Most people can relate to wanting something, working hard to get it, and the disappointment of things not going as hoped. This is the heartbreaking reality for all but 36 of the hundreds of women who try out for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad each year.
Emmy Award-winning director Greg Whiteley explores how the squad is chosen in the new seven-episode Netflix documentary series America’s Sweethearts. He admits that behind the scenes, it was as emotional for those filming the series as it was for the young women when they were told they didn’t make the cut.
America’s Sweethearts, which premiered on June 20, follows the 2023-24 squad from start to finish and it’s about more than sports, big hair, and pom poms. This series explores an unpleasant truth: Life isn’t always fair and we don’t always get what we want even if we work hard and have the talent.
“I want my children to believe that if you want something and you’re willing to work for it, you can get it,” Whiteley said in an interview. “The hard truth is not always. I think making peace with that is something we all have to learn.”
The viewer is privy to the intense audition process and training camp. There is a limited number of coveted spots and the cuts are painful. The joy for those who have made it is quickly replaced by reality as the new cheerleaders realize the hard work it takes to represent this iconic franchise throughout the NFL season.
Known for the Netflix doc series Cheer and Last Chance U, Whiteley and his team were in the room during those brutal, life-changing cuts. He explained that, at times, everyone was in tears alongside the young women as some saw their dreams come true and others saw theirs cut short.
Led by longtime director Kelli Finglass, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders open their locker room doors to document the personal stories behind the famous studded blue and white uniforms to reveal the drive it takes to make the squad, the hard work it takes to keep your spot, and the drama among the cheerleaders and coaches behind the scenes.
When first approached by the team to tell this tale, Whiteley wasn’t sure it would be a fit. “The Cowboys are a massive, global brand and I was nervous they wouldn’t be able to give us what’s required to do the type of documentary filming we seek to do. Specifically, editorial control and the kind of access we would need.”
After a meeting with Charlotte Jones, team owner Jerry Jones’ daughter, Whiteley was convinced he could make this series. “She was open to giving us what we would need and I was convinced that this was a far more interesting world than I’d given it credit for initially. If you spend five minutes with Charlotte, you suddenly get the impression that you’re in the presence of somebody incredibly smart, polished, and accomplished. It’s no accident that they’ve built what they’ve built with that kind of acumen and I just thought that if I find her so interesting and if she thinks the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are interesting, then I’m all ears.”
For one young woman, she makes it to the top 38 before she’s finally cut. Through tears, she accepts that God has other plans for her. As the saying goes, rejection is redirection. Or, as the Dalai Lama is credited as saying, “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”
Whiteley will never forget that particularly intense moment. “In almost desperation and authentic curiosity, she asked what more she could have done. There were no real answers. The truth is there’s nothing more she could’ve done. It feels cruel at the moment but there’s no real answer. Sometimes you don’t get what you want despite how hard you’ve worked for it.”
