Gurinder Chhadha produced, wrote and directed this 2002 British-German romantic-comedy-drama sport film. The film promotes the notion that it’s normal to be unique and not fit into the stereotypical mold that society or your family demands. This theme is repeated in the film on many levels. The film is a coming-of age story, or to put it another way, a Bildungsroman. The film explores the themes of sexuality, culture, and familial obligations. In the film it is evident that characters who have different backgrounds must overcome obstacles, and believe in themselves. Jess Jules Tony struggle with finding themselves. They also try to learn their strengths and weakness. Jess the protagonist struggles to strike a balance with her love of soccer, family expectations and social pressures. Jess’s dream is to play professional football and have her family support her. She idolises David Beckham. She loves his look, but her main focus is on how talented and skilled he plays soccer. She tries to tell her parents that she wants to play soccer, but when she does, they find out. They also forbid her from playing football. After she defies her parents, Jess continues to play football despite their requests that she quit. Jess ultimately decides to keep playing football. Jess struggles with juggling all of the things she needs to do when she returns home from Germany. When her parents learn that Jess plays football, they are disappointed, hurt and upset. She lied not only about hiding the truth but also about her job. Jess is not doing what her parents expect of her. She is not studying, she doesn’t plan to be a lawyer and is not following the normal path. Jess, Jess’s closest friend, also does not fit society’s expectations. The two of them had much more in-common than they ever imagined. Tony tells Jess she’s not the only person who loves David Beckham. Jess’s first response when Tony tells her that he’s gay is “but you’re Indian”. Jess may be implying she does not believe Indians are as accepting towards homosexuality. Tony reveals that he is gay only when Jess feels like she’s being let down and needs some support. Jess is in a similar boat to Tony when it comes to feeling that if others saw their true selves, they would disappoint them or let them down. As they continue to suppress their emotions, it will affect them more. Tony tells people about himself and everyone gets confused. Tony’s father and mother eventually support Tony for coming out because they understand that it’s the best thing for him. Jules is a character that struggles to meet her mother’s expectations. Jules is a single child and is therefore the center of attention. When her mother became a mother, she wanted to have a relationship with her daughter. She wanted to share life lessons, bond over hair, makeup, and boys. Jess’s dad encourages Jess, who would rather Jess played soccer than ‘run about with boys’. Paula, Jules’s mother (who is also the main character in the film), has to accept that Jules can be a tomgirl and to support her. Paula becomes more interested in Jules as the film progresses. She tries to learn the rules of soccer including the ‘offside rule’, but eventually agrees that she will come to Jules games. At the end of this film Paula waves her daughter goodbye at the airport. Jess & Joe kissed in Germany at the mid-point of the film. It is at this point that we begin to understand Jules. Jules gets angry at Jess for not understanding her feelings about Joe. The two come to a mutual understanding and decide to put the kiss behind them. They can now enjoy their company again after they have repaired their relationship. Their relationship was even strengthened by their kiss. It is okay to be different from what your family, friends, or culture expects. The majority of characters and their family members understand this at the end. The characters remain true to their own beliefs and themselves throughout the entire film. Jules’s and Jess’s mothers find it easier to support their children once they see them for who they are. They believe it’s their responsibility as parents to support the dreams and ambitions of their children. Bend it Like Beckham focuses mainly on themes such as friendship, cultural clashes, racism and sexism. In the beginning, characters have a certain look. However, as the story progresses, characters begin to reveal their true colours. People must not be judgemental. The full impact of judgement is not understood until one has been in the other person’s shoes.
