling the scantily-clad girls in the crowd long enough to finish a scrimmage.

Instead of signing up for spring training, Nick and Shawn come up with a better idea. Worming their way onto the high school cheer squad, they plan to spend three weeks canoodling (and more) with 300 new girls at the upcoming cheerleader competition.

Even though the squad’s captain, Carly (Sarah Roemer) is wise to the intentions of these two frauds, she can’t convince the school’s administrator (Edie McClurg) of the truth. Rather, Nick and Shawn find themselves on the bus, headed for their version of heaven on earth. And within minutes of their arrival, the two boys are already trying to hook up. Among many others, Nick has his eye on the head cheer counselor (Molly Sims) who happens to be married to the camp director (John Michael Higgins). But Shawn’s intentions change when he begins to have feelings for the understandably suspicious Carly.

Along with a string of sexually oriented comments, crude anecdotes, exposed buttocks and some other carefully covered anatomy, this film is packed with negative stereotypes of athletes, adolescents and coaches. Suggesting that youth only have unfettered sex and hard partying on their minds, the film barely acknowledges the physical abilities of these hardworking competitors. Depicting minors using alcohol and including some illegal drug references, the script will also leave viewers wondering how often you can use the derivative of a strong sexual expletive as a spirit builder and expect it to be funny.

Full of trite, oversimplified character depictions, the production sinks to the level of yet another “dumb” teen flick. And though it momentarily tries to redeem these two hormone-driven boys by having them show a spark of maturity, it will take more than that Hail Mary pass to save Fired Up! from the embers.

Studio: 2009 Sony Screen Gems. Visit the official movie site.

There is no question about the innuendo behind this competition’s call letters. Continual, crude terms for male and female anatomy and sexual activity are used along with scatological slang, ethno-cultural slurs, frequent vulgarities, profanities and derogatory sexual orientation comments. Teen couples (both heterosexual and homosexual) engage in kissing and fondling. A teen boy and adult woman grope and kiss while beginning to undress. Numerous, negative jokes are aimed at homosexual characters. The discussion of drug use by a college-aged student and some other drug references are included in the script. Unsupervised teens drink at a party and throw raw meat at one another. One boy covers another character’s face with an athletic cup. A teen puts a sex toy in his mouth. Teens go swimming in underwear, one boy skinny dips. Naked boys are forced to run back to their dorm when their clothes go missing. They also perform a cheer for the camp director while naked. Characters are threatened, punched and kicked. Other characters fall or are injured during sporting events.

What beliefs about cheerleaders does this movie promote? What other “typical” teen characters are depicted in this film? How do these portrayals further negative stereotypes about teens?

What do these characters learn about honesty, maturity and competition? What benefits are there for being part of a team?

Not only do the cheerleaders in this movie cheer, they can also recite every word of the movie Bring It On. A young man questions what will happen to his macho image when he enters a skip rope competition in the made-for-TV movie Jump In.

Release Date: 9 June 2009

Fired Up! DVD Special Features (Rated Edition)

- Commentary (with Director Will Gluck and cast, Nick D’Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen).

-Two Featurettes: The is Not a Cheerleading Movie: The Making-of Fired Up and Double Duty.

- Gag Reel.

Fired Up! DVD Special Features (Unrated Edition)

- Commentary (with Director Will Gluck and cast, Nick D’Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen).

-Two Featurettes: The is Not a Cheerleading Movie: The Making-of Fired Up and Double Duty.

- Uncensored Gag Reel.

- Backstage at the Fired Up! press junket.

Fired Up! Blu-Ray Special Features

- Both the Theatrical and Unrated versions of the film.

- Commentary (with Director Will Gluck and cast, Nick D’Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen).

-Two Featurettes: The is Not a Cheerleading Movie: The Making-of Fired Up and Double Duty.

- Uncensored Gag Reel.

- Backstage at the Fired Up! press junket.

- Digital Copy of the film for PC, PSP®, Mac or iPod.