Professor Pfinklepfunder's $1 Sunday Films
Directed by Gurinder Chadha
With Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Rated PG-13, 112 minutes
In English and German, Hindi, and Punjabi with English subtitles
Often noted for being the launching pad for Kiera Knightley's stellar career, Bend It Like Beckham centered women in a soccer narrative that was—and continues to be—rare in sports films. Further, the multicultural snapshot of turn-of-the-century London gave Southall's Punjabi community, in particular its women and girls, a stage within the soccer world, which allowed for greater visibility and the recipe for a hit not just in Britain but around the world. Jess (Parminder Nagra) is not allowed to play soccer by her parents even though she's an adult and incredibly skilled. Some cajoling from Jules (Knightley) gets Jess out on the field, but not out to her parents as a soccer player.