Bend It Like Beckham

Bend It Like Beckham

Two sporty girls hugging.

British theatrical release poster
Directed by Gurinder Chadha
Produced by
Written by
Story by Gurinder Chadha
Starring See Cast
Narrated by Charlotte Hill
Music by Craig Pruess
Cinematography Jong Lin
Edited by Justin Krish
Production
company
British Sky Broadcasting
British Screen Productions
Helkon Media AG
Distributed by Redbus Film Distribution (UK)
Fox Searchlight Pictures (US)
iDream Productions (India)
Release dates
  • 12 April 2002 (2002-04-12) (United Kingdom)
  • 1 August 2003 (2003-08-01) (United States)
Running time
 112 minutes
Country
Language
  • English
  • Punjabi
  • German
  • Hindi
Budget $6 million (£3.7 million) estimated
Box office $76,583,333[1]

Bend It Like Beckham is a 2002 British-American-Indian-German romantic sports and Indian-themed comedy-drama family film starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Shaznay Lewis and Archie Panjabi. It was first released on April 12, 2002 in the United Kingdom by Redbus Film Distribution. The film was produced, written and directed by Gurinder Chadha. Its title refers to the football player David Beckham, and his skill at scoring from free kicks by curling the ball past a wall of defenders. The movie is about the 18-year-old daughter of Punjabi Sikhs in London. She is infatuated with football but her parents have forbidden her to play because she is a girl. She joins a local women's team, which makes its way to the top of the league. Bend It Like Beckham was released theatrically on April 12, 2002 by Redbus Film Distribution, and on DVD and VHS on November 18, 2002 by Warner Home Video. The film surprised critics and was met with mostly positive reviews and it earned $76,583,333 on a $6 million budget. A stage musical version of the film opened at London's Phoenix Theatre on 24 June 2015.[2]

Plot

Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra is the 18-year-old daughter of Punjabi Sikh Indians from Hounslow in west London. Jess is infatuated with football but her parents have forbidden her to play because she is a girl. She plays in the park sometimes with her good friend Tony, and his buddies, where her skills draw the attention of Juliette "Jules" Paxton, who plays for the women's team of the local club, the fictional Hounslow Harriers. Their coach, Joe, is impressed with her play and puts her on the team. Jess pretends to have a job to play with the team and Jules and Jess become best friends, despite the fact that both are attracted to Joe.

Jess enlists her sister Pinky to cover for her when the team travels to Germany for a big match, but everything unravels when Jules spies Joe and Jess almost kiss, causing a breach between them, and Jess's parents find out and forbid her to continue. Meanwhile, Jules's mother wrongly thinks Jules is a lesbian and the girls' spat is a lovers' quarrel. Jess's parents are confronted by a similar accusation before Jess reveals the truth about her attraction to Joe. While the elder Bhamras are distracted by the elaborate preparations for Pinky's upcoming wedding, Jess continues to play and the Hounslow Harriers make their way towards the top of the league. Joe encourages Jess to come clean with her parents and eventually approaches Mr. Bhamra to explain she has a chance to win a prestigious scholarship, but Mr. Bhamra refuses to believe it.

Jess and Jules must sort their differences, make peace with their parents, and overcome cultural prejudice to win the league championship, and earn scholarships to Santa Clara University in California.

Cast

Characters

Main characters

Other characters

Production

Production and location

The film was located in Hounslow in west London.

There is a rumour that the film's plot originally resolved with Jess and Jules ending up together romantically, but that Chadha rewrote the script for fear of upsetting conservative Indians; however this is untrue. On the exterior the film's message seems to address women's roles and homophobia, but a deeper reading reflects a message of cultural difference and individual assimilation.[3] The film was located in Hounslow in west London.

Casting and music

On March 8, 2002, it was announced that Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley would play the two lead roles in the film, while Archie Panjabi and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were in early talks to join the cast. On March 14, 2002, Shaznay Lewis and Anupam Kher were also in final talks to join the film, Shaheen Khan was added to the cast, playing Mrs. Bhamra, mother of Jess and on March 20, 2002, Juliet Stevenson and Frank Harper joined the cast of the film, playing Paula Paxton and Alan Paxton, mother and father of Jules. Craig Pruess scored the music for the film and on its soundtrack. The soundtrack also contains "Titles" performed by Craig Pruess and Bally Sagoo featuring Gunjan, "Inner Smile" performed by Texas, "Jind Mahi" performed by Malkit Singh, "Noorie" performed by Bally Sagoo and Gunjan, "I Wish" performed by Victoria Beckham, "Kinna Sohna" performed by Gunjan, "Tere Bin Nahin Lagda" performed by Partners in Rhyme and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, "Independence Day" performed by Melanie C, "Darshan" performed by B21, "Hot Hot Hot" performed by Bina Mistry, "Atomic" performed by Blondie, "Hai Raba!" performed by Craig Pruess and Bally Sagoo featuring Gunjan, "Nessun Dorma" performed by Tito Beltrán, "Move on Up" performed by Curtis Mayfield, "Punjabiyan Di Shaan" performed by Hans Raj Hans, "Baddest Ruffest" performed by Backyard Dog, "Tere Bin Nahin Lagda" performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and "Do Your Thing" performed by Basement Jaxx.

