Bend It Like Beckham, Essay Example

Introduction

Bend it Like Beckham is the story of a teenage girl named Jess, living with her close-knit family in London. Jess is a talented football player and has demonstrated her skills in front of her friends. Jess, a tomboy at heart, experiences conflict with her identity as a woman of Sikh descent and the modern cultural values that she is exposed to in her community. Jess’ conflict with her parents and sister regarding her needs and wants are difficult for her family to understand, as they want her to conform to the Sikh way of life. As the story unfolds, Jess realizes what she truly wants out of life, even though it conflicts with her culture, and she ultimately makes a choice that her family supports.

Description of Movie Family

The family depicted in the film includes Jess Bhamra, the younger daughter, her older sister Pinky, and her parents. The family is significantly tied to its Sikh religion and culture, and any activities that do not conform to these factors are not acceptable to Jess’ parents, including her love and passion for football. Jess’ family holds many deeply rooted values that are a result of her Sikh culture, and as her sister prepares to marry within the culture, Jess’ divide with the family becomes more prominent than ever (Chadha, 2002).

Jess’ mother, father, and sister also strive to conform to the Sikh way of life to impress their friends, which also plays a role in distancing Jess from the rest of her family, as she wants no part of this conformity (Chadha, 2002). Jess is driven further and further apart from her family as she is offered a spot on the local football team and must hide this fact from her family. When her secret is discovered later on in the film, her family treats her with scorn and embarrassment because they do not understand her motivations, nor do they understand her desire to play a sport that she loves. Jess struggles with her own aspirations, the peer pressure of her friends and football coach, and her family’s wishes.

Assessment of Culture and Ethnic Traits

The film represents some of the key traditions of the Sikh culture in order to establish a contrast between these beliefs and Jess’ ambitions in a modern world. Her traditions conflict with her beliefs, and in particular, represent a challenge because she is not willing to accept a life that she clearly does not support and believe in. Jess’ Sikh values are also difficult to understand, and her non-Sikh friends do are not willing to accept her settling for a life that she does not want, particularly since she has so much potential in football. Jess’ mother and father also want her to become like her older sister, find a husband, and settle down. This goes against all of Jess’ hopes and dreams for herself. Therefore, it is important to recognize the inner struggle that Jess has in regards to her cultural values and her personal desires to go against what is expected of her in order to pursue her dreams of success as a football player. Jess’ culture, however, is an important and meaningful part of her life; therefore, she strives to pursue her dreams, while also seeking the support, love, and encouragement of her family members. This struggle serves as the primary force within the film and requires Jess to weigh her fears of becoming a footballer on a permanent basis with the fears of losing her family to her dream. The cultural values of the Sikhs are explored in the film and provide a basis for the Jess’ own path of self-discovery.

Assessment of Development or Functional Competency

Jess is a strong-willed young woman with a desire to move beyond her Sikh roots and to make something of herself. However, as the film depicts, it is difficult for many women to be accepted as part of the sports world and to become successful (massivedynamic). Jess is a woman with a strong talent for football, but her family objects of her desire to play in her spare time. However, Jess, known by her friends as a tomboy, does not want to accept the path that her family has chosen for her, and instead, she strives to overcome the obstacles that come her way (massivedynamic). Another theme that runs throughout the film is the focus on Jess’ lack of femininity, which is an important component of her struggles, particularly with her sister and mother, both of whom do not understand her fascination with football (massivedynamic). However, it is very important to Jess to become more than what her parents want to her to be and to become successful as a football player to the point that she could obtain a scholarship in the United States based on her talent (massivedynamic). These factors weigh heavily throughout the film and represent a means of enabling Jess to discover her true passion and to have a breakthrough with her family regarding her dreams. Jess also struggles to make sense of her Sikh beliefs and puts on pretenses for the sake of her family, when she actually would rather be anywhere else (massivedynamic). As the story unfolds, Jess is able to fulfill her dreams and to become a football success, and even gains her family’s respect and support in the process, once they realize the level of her talent (massivedynamic).

Summary/Conclusion

Bend it Like Beckham provides an important examination of a clash of cultures, between deeply rooted Sikh beliefs and modern culture. Jess, the protagonist of the film, strives to discover herself and to support her true passion with the support and guidance of her friends and family members. In the process, she discovers much about herself and her own relationships with her family members. Jess is the most important character in the film because she strives to become a success in her endeavors, without fracturing her familial relationships. These factors are instrumental in shaping Jess’ vision as a football player and as a young independent woman.

References

Chadha, G. (2002). Bend it Like Beckham. Retrieved from http://www.filmeducation.org/pdf/film/BILB.pdf

Massivedynamic (2014). Bending tradition with “Bend it Like Beckham.” Retrieved from http://massivedynamic.hubpages.com/hub/bendingtradition