This feel-good trifle combines two recently popular formulas — the big fat pseudo-multicultural sit-com and the full-monty-fied pseudo-sociological comedy — to manipulate audiences to their hearts’ content. Although the title refers to the devastating free kicks of Manchester United star David Beckham (one of which, against Greece, got England into last year’s World Cup), director Gurinder Chadha’s broad strokes are strictly in your face. Like the opening fantasy: teenage Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) imagines scoring the winning goal in a televised championship game, but when the commentators come to discuss her brilliant effort, who should they interview but her sour-faced, sari-clad mother!

Jess’s traditional Sikh parents don’t approve of her athletic ambitions — they want her to pursue some backward, old-country career like being a doctor. So she has to sneak out to play for a local London women’s team with her Anglo friend Jules (Keira Knightley). Jules’s buffoonish mother (Juliet Stephenson, whose hamminess is upstaged by her purple hat) suspects them of being lesbians when in fact they’re both in love with the male coach! All ends well, however (how could it not, since whether Jess makes it as a football player or a physician, she’ll still end up driving a Mercedes?), especially for audiences, who’ll be congratulated on their class and cultural clichés and have their stereotyped expectations of entertainment reinforced. In English, Hindi, and Punjabi with English subtitles. (112 minutes).