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Bend it like Beckham - Forum
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Bend it like Beckham
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| Lunow | Date: Monday, 2012-12-24, 12:44 PM | Message # 1 |
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| Of East Indian origin of the Sikh faith, the Bhamra family have been settled in Great Britain for several years. They have two daughters, Pinky and Jessminder. While Pinky is in the process of getting married, Jessminder is preparing to play football - which is not acceptable to her parents. But Jessminder knows she is good at the sport, and she does receive considerable encouragement. Her parents are clearly uncomfortable with their daughter running around in shorts, chasing a big ball, instead of being clad in a traditional salwar khameez, and learning to cook East Indian recipes. Jessminder must now decide what's important for her. To make matters worse, a football tournament is arranged on the very day of her sister's marriage. Will Jessminder be able to play, or will her dreams be shattered? Written by rAjOo - imbd.com
This movie fits neatly into the unit that we study on culture. It tells the story of a Sikh family living in England. It shows how immigrant families often try to maintain a sense of their cultural traditions while they struggle to acculturate to a new society. It explores some of the tensions for second generation immigrants who struggle with family expectations and the need to "fit into" a new society. Those themes (immigration and the treatment of immigrants) actually fit into our Unit 2 (Population and Migration) area of study.
This is a must see movie if you like soccer... It also shows East Indian (in this case Sikh) culture.
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| rosalynnphan | Date: Monday, 2015-04-06, 11:41 PM | Message # 2 |
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| Rosalynn Phan
Period 5
Jesminder Bhamra dreamed ofbecoming a professional football (soccer) player. What stood in the way, however, was tradition – following her cultural destiny of marrying an Indian man and playing the role of a housewife, who cooks dhal, wears a sari, and praysto Babaji. Defying her parents wasout of the question, but her familial responsibilities and Indian roots could not suppress her love for the sport. “Bend It like Beckham”, a Kintop Pictures production, was Jesminder’s story of overcoming her family’s urge to preserve their Punjabi Sikhism in England and pursuing her dream to play football.
Jess’s parents did not accept change; theycould not bear to see their daughter showing off too much skin and playing football (or any sport for that matter). Her older sister, Pinky, did not help her case either because she was engaged to an Indian man. The only escape from this structured life was sneaking off to play for the Hounslow Harriers Girls football team, which worked its way to the top of the league. Though she flew through the ranks with help from her friend, Jules, Jess struggled to make her family happy because it jeopardized her own happiness. On the brink of giving up on all the sweat, tears, and determination she had shed to reach the finals for the football tournament, Jesminder’s father finally showed his support for her endeavor. In the end, this new acceptance gave Jess the opportunity to play football in one of the best college teams in the United States – Santa Clara.
Many ideas from the movie relatedto the topics discussed in the unit on culture (Unit 3). On a broader spectrum, the central idea was the difficulty to preserve an immigrant family’s indigenous culture in the face of acculturation and globalization. Because of their cultural differences with the people in the country to which they are migrating, immigrants felt alienated and overwhelmed by the unknown lifestyles. This issue was then passed on to the second generation, modified to accommodate the influence of acculturation versus traditional values. The clash of individual cultures created turmoil for people who wanted to join the “it” crowd but also wanted to maintain their ancestral identities. Therefore, much like Jesminder, the people of today acculturated to follow their own paths, adjusted to fit their desires and responsibilities.
Favorite quote: "I don't want her to make the samemistakes that her father made, of accepting life, accepting situations."-Jesminder's father
This quote represented the difference between Jesminder’sgeneration and that of her father’s. In the past, her father gave up on his own
sport when he arrived to England because people were discriminatory against him. He was overwhelmed by the idea of an Indian man playing on a white team which made him regretfully quit. This mistake persuaded Jesminder’s father to believe that his daughter must “fight” and become an incredible football player.
Message edited by rosalynnphan - Monday, 2015-04-06, 11:43 PM |
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| Marty | Date: Tuesday, 2015-04-07, 12:41 PM | Message # 3 |
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| Martin Tran
Period 4
In the movie Bend It Like Beckham, Jesminder Bahmra nicknamed Jess wants to play soccer as a profession, but cultural obstacles block her path of her dreams. Jess's parents do not approve Jess playing soccer since soccer was foreign to Jess's parents' tradion. Jess also had to face the conflict that the soccer tournament is the same day of her sister's marriage. There were many themes of human geography that are demonstrated in this movie. Various examples of popular culture such as soccer, cricket, cell phones, and jeans were displayed . The Indian folk culture was emphasized also; the traditional foods, clothes, and events were also shown.