Filming

The film was filmed at Bara Hall Park, Hayes, Middlesex, England, UK, Hamburg, Germany, Hotel Steigenberger, Hamburg, Germany, Hounslow, Middlesex, England, UK, London Heathrow Airport, London Borough of Hillingdon, London, England, UK, Southall, Middlesex, England, UK, Contessa Lingerie Shop, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK, Damini Store, Southall, Middlesex, England, UK, Elbe River, Lower Saxony, Germany, Gunnersbury Park, London, England, UK, Hounslow Central Underground Station, Hounslow, Middlesex, England, UK, Molesey Football Club, Walton Road, West Molesey, Surrey, England, UK, Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK, Soccer Scene, Carnaby Street, Soho, London, England, UK, Sutton Square, Heston, Hounslow, Middlesex, England, UK, The Broadway, Southall, Middlesex, England, UK, Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK, Yeading Football Club, Middlesex, England, UK and Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly, London, England, UK in 2002.

Deleted scenes

Among the DVD bonus features, there are several scenes that did not make the final release. Some of these scenes include dialogue from Pinky's friends as well as Jules, her mother meeting Kevin and his friends outside a shop, which would have been helpful because Kevin is mentioned three times but is never seen.

Release

Theatrical

Bend It Like Beckham was released theatrically on April 12, 2002 by Redbus Film Distribution.

Home media

Bend It Like Beckham was released on DVD, Blu-ray and VHS on November 18, 2002 by Warner Home Video.

Reception

Critical response

Jonathan Rhys Meyers was praised by critics for his performance.

The film surprised critics and was met with mostly positive reviews. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times noted that the film "was really full of easy humor, an impeccable sense of milieu that is the result of knowing the culture intimately enough to poke fun at it while understanding its underlying integrity."[4] The Times of India noted the film's social context, saying, "[it] is really about the bending of rules, social paradigms and lives – all to finally curl that ball, bending it like Beckham, through the goalpost of ambition [...] The creeping divide shows that Britain is changing, but hasn't quite changed yet. The stiff upper lip has travelled miles from the time Chadha's father was denied a pint at some pubs at Southall, but like dollops of coagulated spice in badly stirred curry, discrimination crops up to spoil the taste, every now and then, in multi-racial Britain."[5] Planet Bollywood gave the film a 9 out of 10 and stated that the "screenplay not only explores the development of Jesse as a person, but also the changing values and culture of NRI teens: Jesse's urge to break the social norm of the Indian homemaker, her sister's (Archie Punjabi) sexually-active relationship, and the gay Indian [Tony, played by Ameet Chana]."[6] The Hindu argued "if ever there is a film that is positive, realistic and yet delightful, then it has to be Dream Production's latest venture directed by Gurinder Chadha [...] Light hearted, without taking away the considerable substance in terms of values, attitudes and the love for sport, the film just goes to prove that there are ways to be convincing and honest."[7] The BBC gave it 4 out of 5 stars and argued that "Mr. Beckham ought to be proud to have his name on such a great film."[8] Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives Bend It like Beckham a rating of 85%, based upon 147 reviews (125 fresh and 22 rotten).[9] The British film was distributed by iDream Productions in India,[10] and went on to set the record in India for most number of tickets sold during a single weekend for a foreign movie.

Box office

Bend It Like Beckham also became the highest-grossing Indian-themed film ever in the USA, with $32 million in box office revenue.[11]

Accolades

Wins

Nominations

Soundtrack

Music from the Motion Picture Bend It Like Beckham
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released 2002
Recorded 2000-2002
Genre Bhangra
Pop
Label Milan Entertainment (US)
Cube Records (UK)
Producer Various artists
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link

The UK release of the soundtrack features bhangra music, songs by the Spice Girls' Victoria Beckham (whose song "IOU" can be heard during a scene involving Jules's mother but was not included on the original soundtrack) and Melanie C (whose song "I Turn to You" was used in the film but is not included in the soundtrack) and the band Texas. It also features "Baddest Ruffest" by Backyard Dog, the aria Nessun Dorma, from Puccini's Turandot and excerpts from the dance band Basement Jaxx. The USA release rearranges the tracks and excludes some material. The single "Dream the Dream", which is recorded by Shaznay Lewis (who portrays Mel in the film), appears in the movie but did not make the final cut on the soundtrack.

