FILM

Discovery Green and Mix 96.5 FM present Discovery Green/Mix 96.5 Movie Night.  Join us for outdoor film screenings! Discovery Green/Mix 96.5 Movie Night Series Free films presented under the stars and lights of the Houston skyline.

Bend it Like Beckham,  Saturday, July 31, 8:30pm (screening at sundown).   Bend it Like Beckham (2003; 112 minutes) features Jess, an Indian girl who dreams of life on a more even playing field.

Like most everyone else in England, Jess Bahmra (Parminder Nagra) idolizes professional British football player David Beckham. But Jess is different from most fans; she's a talented player in her own right. Unfortunately, her traditional Indian parents (Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan) have other plans for their youngest daughter. They expect Jess to follow in the footsteps of her sister, Pinky (Archie Panjabi), who is preparing to marry in a traditional Indian wedding. When Jess meets Jules (Keira Knightley), who plays for a local female football team, she pursues her own dream and begins to play, keeping her participation a secret from her parents and often leading to disastrous results.

To complicate matters even more, both Jess and Jules are enamored with their coach, Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Ultimately, Jess has to decide whether to live life on her terms or act in accordance with her parents' wishes.

This charming coming-of-age tale is also an intriguing look at Indian culture in England. Juliet Stevenson is superb as Jules' tarty, ultra-feminine mother. BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM is directed, written, and produced by Gurinder Chadha (BHAJI ON THE BEACH, WHAT'S COOKING?), and marks the first English feature film appearance from Bollywood icon Anupam Kher.