Almost everyone has heard the phrase, “bend it like Beckham”. This popular phrase was originally coined after the soccer superstar, David Beckham. He is known for his spectacular soccer skills and his curving abilities on a ball after striking it toward his opponent’s goal. Due to his perfection of the curving shot, many players strive to “bend it like Beckham.”
This is where our featured sports movie comes into play. In 2002, Gurinder Chadha directed and produced “Bend It Like Beckham.” This film grew very popular soon after its release due to its deconstruction of the typical sports film. The protagonist was a girl who dreamed about playing soccer, one of the fastest growing sports in America. Not only did this film have many factors working for it through the plot and script, but it had some of film’s up-and-coming stars such as Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
The performances of these actors make the movie, as it is geared toward the high school and college level movie goers. It has the drama, comedy and success story that any of these types of movies have to offer. The one thing that makes it different is the view point that this story is told from. The main character, Jesminder ‘Jess’ Kaur Bhamra, is a girl who just wants to play soccer and not follow the traditional path that her parents have laid out for her. Not only are her parents expecting her to act like a proper women, find a nice boyfriend and eventually settled down, but they want her to give up her most acclaimed skill, soccer. This is the main issue surrounding this storyline. It is the only thing she has ever wanted in her life and she wants to continue to play the sport professionally, not learn how to properly cook.
From the help of a few friends and some unexpected allies, Jesminder learns that to achieve her dream, she has to keep fighting for what she believes in no matter what. Even if it means being a little untraditional. Overall, this film is a great film for any enthusiastic person that appreciates the world of soccer and those that go to any lengths to reach their dreams.