UK release

  1. Craig Pruess & Bally Sagoo Feat. Gunjan – "Titles"
  2. Blondie – "Atomic"
  3. Backyard Dog – "Baddest Ruffest"
  4. B21 – "Darshan"
  5. (Movie Dialogue) – "It's Beckham's Corner"
  6. Victoria Beckham – "I Wish"
  7. (Movie Dialogue) – "Learn To Cook Dahl"
  8. Malkit Singh – "Jind Mahi"
  9. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – "Tere Bin Nahin Lagda" craig michael
  10. Bally Sagoo Feat Gunjan – "Noorie"
  11. (Movie Dialogue) – "Juicy Juicy Mangoes"
  12. Basement Jaxx – "Do Your Thing"
  13. (Movie Dialogue) – "Eyes Down"
  14. Texas – "Inner Smile"
  15. Melanie C – "Independence Day" (New Version)
  16. (Movie Dialogue) – "Can't Make Round Chapattis"
  17. Hans Raj Hans – "Punjabiyan Di Shaan"
  18. Gunjan – "Kinna Sohna"
  19. Tito Beltrán – "Nessun Dorma"
  20. (Movie Dialogue) – "The Offside Rule Is"
  21. Bina Mistry – "Hot Hot Hot"
  22. Craig Pruess & Bally Sagoo Feat. Gunjan – "Hai Raba!"
  23. Curtis Mayfield – "Move on Up"

USA release

  1. Craig Pruess & Bally Sagoo Feat. Gunjan – "Titles"
    • (Movie Dialogue) – "It's Beckham's Corner"
  2. Texas – "Inner Smile"
  3. Malkit Singh – "Jind Mahi"
  4. Bally Sagoo Feat Gunjan – "Noorie"
    • (Movie Dialogue) – "Learn To Cook Dahl"
  5. Victoria Beckham – "I Wish"
    • (Movie Dialogue) – "Juicy Juicy Mangoes"
  6. Gunjan – "Kinna Sohna"
  7. Partners in Rhyme (featuring Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) – "Tere Bin Nahin Lagda"
    • (Movie Dialogue) – "Can't Make Round Chapattis"
  8. Melanie C – "Independence Day"
  9. B21 – "Darshan"
    • (Movie Dialogue) – "Eyes Down"
  10. Bina Mistry – "Hot Hot Hot"
  11. Blondie – "Atomic"
  12. Craig Pruess & Bally Sagoo Feat. Gunjan – "Hai Raba!"
  13. Tito Beltrán – "Nessun Dorma"

North Korean broadcast

To mark the tenth anniversary of North Korea's relations with the United Kingdom, an edited version of Bend It Like Beckham was broadcast on North Korean state television on 26 December 2010. The British Ambassador to South Korea, Martin Uden, said it was the "1st ever Western-made film to air on TV" in North Korea.[13]

International releases

Stage musical

A stage musical version of the film opened at London's Phoenix Theatre in 2015.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bend It Like Beckham at Box Office Mojo
  2. 1 2 "Bend It Like Beckham the Musical".
  3. ↑ Rings, Guido (23 September 2011). "Questions of Identity: Cultural Encounters in Gurinder Chadha's Bend It Like Beckham". Journal of Popular Film and Television 39 (3): 114–123. doi:10.1080/01956051.2010.541954. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  4. ↑ http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-turan12mar12,0,1968425.story Archived 24 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Review: Bend it like Beckham is like curry at the Wayback Machine (archived March 2, 2009). Times of India review. 10 July 2002
  6. ↑ Bend It Like Beckham. Planet Bollywood review. (27 June 2003). Retrieved on 3 November 2011.
  7. ↑ Bend It Like Beckham. The Hindu. 19 July 2002
  8. ↑ Jamie Russell Bend it Like Beckham (2002). Bbc.co.uk (11 April 2002). Retrieved on 3 November 2011.
  9. ↑ "Bend It Like Beckham". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  10. ↑ SSKI's Shripal Morakhia divests 50% stake in iDream to management team. Indiantelevision. April 23, 2014.
  11. ↑ Dropping Lesbian Romance from Beckham the Right Decision. AfterEllen.com. Retrieved on 3 November 2011.
  12. ↑ http://espn.go.com/espys/
  13. ↑ "North Korea bends it like Beckham in UK film first". BBC. 30 December 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.

External links

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