by Caroline Sumner

Created on: July 27, 2010

While on the surface it may look like a typical athletic, girl power movie, “Bend it Like Beckham” has surprising depths to be found within. Though it does contain many conventions of these movies – girls facing obstacles in a man’s realm, athletic competitions being won, general girl power messages – it also explores issues like cultural identity and acceptance, friendship, finding balance in life, and the importance of family.

The film follows Jessminder, an Indian girl from a relatively traditional family. Jess is as tomboyish as her sister Pinky is girlish, and for a while the movie focuses on Pinky’s upcoming wedding and Jess’s utter disinterest in it. She would rather be kicking around the soccer ball with the lads in the park anytime. Before long, Jess comes across a girl’s soccer team, coached by the hunky Joe and containing the cool and friendly Juliet. Jess and Juliet become fast friends, reveling in their soccer performance and both harboring romantic feelings for Joe. However, Jess’s parents strongly disapprove of her playing soccer, feeling it to be inappropriate for a good Indian girl, and forbid her from playing. The film follows the evolution of the relationships between Jess, Joe, and Juliet, the path Jess must take to try to find acceptance and support from her parents, and the struggles of minorities to strike a balance between their cultures and that of where they reside.

It is a film with a great deal of genuinely funny moments that do not feel forced, and excellent performances by the two leads, played by Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley. Though still predictable, the film manages to be extremely enjoyable despite that and does throw a few surprises in here and there, which helps keep the audience engaged and curious about what will happen next. It is an exciting, well-paced plot, and one that has a satisfying finale that will leave viewers wanting to watch it over and over again.

“Bend it Like Beckham” is a great film to inspire women – and, probably, men as well – to push their boundaries and pursue the things that they really love. Anyone who loves movies that make them want to cheer (and possibly take up playing a sport) will love this one. It is a feel-good film that allows itself enough creativity to make it unique, but that doesn’t try too hard to stand out to the point of being an outlier. 

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