Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

The daughter of orthodox Sikh rebels against her parents' traditionalism by running off to Germany with a football team (soccer in America).

Director:

Gurinder Chadha

Writers:

Gurinder Chadha, Guljit Bindra,

Stars:

Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 17 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Parminder Nagra	...	Jesminder 'Jess' Kaur Bhamra
Keira Knightley	...	Juliette 'Jules' Paxton
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Joe
Anupam Kher	...	Mr. Bhamra
Archie Panjabi	...	Pinky Bhamra
Shaznay Lewis	...	Mel
Frank Harper	...	Alan Paxton
Juliet Stevenson	...	Paula Paxton
Shaheen Khan	...	Mrs. Bhamra
Ameet Chana	...	Tony
Pooja Shah	...	Meena (as Poojah Shah)
Paven Virk	...	Bubbly
Preeya Kalidas	...	Monica
Trey Farley	...	Taz
Saraj Chaudhry	...	Sonny (as Saraj Chaudry)

Storyline

A comedy about bending the rules to reach your goal, Bend It Like Beckham explores the world of women's football, from kick-abouts in the park to freekicks in the Final. Set in Hounslow, West London and Hamburg, the film follows two 18 year olds with their hearts set on a future in professional soccer. Heart-stopping talent doesn't seem to be enough when your parents want you to hang up your football boots, find a nice boyfriend and learn to cook the perfect chapatti.

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Plot Keywords:

team | soccer | shorts | sikh | punjabi | 

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Taglines:

A winning comedy.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [nl] Official site [us]

Country:

UK Germany USA

Language:

English Panjabi Hindi German

Release Date:

1 August 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Joue-la comme Beckham

Filming Locations:

Bara Hall Park, Hayes, Middlesex, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£3,500,159 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$161,528 (USA) (14 March 2003)

Gross:

$32,541,719 (USA) (17 October 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kintop Pictures, Film Council, Filmförderung Hamburg

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

By the end of the movie, Jess and Jules were originally supposed to be a couple but the script was changed because it was too controversial.

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Goofs

When Jess is playing in her first game for the Harriers, after/while she scores she is shown wearing her new silver and red Adidas boots even though she hasn't bought them yet.

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Quotes

Paula: When are you going to realize you have a daughter, with breasts, not a son!

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits feature cast and crew singing "Hot Hot Hot", with many of the lyrics in Punjabi. One group can be seen holding a "cheat sheet" index card, presumably with the lyrics on.

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Connections

Referenced in House M.D.: Man of the House (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Atomic"
(1980)
Written by Jimmy Destri and Deborah Harry
Published by Chrysalis Music Ltd.
Performed by Blondie
© 1980 Licensed courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.

User Reviews

A Crowd-pleasing Charmer

`Bend It Like Beckam' is a heartwarming charmer about a young girl's search for identity in 21st Century England. Like `Fiddler on the Roof,' `Beckam' deals with the painful struggles tradition-bound cultures must go through as they enter a looser, more freedom-loving modern world. The culture in this case is that of immigrant and first-generation Indians living in Great Britain. As with all such tales, it is the young folk who feel the need to pull away from the stuffy values of the past, and who end up dragging the reluctant older folk kicking and screaming into the future right along with them.

Jess Bharma is a fairly typical teen with dreams of becoming a world-class soccer player. However, Jess also comes from a very traditional Indian family that believes a girl should not play around with boys, show her legs in public, or aspire to much beyond marrying a good Indian boy and raising a family. We've seen this kind of set-up countless times before and `Bend It Like Beckam' will certainly not win any prizes for creativity or originality. It does, however, have a youthful exuberance and a generous spirit that can't help but captivate even the most diehard, coldhearted cynic. Parminder K. Nagra is utterly winning as young Jess, capturing all the innate optimism and unquenchable enthusiasm of this irrepressible character. She receives superb support from a cast of outstanding actors, both young and old, including Keira Knightley as Jules, her inspirational buddy who provides Jess with the opportunity to bring her dreams to fruition; Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Joe, the handsome young coach who provides lessons in love along with lessons in soccer; Anupam Kher as Jess' father, who turns out to have some of his own personal demons to deal with; Shaheen Khan as Jess' mother, who doesn't understand why her daughter can't be content with the pre-ordained life her parents have laid out for her; and Juliet Stevenson as Jules' mother, who proves that Indians don't hold a patent on tradition-obsessed parents. In its quiet, gentle way, the film also confronts the issue of racism, particularly in terms of how the Indians are often still treated as second-class citizens in British society.

As directed by Gurinder Chadha, `Bend It Like Beckham' is a light-on-its-feet `feel-good' film that never takes itself too seriously. The movie suffers a bit from a sitcom mentality, as when, for instance, Jules' parents labor under the illusion that their daughter and Jess are actually lesbian lovers. The plotting, in addition to being predictable at times, often seems contrived and excessively melodramatic (the rivalry between Jess and Jules over Joe being the primary offender). But this isn't enough to do any serious damage to the film as a whole.

Thus, if you're looking for a film that is easygoing, uplifting and comfortably old-fashioned in its demeanor and theme, `Bend It Like Beckham' is for you.