Intermission: 'Bend it Like Beckham' may be this year's sleeper hit

Jim Wunderle is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.

Once in a while a movie comes along that can best be described as having a small budget but a big, big heart. Last year's sleeper hit "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was one. This year it's "Bend It Like Beckham."

While I doubt this film will gain the universal popularity that "Greek Wedding" found, it's a sweet, entertaining movie with a completely endearing cast led by young Parminder K. Nagra.

Nagra plays Jessminder Bjamra, an English teen-ager who comes from a very traditional Indian family. Her mother believes that the only two things Jess needs to worry about are learning to prepare a traditional Indian meal and finding a nice, respectable Indian boy to wed.

Jess has other plans. Since childhood she's been a fanatic for football, or what we call soccer in America. Her room is plastered with pictures of her football hero, David Beckham, England's greatest player. She's constantly playing the game in the park with her male friends.

The truth is, she's better than any of the boys and dreams of someday going pro. Her parents, who indulged Jess' love of the game when she was a youngster, are adamant about turning her attention elsewhere now that she's a young lady.

She's approached one day by Juliette "Jules" Paxton, another teen-age football fanatic who happens to play for the local amateur girls' team, the Hounslow Harriers. Jules, like Jess, has a mother who doesn't want her girl involved in football. "There's a reason Sporty Spice is the only one without a boyfriend," Mrs. Paxton admonishes Jules.

Mrs. Paxton, through a series of innocent misunderstanding, is increasingly sure that Jules has become a lesbian. This subplot of "Bend It Like Beckham" provides a lot of laughs, and Juliet Stevenson as Mrs. Paxton brings a perfect touch to the role.

Jules convinces Jess to try out for the Harriers, and she makes the team in short order. With her prowess, that was the easy part. The hard thing is going to be hiding her new role as a team member from her parents. She concocts a story that she has gotten a job and heads off to "work" every day. Upon leaving the house, she ditches her work clothes and dons her soccer uniform and it's off to practice.

The coach of the Harriers, Joe (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), is a former player who had to give up the game after a serious knee injury. Jess is attracted to Joe, and he seems to be warming up to her, which brings another subplot to the film. Joe is forbidden to date any of his players, and even if he wasn't, Jules likes him as well. This means that Jess runs the risk of not only getting the coach fired but of alienating her best friend and teammate, as well.

While Jess is covertly pursuing her dream, the family is deeply involved in planning the wedding of Jess' sister, Pinky. It's to be a traditional and quite grand Indian wedding. When things begin to come together, Jess finds the wedding will be on the same day as the Harriers' big match. Joe has arranged for scouts from America to come and have a look at Jules and Jess, and this match promises to be the most important day in either of the girls' lives.

Jess, whose deception has been uncovered by her family, is forbidden to go. To top things off, her grades have just come in the mail. They're quite good. So besides looking for a husband, her parents insist she must begin preparing for university. There's simply no place for football anymore.

The plot here is not overly original, and the events that follow really come as no surprise. What makes the film work, even as predictable as it is, is director (she also co-wrote the screenplay) Gurinder Chadha's sheer exuberance for the subject and her characters. All of the actors seem to be enjoying their roles, and Nagra brings a joy and sweetness to her portrayal of Jess that makes the audience root for her throughout the film. Considering her performance here, I'd say Nagra has quite a future ahead of her in film.

The climax of the movie unfolds in a series of intercuts between the big football match and Pinky's wedding. The wedding scene is sumptuous in its detail and color scheme, and credit must be given to production designer Nick Ellis and director of photography Jong Lin.

You don't have to like or even know anything about soccer to enjoy this tenderhearted "coming of age" film that gives American audiences an insight into the customs and social mores of a very different culture.

If you enjoy "Bend It Like Beckham," go to the video outlet and seek out "My Son the Fanatic" and "Monsoon Wedding." And if the sight of all the wonderful food in the film whets your appetite, let me suggest The Gem of India restaurant on Battlefield, east of Campbell. The food is unbeatable, and you'll not find better, more pleasant service anywhere in town.