Bend It Like Beckham

There are some cultures that just seem completely foreign to us mainly because we're not exposed to the inner workings of that culture. So when two completely different cultures come together we sometimes have a very entertaining story that brings us closer to the understanding of ourselves and others. Using the sport of soccer to launch this heartwarming comedy gives it a universal base that any audience member can at some point connect with. The young actresses that team up in this film are Kira Knightley and Parminder K. Nagra, and together they deliver two wonderful roles of adolescent girls with the same interests but from different societies.
Growing up to be a proper Indian girl does not include playing soccer like her idol David Beckham, but when the opportunity arises to play she must work at balancing family traditions and playing the game she loves. Strongly character driven this story gives the audience a chance to see how some young women have to work against traditions in society in order to do they want to. With Nagra and Knightley playing with and against each other through the story we see that the time and effort that is put into playing sports is sometimes difficult, but not just from the game side of the story, from the family members that don't want them to participate as well. The story moves along at a good pace and doesn't really slow down, and with the injection of the family conflict it gives the story a little bit of drama to keep things moving.
Some of the comedy that is throughout the story has to do with the Indian culture adapting into the Western society that they live in, but there is also some comedic sexual tension mixed in when some of the characters' orientation comes into question. All of the jokes and situations are done in good taste and there are no vulgar overtones, so that there are no embarrassing situations if the family watches it together. Where this tale isn't a straight sports story, and more about the a family's blending of tradition and modern society, the audience is taken on a journey of discovery and life fulfilling dreams.