Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

The daughter of orthodox Sikh rebels against her parents' traditionalism and joins a football team.

Director:

Gurinder Chadha

Writers:

Gurinder Chadha, Guljit Bindra

Stars:

Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 17 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Parminder Nagra	...	Jess
Keira Knightley	...	Jules
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)
Pavenpreet Kaur	...	Bubbly (as Paven Virk)
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:

tradition | hinduism | marriage engagement | lingerie | team | 

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Taglines:

Who wants to cook Aloo Gobi when you can bend a ball like Beckham?

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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 [United States]

Country:

UK Germany USA

Language:

English Punjabi 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 USA:

$161,528, 16 March 2003

Gross USA:

$32,543,449

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$76,583,333

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

The Hounslow Harriers team does not exist in real life, but almost all the players in the movie are professional footballers.

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Goofs

When Jess takes the free kick at the end of the match the goalkeeper positions the wall then stands on the wrong side of the goal behind the wall making it easier for Jess to score.

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Quotes

Tony: Look, Jessie. You can't plan who you fall for. It just happens. I mean, look at... Posh and Becks.
Jess: Well, Beckham's the best.
Tony: [chuckles] Yeah! I really like Beckham too.
Jess: Well of course you do. No one can cross a ball or bend it like Beckham
Tony: [shakes head] No, Jess. I *really* like Beckham.
Jess: What? You mean...
[incredulous scoff]
Jess: But you're Indian!

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Crazy Credits

Additional thanks to ... Nikki & Gary at Action Vehicles

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Alternate Versions

The word football was been replaced by soccer in many US prints.

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Connections

Referenced in Really Bend It Like Beckham (2004)

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Soundtracks

Tere Bin Nahin Lagda
Written by Partners in Rhyme and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Published by Oriental Star Agencies Ltd.
Performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Courtesy of Oriental Star Agencies Ltd.

User Reviews

Superb All Around -- An Absolute Gem of a Movie

Hands down, the best movie I've seen in years. I won't re-hash the plot. Suffice to say Parminder Nagra is a phenomenal actress. The talk about contrivance is silly. Of course there's a formula at work -- it's the execution of it that stand out. Exceptional.