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Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Shaheen Khan, Anupam Kher ... see more see more... , Ameet Chana , Juliet Stevenson , Frank Harper , Archie Panjabi , Kulvinder Ghir , Trey Farley , Preeya Kalidas , Imran Ali Khan , Saraj Chaudhry , Shaznay Lewis , Pooja Shah , Paven Virk , Nina Wadia , Parminder K. Nagra

An independent-minded young woman discovers the joys of football, much to her family's chagrin, in this upbeat British comedy drama. Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) is an 18-year-old growing up in West ... read more read more...London, where her family has taken every effort to stay in touch with its Indian heritage. Jess' father and mother (Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan) are after their daughter to go to law school, learn to cook a traditional Indian dinner, and settle down with a nice Indian boy -- the latter of which is high on the agenda of her older sister Pinky (Archie Panjabi), who is soon to wed her longtime beau Teetu (Kulvinder Ghir). However, her family is unaware that Jess has a secret passion -- football (or soccer, as it's known in North America). While Jess' enthusiasm for football star David Beckham is obvious, given the fact his photos cover the walls of her room, her parents don't know that in her spare time she likes to play a friendly game in the park with some of the boys in the neighborhood. One day, while Jess and her pals kick the ball around, she meets Jules (Keira Knightley), who is quite impressed with Jess' skills. Jules plays with a local semi-pro women's football team, the Hounslow Harriers, and she thinks Jess has what it takes to make the team. Jess knows that her parents would never approve of their daughter playing football, so she doesn't tell them, and starts spinning an increasingly complex series of lies as she tries to keep up a double life as a student and a footballer. Jess soon discovers a number of her new friends have their own problems to overcome; Jules dreams of playing pro ball in America, but has to deal with her stubborn and disapproving mother (Juliet Stevenson), while Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), Hounslow's Irish coach, still struggles with the disappointment of a career as a professional athlete which was dashed by a knee injury. Bend It Like Beckham was a significant box-office success in Great Britain and Europe, but didn't reach American theaters until nearly a year after it debuted in the U.K. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

69% liked it

448,109 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

148 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Gurinder Chadha

Release Date: August 1, 2003

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DVD Release Date: September 30, 2003

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Stats: 21,110 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (21,110)

  • FiLmCrAzY
    May 3, 2012
    FiLmCrAzY
    A thoroughly enjoyable movie thats worth a watch! Nice to see us Brits have still got it!
  • lewiskendell
    July 11, 2011
    lewiskendell
    Bend It Like Beckham is a fun movie about a British Indian girl named Jess (Parminder Nagra) who loves the game of soccer more than anything, but is encouraged by her traditional parents to abandon her passion and focus on other areas of her life, like finding a husband. She lies... read more and defies them in order to keep playing, but her deceit causes friction at home, while a love triangle develops between Jess, her coach (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and her best friend on the team (Keira Knightly).

    It may not be an original story, but it's a fun one that's frequently joyous to watch, and the focus on Indian culture made it seem fresh to me. The acting and soccer match scenes are equally well done, and the themes of culture clash and following one's dreams will be easy to sympathize with for most people.

    Bend It Like Beckham is just a good, solid, entertaining family flick to watch. The movie was clearly made with a respect for Punjabi culture and a genuine love for soccer. It's hard not to like; give it a try.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    Amazing! One of my all time favourite films!
  • thmtsang
    July 11, 2010
    thmtsang
    An Indian teenager Jess wants to play football like her hero Beckham. She plays for a local women's team in secret from her traditional family. A young Keira Knightley plays her friend.
  • 3niR
    June 17, 2010
    3niR
    Watched this long time ago and liked it. It was good.
  • SirPant
    September 25, 2009
    SirPant
    Filmed in my manor. Shame it was shit!
  • TomBowler
    August 17, 2009
    TomBowler
    this is a really good flick. whilst it initially comes off as a run of the mill chick flick, there is plenty in there for guys too, especially keira knightley who is looking gorgeous as always.
  • arashxak
    June 1, 2008
    arashxak
    So many cliches here But the movie is fun & funny and the whole indian thing saves it from being pure cliche, Keira Knightley is annoying like always with her horrible acting
  • aliceinpunderland
    April 27, 2008
    aliceinpunderland
    Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is the sexiest guy in Britain and he knows it. With those glassy eyes and pouty lips and carelessly perfect hair ARGH...Movie deftly tackles themes of intolerance and acceptance in realms of culture, sexual orientation, and gender roles. More times I watch ... read moreit though, the more formulaic I think the plot is - Jess sneaks out, gets caught, sneaks out, gets caught, et cetera. Keira makes me cringe.
  • binky013
    March 12, 2008
    binky013
    03/08/08 Update: Just watched this again for the first time in, apparently, two years. This is really well done. Nagra is, with all sincerity, brilliant, and Anupam Kher as her father, Mr. Bhamra, is worthy of a supporting Oscar nomination. I rarely shed a tear when I ... read morewatch movies, but I shed more than a few as this one was coming to an end. I'm bumping this up to five stars and adding it to my Top 100 list right now.

    03/04/06: Dreaded seeing this, but friends were insistent. What a wonderful movie! I'll never be the world's biggest soccer fan, and fortunately this had less to do with soccer and more to do with race and family issues. Parminder Nagra must do more movies. Keira Knightley is leaving her behind -- in terms of number of movies cranked out, not in terms of talented performances.

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Critic Reviews

Jumana Farouky
August 1, 2008
Jumana Farouky, TIME Magazine

The acting is as nimble as the footwork. Full Review

J. R. Jones
March 26, 2007
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Fine character work by Juliet Stevenson, Archie Panjabi, and Bollywood regular Anupam Kher makes this well worth seeing. Full Review

Derek Elley
March 26, 2007
Derek Elley, Variety

More rooted in small-screen sitcom than anything deeper. Full Review

Peter Rainer
August 7, 2004
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

Every generation has to discover the same clichés that were drummed into previous generations, and kids could do worse than to learn them from this film. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
August 8, 2003
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

As Spencer Tracy once said of Katharine Hepburn, there's not much meat there, but what's there is choice. Full Review

John Anderson
May 28, 2003
John Anderson, Newsday

Beckham is so earnestly yearning it packs an emotional impact far greater than the sum of its parts. Full Review

David Edelstein
April 22, 2003
David Edelstein, Slate

The movie isn't unwatchable. It's clumsily good-natured, the actors are appealing, and there are worse ways to spend two hours than looking at pretty young girls in shorts kicking balls. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
April 4, 2003
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

No mere feel-good movie, it's a feel-great movie.

Claudia Puig
April 3, 2003
Claudia Puig, USA Today

A rare amalgam of funny, sweet, action-packed and inspiring. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
March 28, 2003
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A routine, genial sports movie. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Bend It Like Beckham Trivia

  • In what movie did Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Meyers All act together?  Answer »
  • Which movie has the tagline.... Who wants to cook Aloo Gobi when you can bend a ball like Beckham?  Answer »
  • Kiera Knightley and Parminder Nagra are in it. Kiera is thought to be a man by Parminder Nagra's sister's husband's mother when they see Kiera from the back and thought they (Kiera and Parminder) were kissing when they were really laughing. a 2003 movie.  Answer »
  • What movie was based in England and had girls who wanted to play in the united states? It also stared Keira Knightley  Answer »
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