Sometimes, to follow your dreams… you’ve got to bend the rules!|Apr. 11, 2002|Germany|112 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Comedy;Drama;Romance
Description: “Bend It Like Beckham” (2002) follows the story of Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra, a British Indian Sikh girl living in Hounslow, London. Passionate about football, Jess faces opposition from her traditional parents, who disapprove of her interest in the sport. Despite this, she continues to play casually in the park with boys, including her best friend Tony, who is secretly gay. Meanwhile, her family is busy preparing for her sister Pinky’s upcoming wedding.
Jess’s life takes a turn when Jules Paxton, a player for the local women’s amateur football team, the Hounslow Harriers, notices her talent and invites her to join the team. The coach, Joe, an Irishman whose own football career was cut short by injuries, welcomes Jess onto the team. However, Jess hides her involvement from her parents, pretending to have a part-time job while attending practices and matches.
When Joe discovers Jess is playing without her parents’ consent, he tries to convince her father, Mr. Bhamra, to allow her to continue. Mr. Bhamra refuses, sharing his own painful experience of being excluded from a cricket club due to anti-Indian prejudice. Despite this, Jess secretly travels to Germany with the team for a match, which ends in a loss after she misses a penalty kick.
Tensions rise when Jules catches Jess and Joe about to kiss, leading to a rift between the two friends. The situation becomes more complicated when Jess’s parents discover her continued involvement in football through a newspaper article about the match in Germany. Later, Jess attempts to reconcile with Jules, but Jules’s mother mistakenly assumes they are in a lesbian relationship after overhearing parts of their argument.
The film’s emotional climax sees Jess’s father secretly attending one of her games, where he witnesses her being subjected to a racial slur by an opponent. Afterward, Joe comforts Jess with a hug, prompting her father to reconsider his stance on her football aspirations. The story highlights themes of cultural expectations, family pressures, and the pursuit of personal dreams.
Cast director: Gurinder Chadha
Cast actor: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan, Frank Harper, Juliet Stevenson, Ameet Chana, Archie Panjabi, Shaznay Lewis
Original name: Bend It Like Beckham