A surprise hit at the box office, Gurinder Chadha’s international crowd-pleaser was even broadcast—in an edited version—on North Korean television. The film centers around West Londoner Jess’ exhilarating love of football—despite her Punjabi Sikh family’s traditions and wishes. As the director explains, David Beckham’s signature kick is “a great metaphor for a lot of us, especially girls. We can see our goal but instead of going straight there, we too have to twist and bend the rules sometimes to get what we want—no matter where ‘we’ reside, no matter what group ‘we’ claim or do not embrace as part of ‘our’ ethnic lineage.” While engaging in the challenges and thrills of the sport, Jess continues to trespass various social and cultural boundaries and encounter others who also feel divided or excluded because of an aspect of their identity, whether chosen or inherited. Ultimately, Jess’ friends and family must be as flexible as she is in negotiating the new shape of modern playing fields. Rated PG-13.