Rating: 
Summary: 3 cheers for Bend It Like Beckham!!!
Review: Bend it like beckam was a truly amazing film. it is inspiring and touching. the only parts that i have a problem w/ are the gay/lesbian remarks. when juliets mother got all mad @ her and accused her of being a lesbian that truly offended me for you can play football (soccer) and act like sort of a "tom boy" w/o being a lesbian. I totally recomed this movie for preteen girls and or ppl who enjoy football (soccer). If they would have left out all of the homosexual comments i would have given this film 5 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Well . . .
Review: This is a rather pleasant film to watch. You're never in any danger of having your sensibilities challenged. The drama lies somewhere between full-on cheekiness and gritty drama; it's never a total farce or truly believable. The target demographic is obviously pre-teen girls, and although many parts are purely in the realm of fantasy, it's an opportunity for young girls to think about the way their true ambitions are thwarted within the same family structure that provides their safety and identity (or not), and a chance to ponder racial/cultural tensions in the UK. Of course, if you're only in it for the soccer, then you should be pleased.
Rating:
Summary: Bend it Like Beckham
Review: A fun culturally rich movie for all people, Bend it Like Beckham is a bittersweet movie about love, dreams, and family. Jessi desperately wants to play soccer, and when a girl named Juli invites her to join a soccer team, a rift is placed in Jessi's family as she is conflicted with following her dreams or following tradition.
This movie focuses big on tradition and first loves. It's a good movie to show to a soccer team. The homosexual jokes became a little old (what is up with the British obsession with homosexuality?), and the movie didn't concentrate nearly enough on the reasons why Jess' family wanted to protect her. This is a cute movie, however, and the faults are quickly forgiven.
Rating: 
Summary: A great film for most of the family.
Review: Well, my wife and I loved this little British flick. We popped it in New Years Eve and laughed for the entire time; even harder during the closing credits. It is refreshing to see a movie where the young folks love and respect their parents to the point where they are willing to make sacrifices to make them happy. I look at teens in American comedies and hope that the people writing them will go see films like Bend it for some inspiration.
The minute I pulled the flick out and put it back in it's case I turned to my wife and made the observation that my 10 year old niece would love this flick. (I try and make it a point to pass on discs and books to her that I think will challenge her a bit yet still entertain.) Wifey stopped for a moment, thought about it and then said that she probably would. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why she had to think about it for a moment. As I read some of the other reviews here it hit me.Beckham is a wonderful story. It is inspirational without being sappy, has wonderfully engaging characters and is wildly funny. The girls are strong and capable without crossing the line into that brazen, in your face, nasty attitude that predominates a lot of American productions. The message is simple but it's execution is not. Follow your dreams, but do everything you can to not hurt those around you while you do it. It can be a very fine line to walk. The only thing that might turn some parents away is the use of homosexuality as a plot point. Juliet's mother fears her daughter may be a lesbian, that Jess may be her lover and another character comes out of the closet to a close friend. This won't upset a lot of free thinkers out there, but there are definately some parents who are not ready to explain to their kids why Juliet's mom is so upset that Jess gave her a kiss or why that other character is afraid to talk about their own preferences within their circle of friends. My niece was born in Provincetown MA (San Franscisco East Coast, but smaller) and spent her life surrounded by gay men. She and her mother have no problems talking about these things. If however, you don't feel that you or your child are able to reasonably discuss these themes then hold off until you are. Once you get to that point though, Beckham would be a great place to start. It handles the issues with great humor and taste. Five stars out of Five. One of the best films of 2003.
Rating:
Summary: Even better than Beckham himself
Review: No this movie isn't about Beckham. It doesn't even shows Beckham act whatsoever... The only "real" footballeur in this movie is John Barnes (former Liverpool captain) and lend his voice as the commentator. This is the movie to watch if you are so bored with colossal-epic, drama, horror, or teen-flick..
This movie definitely has a different taste..
Rating:
Summary: Non-Sappy Feel Good Movie!
Review: As a thirty-something woman who grew up playing soccer and being a tomboy, the experience of seeing this movie was incredibly affirming and at the same time, moving - on the same level as when I entered the stands of Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in 1999 and joined the crowds of tens of thousands of people screaming for the U.S. Women's Soccer Team, especially the little girls and boys in Mia Hamm jerseys. This heartwarming movie never descends into sappiness or rote cliches, and it handles the British-Indian immigrant/culture clash with nuance, love, and affection, and never stereotypes its characters. (Unlike the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," which I hated for its misogyny and stereotyping and initially made me unwilling to see "Bend It" because so many people had described "Bend It" as the "Greek Wedding" of 2003.) Make sure to watch the deleted scenes of "Bend It," including the Indian cooking segment starring the director and her mother and aunt.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring Chick Flick
Review: You don't have to be into soccer, or even a girl to enjoy this light-hearted movie. I first went to see it because I love soccer, but it was even better than I thought it would be. My guy cousins loved it, as did some of my friends who hate soccer. As you can see, it's not limited to female soccer players. Jess, an young Indian girl, has a great talent for soccer, but her srict, tradional parents dislike her playing-- they'd rather hook her up with a nice, Indian boy or have her cook Indian food. She joins a girls soccer league from the urging of her newfound friend, Jules (Kiera Knightly). Of course, she does this while lying to her parents, and of course they find out and there's a whole moral about lying and whatnot. But it's not preachy, it's enjoyable. Bend It Like Beckham is one of best, not to mention funniest films of 2003. The only problem I had was the confusion over the age of Jess and Jules. It was only after the second viewing of BILB did I realized they must be around 17-18, because at the end,**SPOILER** they leave for college. **SPOILER OVER** Americans might also be confused because the girls are shown drinking and going to a club. This is because Europe has different drinking limits, etc. But all in all, this was a good, funny movie to watch with a group of a girls (and guys!).
Rating:
Summary: You don't need to like soccer to like this movie!
Review:
In this story, "Jess", and Indian girl in Great Brittain is torn between her love for football (soccer) and her family's traditional Indian culture. It's not the best movie you'll ever see, but it's funny, fast-moving, and compelling and it would be hard to not like it. Also, the portrayal of Indian culture is eye-opening. And although the movie revolves around Jess's love of soccer you don't need to be a soccer fan to like the movie. Well worth seeing!
Rating:
Summary: awsome
Review: I love this movie!! It is so funny. I got it a few days ago and have watched it about 20 times already! It's a great movie and is one of my favorites.
Rating:
Summary: Keep bending it!!! (aka ignore mbsc18's "break it review")
Review: One of the best movies of 2003! While the storyline may seem cliched, the dialog is well-written and the acting superb. I would ignore completely the review by mbsc18, who accused this movie of promoting "lying, swearing, drinking, homosexuality, bad morals, and disobeying your parents". Give me a break! I am surprised mbsc18 didnt accuse the movie of promoting satanism and the mixing of races as well. First, while the character of Jess does lie to her parents, it is not without consequences, as she does get caught. As for drinking...this movie is set in Britain! Teenagers regualarly drink in Europe and it is very much legal. This isnt the United States where parents seem to have a problem teaching their children how to drink responsibly. As for homosexuality, I must have missed the part where the characters invited everyone to give it a try. This isnt the 1950's and dispite what you may think, homosexuals do exist. Swearing, well that's a personal issue, but I would invite mbsc18 to a local high school to hear how kids talk these days. I would argue that the director is trying to keep it real. I think this movie has some great messages: Girl power, keeping a balance between your cultural heritage and your life, and being there for your family. I totally recommend this movie.
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