Bend It Like Beckham: MUSIC FROM MOTION PICTURE

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Stevenson, now 65, has since appeared in Mona Lisa Smile, Being Julia, Diana and The Letters, the latter of which involved her curious casting as the late Mother Theresa. Appearing as Jess’s firm but ultimately fair cricket-loving dad, Mohaan Singh Bhamra, Kher is a prolific actor who has appeared in over 500 films, predominantly in Hindi. Describing any single piece of art, especially a sport-themed, romantic comedy, as something that could heal the world after an event as globally traumatic as 9/11 risks coming across as overly hubristic, to say the least.

In 2002 when it came out, Beckham was still at Manchester United, where he would make 265 appearances in total, and current captain of the England team. Not really here, but you can in America - they've got a pro-league with new stadiums and everything," she says. It is not until Jules (Keira Knightley) recruits her for the local girls team, the Hounslow Harriers, that she begins to dream beyond playing football in the park. And, in the lead-up to this year’s Women’s World Cup, it acts as a gentle reminder that opportunities in women’s sport haven’t been, and still aren’t, always on par with those of men. She gets spotted by another football player who signs her up to the local amateur women’s team, the Hounslow Harriers, which sets up conflict over culture, family and love.Production collaborated with The Football Association, while the film's title refers to David Beckham's curling free kick technique, also known as bending. Shockingly, this year marks the 20th anniversary of this timeless film about a girl trying to pursue her football dream, inspired by David Beckham, in the face of parental disapproval. Knightley famously scored her big break with Bend It Like Beckham, having previously appeared in a small role as Padmé Amidala’s handmaid in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and helmed Disney movie The Princess of Thieves.

Chadha worked with The Football Association and ended up casting actual players from a variety of school teams. Well, no actually because although "Bend It Like Beckham" is as original as a boy-band cover version, it is still a surprisingly enjoyable film which somehow manages to avoid becoming another chick-flick cliché. Jules Paxton, a member of the Hounslow Harriers, a local women's amateur football team, notices Jess's football skills, befriends her, and invites her to try out for the team. Jess was the closest thing to a sporting role model we'd ever had, and would have for years to come. It could have been a movie about a (slightly creepy) love-triangle between a coach and his two star players.The brilliance of the film (really the brilliance of Chadha) is how it weaves together a story where each individual thread and character is worthy of a stand-alone feature.