IT'S GOOD ACTUALLY / Fired Up! / Sean Woodard
Dedicated to Dillon Allen.
“How do you spell Fired Up?”
“F-U!”
Fired Up! remains one of my favorite films from when I was in high school. Most people who know me might shake their heads in confusion as to why I love this movie. The film follows two philandering high school football jocks named Nick and Shawn (Eric Christian Olsen and Nicholas D’Agosto, both pushing 30), who ditch football camp for cheer camp to hook up with girls. Along the way, they learn the meaning of friendship, teamwork, love, and how to become better people.
True, Fired Up! currently has average critic scores of 24% on Rotten Tomatoes and 31% on Metacritic, respectively. Released in 2009, it rifts off of Bring It On and also suffers from belonging to a slew of teen sex comedies produced in the wake of American Pie . The script is also riddled with jokes that would be considered insensitive in today’s socio-political climate, as well as a house party interlude that is entirely juvenile.
But, if you’re able to look past these issues and take the film for what it is, I bet you’ll have an enjoyable time. Why? Because Fired Up! is one of the funniest, most quotable films you’ll ever watch. My friend Dillon and I always pair it with Black Dynamite—two entirely disparate, but epically hilarious, films in their own right—for a double-feature whenever we see each other.
The film works for several reasons. First, the script’s dialogue is full of irony, sarcasm, and anecdotes that catch you off guard so that you can’t help but laugh. From random discussions about bottomless breadsticks at Olive Garden to fast-as-a-whip witty repartee, Fired Up! contains tons of dialogue that naturally flows in conversation. This dialogue is specifically attuned to each character’s personality over the course of the film—dialogue that would fall flat if all the actor were not fully invested in their roles.
For example, Shawn’s younger sister Poppy has a “take-no-bullshit” personality; she isn’t afraid to dish shade when the moment calls for it. Consider her blunt reply to Nick and Shawn when they initially beat around the bush to ask for her help in joining the cheer team: “Can we get past the small talk? The only time you and your brother come to see me is when you need something.”
There’s also cheer teammate Sylvia who randomly ends nearly every statement with “I’m just saying.” Case in point: “I want to cut the blonde one.” “What?” “What?” What?” “What?” “What?” “I’m just saying.”
Then there’s Coach Byrnes (Philip Baker Hall) whose speech is littered with “shits.” One funny sequence concerns Nick and Shawn betting on how many times Coach Byrnes will say “shit” when he speaks to them. Shawn guesses ten times—no matter how many times I count them on my fingers, it always comes out to nine times. He even curses after Nick gives him the most outrageous story to avoid going to football camp. Don’t believe me? See below:
Perhaps the two most memorable characters are those of head cheer counselor Keith (John Michael Higgins in a scene-stealing performance) who introduces the word “prohibidado”—which over the course of the film unravels into extended variants, including “prohibidimabidido”—to describe a forbidden cheer move called the Fountain of Troy.
The other (infamous) character is ultimate tool and sad douche monger “Dr.” Dick (I mean, Rick). He creates stupid nicknames for his “pre-fiancé” Carly (like “Carly Horse”); has a penchant for size-11 Crocs; obnoxiously points out obvious movie references (“Animal House reference—Love it!”); and belts Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” with his fellow basic bros in the car.
Over the course of this 90-minute flick, Nick and Shawn deal with the consequences of their occasionally shitty behavior and learn to be better people. While they’re not entirely redeemable, they’re likeable enough characters who ultimately embrace the power of teamwork and how to be authentic people. Even if we don’t take the film too seriously, there’s just something wholesome about a ragtag group of people banding together to try to win a competition—especially when their rival is a bitchy group like the “what-are-they-a-knife-gang?” Panthers.
For all its irreverence, Fired Up! is a pretty fun flick. But the most important reason I love it is because it’s part of the indelible bond I have with my friend Dillon. No matter where we are in life, we can always turn it on, enjoy each other’s company, forget about the world, and laugh for a little while.
Okay, pop quiz time: “How do you spell Fired Up?”
“F-U!”
Sean Woodard serves as the Film Editor for Drunk Monkeys and is a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Arlington. Focusing on a wide variety of interests, Sean’s fiction, film criticism, and other writings have been featured in Los Angeles Review of Books, NonBinary Review, Horrorbuzz, Cultured Vultures, and Los Angeles Magazine, among other publications.
