Summer Nostalgia and Soccer: A Reflection and Review on Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham
The first thing to establish is that Bend it Like Beckham is fully a feel good nostalgia film. Watching the film feels like sitting down again in middle school during summer break, still sweaty from soccer practice– my jersey plastered to my chest and my pigtails sticking to my forehead. The film is admittedly cheesy and sometimes lands a little bit flat in some of its messaging. Spoilers abound from this point forward– in case this film didn’t form an integral part of your coming of age like mine.
Years later, watching again I cringe Jess’ coach telling her that “Jess, I’m Irish. Of course, I understand what that feels like”, after Jess charges at a football player (I’ll call soccer football just for this film from this point forward) on the opposing team calls her a slur for Pakistani people. This is played straight (no pun intended), by the way – presumably a moment of genuine allyship, although it's uncomfortable to watch years later.
Even middle school me felt a bit ill at ease with the romantic pairing of Jess and Joe, her football coach. I was not rooting for Joe and Jess to get together - Irish solidarity aside, I had complex feelings about Jess ending up with her football coach. I feel similarly about the other romantic pairing - Jess and Jules. which isn’t to say that I don’t want the pair to happen, but I’m disappointed in how the film treats the idea of queerness. This other pairing hinted at was similarly complicated. At times, the humor (often revolving around Jess and Jules being presumed to be lesbians) makes me cringe. For a film all about identity and empowerment, it can be restrictive in what that means. Perhaps a little sad, knowing now them getting together was originally intended. And yet, the film is feel-good. The 00’s fashion and amazing soundtrack aside, Bend It Like Beckham is the first time I felt seen on-screen, and not just because of the soccer (er, football) angle.
Jess is a strong Indian girl, and while there are some differences between us (I’m Bengali, Jess is Punjabi, I’m American and Jess is British… Jess actually is talented at football and I was more likely to kick people’s shins than the ball), the similarities were enough for me to finally feel represented and, in many ways, finally understood. At the time, there were movies starting to emerge with strong women, which is still something the film industry grapples with. For that matter, the film industry particularly grapples with demonstrating a female lead is strong without giving her “not like other girls” syndrome in the process. Nevertheless, American movies few and far between show(ed) Indian women – let alone at the center of their stories. Bollywood movies too, didn’t have many strong female characters. So despite the fact it was British, I was more than happy to see a film celebrate my culture while criticizing some of its narrowmindedness.
In some ways, the film ages poorly and well all at once. The “not like other girls attitude” of Jess and Jules, the center romance, as well as the casual homophobia of some of the characters is grating. But it also deeply evokes the cultural zeitgeist of the 00’s – where queerness was no longer unspeakable but often played up for laughs. A character’s gaynesss (presumed or actual) was a target for one-liners, rather than a character trait. Nevertheless, it was one of the first films where I saw the potential for women deeply supporting and loving each other beyond friendship. The film is undeniably queer – which is important even in the face of the fact that Jess and Jules are consistently maligned by their families for their closeness. The mutual admiration they have for each other along with envy, the way Jules carefully watched Jess in the beginning before approaching her about joining the team, and the way they connect feels deeply like a queer coming of age. Unfortunately, the film veers into playing that aspect up for laughs and outright dismissing the possibility despite heightening the tension between Jess and Jules. Perhaps in another life, Jess and Jules are dancing together, with no Joe in sight.
Keira Knightley agrees by the way – although I suspect the queer sequel she asked for may never come, fans were overjoyed by her admission Jess and Jules should have gotten together. The love for this film and the fans it garners makes sense. It’s the top association football film because its lead character is dynamic and full even when the 00’s stereotypes abound. Jess is far from perfect – she looks down on her sister for finding and prioritizing love (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), she doesn’t know how to navigate female friendships or genuine teamwork at first, nor does she know how to connect with her family. But she’s honest and passionate and dedicated and loyal.
In many ways I see myself echoed in Jess – dealing with complicated female friendships that evoke admiration and jealousy at once and reckoning with a family that has sacrificed everything and expects you to do the same to ensure traditional success. Constantly trying to fit boxes you know aren’t meant for you, but you’re expected to contort and conform. Knowing you are good at something but having that be looked down upon (in my case, it’s writing and literature). Amid its silliness, Bend it Like Beckham has great heart, and pushes its audience to ask and ponder big questions. What if you dare to want more? What if you dare to want something different?
Bend it Like Beckham tells everyone, but Desi women in particular, to dare to do so – that they are bigger than everyone else’s expectations, rules, and regulations. Bigger than histories of hatred, of misogyny and racism (and perhaps homophobia). In the 00’s, this was a radical thing to tell South Asian women, who even today still face rigid restrictions on their identity and expression of self. Much of our self worth is tied to our palatability – being a nice girl eligible to marry, having good grades, making the perfect cup of chai or perfectly round chapati. But Jess discovers she’s much more than that, and that she deserves to dare look elsewhere for her own happy ending. In the end, Bend it Like Beckham is a comedic love story– but I would argue that even the queerness or the family or the Irish older coach (...seriously, weird) isn’t the love story the movie centers on. Instead the love story is of a Desi girl who learns to love herself and that the ways she bends do not have to be to the rules of others. So, Bend it Like Beckham feels like summer, soccer (football, sorry!), and queer awakening (all deeply nostalgic to me). But more importantly, it feels like coming of age – and coming into myself, and all the ways I can bend but not break.
