7.0
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Overview
Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian couple in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton, who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Neutral
Sikhism: Positive
Viewer Rating
7.0
Overview
Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian couple in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton, who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Primary
The film's dominant themes align with progressive values by championing individual self-actualization and challenging traditional gender roles within a multicultural context, even while respecting family and cultural heritage.
The movie features a diverse cast, centralizing the experiences of an Indian-British family and community. Its narrative explores themes of cultural expectations and gender roles, challenging traditional norms through the protagonist's journey to pursue her passion for football.
Secondary
The film explores themes of perceived queer identity through parental misunderstandings and societal stereotypes surrounding women in sports. While the idea of lesbianism is used as a source of comedic tension and cultural clash, the narrative does not feature explicitly LGBTQ+ characters or relationships, ultimately resolving with heterosexual relationships for the protagonists. The portrayal is neither affirming nor denigrating.
The film portrays Sikhism and its adherents with respect and nuance, exploring the tension between traditional cultural expectations and modern life. While Jess struggles with her family's initial strictness, the narrative ultimately affirms the community's values and shows the parents' loving acceptance, highlighting the possibility of cultural adaptation within the faith.
Bend It Like Beckham does not feature any transsexual characters, themes, or plotlines. The film's narrative centers on cultural identity, family expectations, and gender roles related to women in sports, with no discernible connection to transsexual experiences or identities.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
Bend It Like Beckham is an original story with characters created specifically for this film. There is no prior source material, historical figures, or previous installments from which characters' genders could have been canonically established and then altered.
Bend It Like Beckham is an original story with characters created specifically for the film. There is no prior source material, historical figures, or previous installments from which character races were established and subsequently changed.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
6.7
6.3
Critic Ratings
8.5
6.6
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