One theme that the movie expresses is popular culture is prevalent and being integrated into folk culture. There have been many scenes that show contrasts of popular culture and folk culture. During the final soccer competition and the wedding, the movie had continuous shots, back to back, of the final competition and then the wedding. This highlights the happiness of Jess, who loves popular culture, and the happiness of her family and relatives, who enjoy folk culture. Jess wouldn't have smiled very much at the wedding, unless she finished what she started in popular culture. The contrasts of happiness show that Jess can have as much fun being active in popular culture, getting far away from folk culture. However, it doesn't mean that Jess doesn't know anything about folk culture. She is forced to learn how to cook traditional Indian foods and she is also forced to balance both popular culture and folk culture, like many people in real life. She goes away from the traditional ways, ways that her mom is used to. The mom eventually learnd about soccer, succumbing to the dominance of popular culture. Also, Jess and her sister rarely wears the traditional Indian clothes outside, but they wear popular culture clothes, like jeans and shirts. Their style of dressing is compared to their elders, which are wearing traditional folk gowns, which symbolizes the predominance of popular culture.
Another theme that the movie expresses is the unfair treatments that immigrants had to face. The major problem centers around this theme. Jess's dad wasn't allowed to play cricket mostly because he was not white. He had to resort to a life without cricket and following the status quo. Jess' parents were protecting her from the rules set against immigrants. However, her dad allowed her to follow her dreams and he warned her that she has to fight against the rules that were set against her in the end. Also, when Jess' best friend's mom took the shoes away from Jess also puts Jess at a vulnerable state. The movie also displayed the elders questioning the English of the Jess' best friend's mom. The English think that they have more power than the immigrants since the immigrants have a lack of understanding of English.
I would recommend those who love soccer, interested on other cultures, and/or enjoy humor to watch this movie. I would rate this movie 9/10.
Message edited by Marty - Wednesday, 2015-04-08, 3:23 PM |
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| fablina | Date: Sunday, 2015-04-12, 1:01 AM | Message # 4 |
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| Lina Nguyen
Period 6
Jesminder Bahmar, also known as Jess, is a teenage Indian girl with a passion and talent for football (soccer). The movie, "Bend It Like Beckham", displays the conflict of choosing between her family/tradition or her dream. This movie shows how she struggles with internal and external and how she resolves them.
There are many crucial customs and taboos imposed upon her by society. Jess lives in a very ordered and tradition-based family. Therefore, anything out of the boundary is done in secret and hidden from her family, starting with when she was invited to tryout for the football team. When her parents discovered she was on the girl's football team, they were outraged because it was against everything they believed in.
She is expected to be married to a male of the same nationality, be a housewife, and learn to cook. To this culture, behavior, appearance, respect, and family honor is extremely valuable and important. To her parents most utter shock, she broke all these rules by befriending Jules and mingling with her coach, playing football in "unacceptable" clothes, lying, and disobeying their orders. Jess struggles to balance living her obligated life and trying to live her real life. Times like these, either choice can damage the other unless there is a compromise.
This movie connected to subjects included in Unit 3, Culture. There is a huge influence from popular culture. Football, for example, is a well known and crowd-pleasing sport in Europe. She also would rather wear her "unacceptable" clothes than her traditional dresses, which can be identified as popular culture and possibly cultural assimilation. The popular culture is dominating the folk culture.
I enjoyed this movie because I can relate to some of it. I understand what it's like living under a strict household and limited and restricted to many things.There comes a time when you have to choose between just A life or THE life you truly want and you are torn. It's not easy, especially when all the pressure of conserving your culture is so valuable at the same time. I rate this 4.5/5.
Message edited by fablina - Sunday, 2015-04-12, 1:01 AM |
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| 17jbach | Date: Friday, 2016-01-01, 0:08 AM | Message # 5 |
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| Judy Bach Period 3
Jessminder Bhamra is an ambitious teenager who hopes of one day becoming a professional soccer player. Jets looks up to her idol David Beckham and has a strong passion for football. However, one thing that is holding her back is her family. She hopes to pursue a future in soccer but her family's cultural traditions is inferring from achieving her dreams. Jess's traditional parents wants her to be more lady-like, act and dress like a women, and be like her sister, who is marrying a traditional Indian man. Because she is stuck between chasing after her dreams or living the traditional lifestyle her parents want to her have, she struggles externally and internally as she faces her problems. This movie relates to Unit 3 of APHUG. It also correlates to popular culture and folk culture. Jess is involved more in the popular culture because she was born and raised in England so she is integrated into the western culture and community. In contrast, her parents are more involved in the folk culture. Her parents immigrated to England years ago and never really integrated to the western culture and lifestyle. They remained with the same religious beliefs and traditions and also want their children to preserve that same culture. I rate this movie 4/5 because it was a great example of showing cultural differences in lifestyle between a native born and immigrants with large cultural traditions. It also showed how kids and their parents see their heritage and culture differently.
