My Saturday night video pick Bend it Like Beckham

by Laura Greenwood,—Surrey, England

Bend it Like Beckham is a British film about two high-school girls in London who have a passion for football [soccer] and ambitions of becoming professional footballers. But to reach their goals, they have to struggle with the expectations of their families and stereotypical attitudes about women.

Jesminder, in particular, has a tough battle. Jess is from a traditional Indian family that expects her to marry a suitable Indian boy. Her parents want her to be something she is not. Rather than dream of weddings, Jess dreams of playing professional football, like her hero, Beckham, who wallpapers her bedroom on posters. This conflict with her family makes Jess feel she has to carry out a secret life, running off to play on a girls’ football team with her friend Jules whenever her parents’ backs are turned.

Jules, on the other hand, has the support of her father, who is keen to practice with his daughter in the back garden; it is her mother who has hangups about having a sporty daughter. She wants Jules to have a boyfriend and be more feminine. Her worry is that “no boy will go out with someone with muscles bigger than his.” Jess's mother has similar worries. “What family will want a daughter-in-law who can run around kicking football all day but can't make round chapattis?” she asks. She, too, wants what she thinks is best for her daughter. However, Jess and Jules are up against strong beliefs that, for one reason or another, girls should not be playing football.

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