* ActorInspiredElement: Clea [=DuVall=] was the first actor to come on board, and was able to recommend several other cast members for their roles - including Creator/NatashaLyonne and Creator/MelanieLynskey.
* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/NatashaLyonne pushed to be cast because she was a bit fan of Jamie Babbit's short film ''Sleeping Beauties''.
* BreakthroughHit: Jamie Babbit said her career was "nowhere", and she was doing shorts or "other people's movies". The film helped get her started as a director and producer.
* ChannelHop: The film was first released by Creator/{{Universal}} on DVD. Creator/{{Lionsgate}}, the film's producers, reissued it on DVD themselves four years later after purchasing Artisan Entertainment and their home video business.
* CompletelyDifferentTitle:
** Finland: ''I Am a Decent Girl''
** Hungary: ''Save the Pom-Pom Girl!''
** Italy: ''Girls at the Crossroads''
** Poland: ''Cheerleader''
** Taiwan: ''Model Student''
* TheDanza: Joel Michaely as Joel.
* DeletedRole: The girl in the video described below got her own place in the casting clips at the end of the movie, but of course was cut from the main movie.
* DeletedScene: One of Megan watching a ScareEmStraight video of a girl tearfully reciting what lesbianism drove her to, and a shorter one of Megan playing the song she wrote for the others in front of a campfire. They were added back in for the DirectorsCut.
* ExecutiveMeddling: Jamie Babbit had to cut "any mention of a woman going down on another woman" to avoid an NC-17 rating. She also had to cut a shot that depicted Megan masturbating.
* NoBudget: Initially just given $500,000, but was increased to $1 million by production.
* PlayingAgainstType:
** The world's most famous drag queen, [=RuPaul=], appears not only as a man, ''[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments but also as an ex-gay counselor]].''
** Richard Moll, who normally plays very scary dudes, is a gruff-but-lovable burly bear.
** Natasha Lyonne, queen of deadpan snark, plays a sunny and naive cheerleader.
* QueerCharacterQueerActor:
** Creator/RuPaul plays Mike, a [[TransparentCloset repressed]] "ex-gay" camp coach. [[Series/RuPaulsDragRace He's openly gay in real life]].
** Creator/CleaDuvall came out as a lesbian in real life, though she stated that at the time ''I'm A Cheerleader'' was filmed, she was still deeply closeted.
** Douglas Spain (Andre) came out as gay in 2012.
* QueerShowGhetto: Remains a downplayed AcclaimedFlop; queer viewers love it, but many critics didn't, and it bombed when it first came out. It's still an obscure film today.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Before Creator/NatashaLyonne was cast, an unnamed actress turned down the role of Megan because of "religious beliefs". Creator/RosarioDawson was also considered but never asked because the executive producer suggested a Latina actress would be wrong for an "All-American character".
** Creator/ArsenioHall was approached for the role of Mike, but he turned it down because he was uncomfortable with a gay-themed character.
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