Bend It Like Beckham -- June 2003

WHAT'S A BECKHAM?


Moe: Hey, Joe, I really feel like going out to a movie. Tired of videos and DVDs. I want to see something on the big screen. You’ve seen just about everything, so what do you recommend?


Joe: What do you feel like seeing? Action-adventure? Comedy? Heavy drama?


Moe: Something fun, something that holds my interest. But not a downer.


Joe: OK. How about Bend It Like Beckham? It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s the best thing I’ve seen lately.


Moe: Do what like who?


Joe: Bend It Like Beckham. It’s a British movie about young people playing soccer.


Moe: Oh no. A British movie? I have trouble with those British accents. And I don’t know a thing about soccer.


Joe: That’s OK. There aren’t that many soccer scenes. And you won’t really have any trouble understanding the English. It’s mostly kids talking. They all talk pretty much the same these days.


Moe: OK. Convince me. Sounds pretty obscure. Why should I go and see this movie?


Joe: Lots of reasons. For one thing, it wasn’t made in Hollywood. For two, it’s about families — and even though there are problems between the kids and their parents, they’re all basically loving and respectful toward each other. It shows a lot about family life. For three, you can learn something about another culture. That’s always a good thing.


Moe: How do you mean?


Joe: Well, I think the movie is really about acculturation. Soccer is just the backdrop. It’s about two girls who love to play soccer and are really good at it. One is named Jess and is from an Indian family. The other is named Jules and is from a typical Anglo family. Their parents are from different worlds, but the kids get along great. They’re still able to maintain their cultural background, but they can also relate to each other as close friends. It’s like the kids know we’re all God’s children, even if their parents don’t know that.


Moe: Sounds like a TV documentary. Is there any action?


Joe: Of course there is. There’s a big problem between Jess and her parents because they don’t want her to play soccer — it’s not ladylike for an Indian girl. But God has provided her the gift of being talented at soccer, and this is what she’s passionate about. She follows her dream, but for a while she has to do it on the sly — sneak around. Until her parents find out about it, that is.


Moe: So then what happens?


Joe: I’m not going to tell you. You’ve got to go and see it.


Moe: Hmm. Well, maybe. But what in the world does the title mean? What’s a Beckham?


Joe: David Beckham is one of the most famous British soccer players — and one of the biggest in the world. “Bend it” means curve the ball so it’ll get past the goalie.


Moe: Well … OK, I’ll give it a try. But you said it wasn’t a perfect movie. What’s wrong with it?


Joe: Well, I have a few reservations. It plays pretty fast and loose about alternative lifestyles. I didn’t care for that aspect. There’s some crude language, which I hate. But the whole theme about realizing what your gifts are and following your dream is really powerful. And in the end you feel good about the way things are resolved. The parents learn something, and so do the kids. It’s worth seeing.


Moe: All right, but if it’s a bomb, you owe me. What kind of rating would you give it?


Joe: I’d give it 3 stars. Trust me.



Film Rating: PG-13
My Rating: 3 stars