Bend It Like Beckham by Narinder Dhami

Ok, the book is based on the movie rather than the other way around, but I love Bend It Like Beckham much that I had to add it to this list.

The movie (and the book) is about cultural differences between generations and friendship. Jesminder is a tomboy growing up in a traditional Sikh Indian family in modern England. She loves soccer (known as football in the rest of the world) and plays with her male cousins and friends. One day, she is spotted by Juliette, who invites Jes to join an all female soccer league. Jes is excited by the prospect, but her parents put their feet down when Jes tells them about joining the team. They expect her to start growing up and behaving like a proper Indian woman, which to them means learning to cook, no longer showing her legs (which puts a real damper on soccer uniforms) and finding a suitable Indian boy to marry. Compounding matters, Jes is growing up in the shadow of her older sister who epitomizes the family's values and will soon be married. The movie is a soccer story, so of course Jes sneaks behind her family's back an continues to play soccer on the team.

Juliette, who goes by Jules, has similar problems at home. She too is a tomboy. Her mother does not understand why her teenage daughter cannot be interested in typical teen girl things, like clothes and dating. However, Jules has plans that dating will get in the way of. She is hoping to be recruited by an American college soccer team. However, this doesn't mean that Jules is not interested in someone. She has a crush on her team's coach, Joe. Matters get complicated between Jules and Jes when Joe becomes interested in Jes and she returns his interest. Plus, Jes too hopes to be recruited for college soccer. Will the two girls be able to set aside their differences so they can play as a team again and win the recruiters' attention? Will Jes be able to make her family understand that she is not a bad daughter for wanting to play soccer and go to college in the U.S.?

I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. It has enough sports for the guys and tomboys out their and enough romance for the not-so-sporty types. The story is easy to follow, but you will fall behind if you leave at the wrong moments. It gives great insight into what children of first generation immigrants may be going through when their family's heritage and traditions clash with those of their new home. It also sends a great message about choosing between what is really important and getting over what can turn out to be silly differences.

Directed by Gurinder Chadha; Starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, and Shaheen Khan

Movie; 12+; Kintop Pictures, 2002

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Have you ever had to spend the summer apart from your absolutely best friend in the world? This movie, and the book it is closely based upon, is about four best friends who spend the summer apart but still manage to stay connected. Best friends since birth, Bridget, Carmen, Lena, and Tibby, find a pair of jeans that amazingly fit all four of their different body types. They get the idea to share the jeans over the summer, when each girl will be leaving for different places. Each girl will keep the jeans for one week then pass them onto the next with a note explaining the most exciting thing that happened so far to her. Bridget goes to soccer camp where she falls for a coach; Latina, Carmen goes to meet her absent father and his new step-family, who are all Caucasian; Lena goes to visit her family in Greece where she ends up re-starting a family feud when she falls for a local guy; and Tibby will be staying home and working. The differing stories are fun with some serious parts that will make this movie more appropriate for older teens (one of the girls' mothers commits suicide). Overall the themes stay summer-breezy just like the story line.

The teens who play the characters fit well into their parts, and the story mostly follows the book with a few deviations and omissions that will probably not bother die-hard book fans too much. Many scenes, especially those in Greece, are beautiful. The story never gets too cutesy or patronizing.

Directed by Ken Kwapis; Starring Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Blake Lively

Movie; 12+; Alcon Entertainment, 2005