 June
2003
This month's review:
Bend It Like Beckham
Moe: Hey, Joe, I really feel like going out to a movie.
Tired of videos and DVDs. I want to see something on the big screen.
You’ve seen just about everything, so what do you recommend?
Joe: What do you feel like seeing? Action-adventure?
Comedy? Heavy drama?
Moe: Something fun, something that holds my interest. But
not a downer.
Joe: OK. How about Bend It Like Beckham?
It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s the best thing I’ve seen lately.
Moe: Do what like who?
Joe: Bend It Like Beckham. It’s a British
movie about young people playing soccer.
Moe: Oh no. A British movie? I have trouble with those
British accents. And I don’t know a thing about soccer.
Joe: That’s OK. There aren’t that many soccer scenes. And
you won’t really have any trouble understanding the English. It’s
mostly kids talking. They all talk the same these days.
Moe: OK. Convince me. Sounds pretty obscure. Why should I
go and see this movie?
Joe: Lots of reasons. For one thing, it wasn’t made in
Hollywood. For two, it’s about families—and even though there are
problems between the kids and their parents, they’re all basically
loving and respectful toward each other. It shows a lot about family
life. For three, you can learn something about another culture.
That’s always a good thing.
Moe: How do you mean?
Joe: Well, I think the movie is really about
acculturation. Soccer is just the backdrop. It’s about two girls who
love to play soccer and are really good at it. One is named Jess and
is from an Indian family. The other is named Jules and is from a
typical Anglo family. Their parents are from different worlds, but
the kids get along great. They’re still able to maintain their
cultural background, but they can also relate to each other as close
friends. It’s like the kids know we’re all God’s children, even if
their parents don’t know that.
Moe: Sounds like a TV documentary. Is there any action?
Joe: Of course there is. There’s a big problem between
Jess and her parents because they don’t want her to play soccer—it’s
not ladylike for an Indian girl. But God has provided her the gift
of being talented at soccer, and this is what she’s passionate
about. She follows her dream, but for a while she has to do it on
the sly—sneak around. Until her parents find out about it, that is.
Moe: So then what happens?
Joe: I’m not going to tell you. You’ve got to go and see
it.
Moe: Hmm. Well, maybe. But what in the world does the
title mean? What’s a Beckham?
Joe: David Beckham is one of the most famous British
soccer players—and one of the biggest in the world. “Bend it” means
curve the ball so it’ll get past the goalie.
Moe: Well … OK, I’ll give it a try. But you said it wasn’t
a perfect movie. What’s wrong with it?
Joe: Well, I have a few reservations. It plays pretty fast
and loose about alternative lifestyles. I didn’t care for that
aspect. There’s some crude language, which I hate. But the whole
theme about realizing what your gifts are and following your dream
is really powerful. And in the end you feel good about the way
things are resolved. The parents learn something, and so do the
kids. It’s worth seeing.
Moe: All right, but if it’s a bomb, you owe me. What kind
of rating would you give it?
Joe: I’d give it 3 stars. Trust me.
Ratings: 3
stars
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Index of movie
reviews...
(2003 reviews through present)
Jay Maurer, a member of West Side Presbyterian Church, is
a long-term movie buff and former college teacher of The Film as
Literature. He has written movie reviews for The Good News
(West Side newsletter) since 2002.
If you have comments or questions
about the movie (or play) reviews, please contact Jay at
dramachap@msn.com.
Ratings are expressed in
increments of ¼ star.
A rating of 2 ½ stars or higher is meant to be a recommendation.
1 star: poor
2 stars: minimally satisfactory
3 stars: quite good
4 stars: superb
Criteria for determining the ratings:
- Reflection, either explicit or implicit, of Christian values,
including suitability of language and lack of gratuitous violence
- Quality of the acting
- Originality
- Unity of the entire picture
- Substance, or in the words of C.S. Lewis, weight
Other Christian movie review Web sites:
Plugged In Online
ChristianityTodayMovies.com
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