Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Director:

Gurinder Chadha

Writers:

Gurinder Chadha (written by) &
Guljit Bindra (written by) ...

Release Date:

1 August 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Teen Movie | Interracial Friendship | Underdog | Soccer Ball | Multicultural

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 17 wins & 18 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. May 17	3:30 PM	OXYGEN
Sun. May 18	12:30 PM	OXYGEN

Cast

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)

Also Known As:

Kick It Like Beckham (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

112 min | Spain:115 min

Country:

UK | Germany | USA

Language:

English | Punjabi | Hindi | German

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:13 | Chile:14 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Austria:6 (Steiermark) | Brazil:Livre | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Iceland:L | India:U | Ireland:12PG | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38936)

Filming Locations:

Broadway Street, Southall, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

Kintop Pictures

Trivia:

Jess wears #7 for the Hounslow Harriers, the same number David Beckham wears for England and once wore for Manchester United.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jules is in her bed depressed, she takes the picture of her and Joe and crumples it. But when it is seen in the trash, it only has a few creases in it and it looks pretty intact.

Quotes:

Jules: [after seeing Jess almost kiss Joe] You bitch!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Really Bend It Like Beckham (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Nessun Dorma

Fun, Energetic, and Altogether Wonderful

Wow, I can't believe I waited so long to see this film. I just never got around to watching it. The plot has nothing that interests me. I know nothing about soccer (football.) I am one of those American fools that has no clue. I had never even seen David Beckham before this film. I chose to ignore the buzz surrounding this film at the time it was released in America. Enough about me.

Truth be told, it was a mistake to ignore this little piece of movie-making heaven. What a fun film. It's full of color and exuberance. I had a goofy grin on my face through the whole movie. Parminder Nagra is so sweet and lovable, you can't help but root for her. No wonder why the American television show E.R. has snatched her up. I have a new appreciation for Indian culture. Those people know how to have a good time. The wedding scenes are dazzlingly beautiful.

The only problem I had was deciphering some of the British slang and dialogue through the accents. I turned on the English subtitles to make sure I didn't miss anything. (This is not a criticism of the film!) I'm sure audiences worldwide have trouble understanding the constantly changing slang in American films as well.

This is a perfect date film. It has a great sports plot like Rocky, and a strong sense of feminism that is empowering for women. I watched it with my wife, and sixteen year old niece, and we all loved it. I highly recommend it.