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| gcindy5401 | Date: Saturday, 2016-01-02, 9:16 PM | Message # 6 |
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| Cindy Gonzalez
Period 3
In Bend it Like Beckham we see the struggles of Sikh teenager, Jessminder Bhamra, otherwise known as "Jess" and the conflicts she faces in opposing her cultural traditions for her dreams of playing soccer professionally. Her dreams became even more achievable when her newfound friend, Jules, introduces her to an all female soccer team seeking new members. As Jess ventures off into the world of soccer Jess discovers the troubles that accompany not staying in the traditional roles that have been placed onto her. Despite this Jess continues on playing soccer and simultaneously trying to abide to her parent's rules.
Throughout the movie we are introduced to the theme of popular culture blending into folk culture that we have learned in Unit 3. We see a popular sport, soccer, being mixed into the folk customs of a Sikh family. In the movie, because of this conflict arises many times. Jess' parents, specifically her mother, disagree wholeheartedly with Jess playing soccer for many abundant reasons. All of these reasons fall back into the Sikh religion and focus on how "inappropriate" it is for a girl to fall out of the traditional role set for women. Jess' actions dissapoint them to a great extent since they believe Jess must, "start behaving like a proper woman." This meaning following the traditional folk customs that have been followed through many generations.
During the movie viewers see that the parents want to stay in touch with their traditional folk customs rather than lose their children to the "wrong" type of life. Jess' parents begin to see soccer as a threat to their family because it is seen as "foreign" and "untraditional." This happens all throughout the movie until Jess' parents see that soccer is what makes Jess happy and that traditional customs do not.
I personally view this movie as a 4 out of 5 for it's great way of tackling the theme of tradition vs. dreams in a genuine, comedic manner.
Message edited by gcindy5401 - Saturday, 2016-01-02, 9:25 PM |
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| hmwraposa | Date: Sunday, 2016-01-03, 7:56 PM | Message # 7 |
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| Heather Wilson
P. 3
In the movie Bend It Like Beckham a teenage Indian girl named Jessminder Bhamra experiences culture clash. Her parents, who are strictly traditional and do not want Jess playing football, are planning her older sister's wedding. Because Jess' friend Jules discovered Jess' talent in football, she has encouraged her to join the all-girls team. Jess attempts to balance her two lifestyles, keeping one a secret from her family.
This movie relates to Human Geography, especially Unit 3, because it has to do with culture. Parents often try to stick to their roots and marry those within their customs/races/ethnic groups. They do not want their children to break away as they believe their children will follow the wrong path and potentially ruin their life. Jess, however, proves that following her passion, even if it is not traditional, benefits her in the long run and gives her amazing opportunities.
Because of Bend It Like Beckham's relevance and relatability to real life, I give it a 5/5.
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| donnanguyen25 | Date: Friday, 2016-04-08, 10:45 PM | Message # 8 |
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| Donna Nguyen
Period 3
In the film "Bend it like Beckham", a teenage Indian girl named Jessminder Bhamra wants to become a professional football (soccer) player. However, she faces conflicts. Jess' parents want her to be a traditional Indian girl who wears a sariand not a football player who exposes herself by running around showing her legs by wearing shorts. She becomes a part of a football team that her new friend Jules introduces and recruits her to. But, one day she has a football tournament, which happened to fall on the same day as her sister's wedding. She had to choose between attending her sister's wedding or playing at the football game that was a once in a lifetime opportunity for her.
The film relates to the culture unit of AP Human Geography. Jess had to stick to her roots and be a traditional Indian. Her parents almost forbid her from playing football, but she knew that she was good at the sport and wanted to continue playing. Her "traditional way of life" was clashed when she began playing football. This film shows how popular culture is threatening folk culture. Jess was more interested in playing in the football tournament (popular culture) than her sister's wedding (folk culture because it consisted of many traditional Indian values), but only because playing football was one of her ambitions.
I would rate this movie 4.5/5 because this movie definitely was not boring to me, but it didn't fascinate me enough to be one of my favorite movies. But, I would recommend to watch it.
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