Bend it Like Beckham is one of the first movies that introduced me to Keira Knightley. The British movie made its worldwide theatrical debut in 2002. It hit U.S. theaters in 2003.
The movie is about Jess, an Indian girl  (Parminder Nagra) who dreams of playing professional football (soccer) like her favorite footballer, David Beckham. Jess’ parents forbid her to play but she sneaks around anyway. Her mother expects her to become a proper Indian woman. This means an educated housewife who knows how to cook traditional Indian dishes. Jess’ sister, Pinky intends on following her mother’s advice. The family is planning a traditional Indian wedding for Pinky.
Before joining a female soccer team, Jess plays soccer with her male friends in the street and park. She eventually falls for her Irish coach, Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), which is a no no in their culture. Jules (Keira Knightley) also has a crush on Joe. While at a tournament in Germany, Jess and Joe share a kiss. This causes a lot of tension in the girls friendship.  Pinky suggests for Jess to date an Indian boy. Jess isn’t interested in doing so.
Bend it Like Beckham is a good movie. If you want to learn about different cultures and soccer, this is a good movie to watch. The movie also offers a lot of laughs throughout. I still enjoy watching the movie as much as I did in 2003. I hope to watch the musical someday.

Photo from Amazon