Bend It Like Beckham

Name: Bend It Like Beckham
Genre: Drama, Sport, Comedy, Romance
Released: March 12, 2003
Duration: 112 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keira Knightley, Parminder Nagra

2003

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 84 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	Your Score
7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 84 Ratings

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Bend It Like Beckham

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: March 12, 2003 | PG-13

Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keira Knightley, Parminder Nagra

Summary: A British film about a teenage girl named Jess (Nagra) living in London who must make a choice between following the traditions of her Indian family or pursuing her dream of becoming a soccer sensation. (Fox Searchlight)

Director: Gurinder Chadha

Genre(s): Drama, Sport, Comedy, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 112 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Owen Gleiberman

The most exhilarating movie so far this year. It's made up of many familiar elements -- think ''Monsoon Wedding'' meets ''My Beautiful Laundrette'' meets ''Personal Best'' -- yet before long, you catch on to how buoyant and funny and original it is. Read full review

Claudia Puig

The juxtaposition between the fast-paced plays on the soccer field and the color-drenched, music-infused wedding party is a highlight of this captivating film. Read full review

Desson Thomson

There's a great sense of fun in the cultural collision between Indian and British lifestyles -- often within the same person. Read full review

Nathan Rabin

Like the rest of the film, Beckham's climax is surprisingly satisfying, however, in large part because director Gurinder Chadha films the competing big game and big fat Indian wedding of Nagra's sister with equivalently bursting levels of color, panache, and verve. Read full review

Rick Kisonak

The portrait of traditional Indian life Chadha provides manages to mine laughs from characters without resorting to making them laughable. Read full review

David Edelstein

The movie isn't unwatchable. It's clumsily good-natured, the actors are appealing, and there are worse ways to spend two hours than looking at pretty young girls in shorts kicking balls. But the movie is way, way too pleased with itself. Read full review

Jessica Winter

Only silent Becks himself rises unstained from this reheated ethno-niche stew. Read full review

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User Reviews

PatriciaC.

Sep 10, 2007

What a brilliant film i love jonathan rhys meyers he is so hot and it just shows that women can play football hope there is going to be a second film.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

B.F.

Jun 15, 2006

i loved this movie it was great i want 2 get it on dvd.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

KristinaD.

Nov 24, 2006

An immensely enjoyable film with lots of energy and wonderfully acted!

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[Anonymous]

Mar 10, 2009

Great movie with plenty of humor. And I'm Indian, so I know how dead on the movie is about revealing Indian culture in the Western World. But my parents don't mind when I date white girls. Other than that, it's really accurate.

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Dostoyevsky3

Jul 8, 2022

A frequently fun buddy film, an inspiring coming of age story, and an interracial romance story. Bend It Like Beckham lives up to its surprisingly symbolic title.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

anishsana

Jul 28, 2013

Light-hearted comedy! As an Indian I can completely relate to this movie. Well directed and not-so-bad acting. Not the most innovative movie but thoroughly enjoyable. Absolutely loved it!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 25, 2021

This is a pretty decent feel good film about female teenage cultural rebellion, in relation to Jas (Jasminder, played by Parminder Nagra) and I'd also say it has a nice amount of warmhearted defiance present. I liked seeing Keira Knightley in such an early film role. It challenges adultsThis is a pretty decent feel good film about female teenage cultural rebellion, in relation to Jas (Jasminder, played by Parminder Nagra) and I'd also say it has a nice amount of warmhearted defiance present. I liked seeing Keira Knightley in such an early film role. It challenges adults (more specifically, teenage parents) assumptions and it does this pretty well. It is a little dated now, in terms of the fashions and so on but of course thats inevitable, given the film dates from 2002.

Its nice to see a pretty mainstream British film which features an Indian teenager as one of the main characters and her wider Indian family as, I suppose, there hadn't previously been a great amount of that seen in most mainstream British films, although I could be wrong but in any case I enjoyed the film and I would recommend it.… Expand

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97	#97 Most Discussed Movie of 2003
75	#75 Most Shared Movie of 2003