Entertainment

The director of 'Bring It On' reveals the memorable brushing teeth scene wasn't in the original script

bring it on
Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Bradford in "Bring It On." Universal Pictures
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Looking back on the 20th anniversary of "Bring It On," director Peyton Reed says he is most fond of the movie's more intimate and simple scene: when Torrance and Cliff brush their teeth together.

The scene over the years has become a standout simply because it epitomizes teenage sexual tension without either character saying a single word.

The scene takes place in the movie when Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) sleeps over at Missy's (Eliza Dushku) house and while heading to the bathroom sees Missy's brother, Cliff (Jesse Bradford), rocking out on his guitar in his bedroom. We've already seen that those two have a little spark. When Missy catches Torrance eyeing her brother, Torrance quickly plays dumb and says she can't find the bathroom.

Once Torrance is in the bathroom brushing her teeth, Cliff suddenly appears and the two are side-by-side brushing both their teeth. Occasionally, the two will give looks and giggles at one another as they brush and spit in the sink. Cliff finally finishes, smiles at Torrance, and walks out of the bathroom.

It's one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, and Reed admits it wasn't even in the original script.

"It was something that we added later, and I liked that it's a completely wordless scene," Reed told Insider. "The two of them got really into it, and the stuff that Kirsten did where she's spitting in the sink and hiding it with her hand, that was really fun. To me, it felt like a Frank Capra movie, like 'It Happened One Night,' where it's fraught with sexual tension. I was really pleased."

Check out the scene in all its glory here:

More from "Bring It On" 20th anniversary:

Read our entire 20th anniversary "Bring It On" interview with Peyton Reed.

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Jason Guerrasio
Jason Guerrasio
Jason Guerrasio is an award-winning entertainment correspondent at Business Insider and has covered various aspects of the film industry for over two decades. On the site, his reporting can range from what's going on behind the scenes at some of the biggest companies in Hollywood, colorful interviews with some of the most well-known names in entertainment, and exploring the darker side of the industry.In 2020, Jason received the New York Press Club award and Los Angeles Press Club award for his story on the rise and fall of MoviePass. It has since been made into the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary "MoviePass, MovieCrash."Previous to BI, Jason was the managing editor at Filmmaker Magazine, one of the leading publications in the independent film industry. He's also written for numerous publications over the years, including Vanity Fair, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Variety, and indieWire.Popular ArticlesMary Carole McDonnell built a true-crime empire. Then the FBI came for her. Growing up Marvel: The tormented life of Stan Lee's child, JC LeeA bullet. A legend. A lie. Bufford Pusser killed his wife, authorities say. What happens to his legacy now?