Bend It Like Beckham Film Analysis

Bend it Like Beckham is a 2002 British film depicting the lives of two teenage female soccer players. Jess Bhamra is the daughter of strict Punjabi Indians living in a borough of London. She’s had a deep love for the game of soccer her whole life, yet her parents do not allow her to play because of their cultural beliefs. Despite her parent’s rules, Jess often plays with boys in a park where she first encounters Jules Paxton. Jules sees Jess playing in the park and invites her to join the women’s team she plays for, the Hounslow Harriers. Behind her parent’s backs, Jess joins the team and quickly becomes close friends with Jules. Bend it Like Beckham shows the clash that occurs when religion and culture intersect with sport, while also touching on subjects such as homophobia and gender norms. Jess’ parents emigrated from India before she was born. Although she’s English by birth, her parents raised her and her sister Pinky according to the strict morals they were taught as children. In the eye’s of her parents, girls were supposed to learn to

When the movie delves into Joe’s background, he confesses that his father had pushed him to pursue soccer even though he didn’t really want to. After Joe’s career was ended by a knee injury, he began coaching the local girl’s team. In the eyes of Joe’s father coaching girls is embarrassing and not up to the level of coaching men. Joe’s father’s opinion perpetuates the idea that women’s sports aren’t as good or exciting as men’s. Although he’s clearly not alone in his sexist beliefs; women get less funding, less support, and fewer opportunities than their male counterparts by far, especially in England where soccer is a highly masculinized sport. Jules and Jess knew their only opportunity to continue playing would be to get a soccer scholarship to a college in the