Law Commons^™

'Bend It Like Beckham' And 'Real Women Have Curves': Constructing Identity In Multicultural Coming-Of-Age Stories, Linda C. Mcclain

Faculty Scholarship

This Article looks at the coming-of-age stories in two recent films, Bend It Like Beckham and Real Women Have Curves, as an avenue to explore the question of constructing identity. Both films, arising out of the filmmakers' experiences, aim to offer representations of particular individuals in minority groups that challenge dominant representations. They also offer aspirational visions of how such individuals might find a way to construct a hybrid identity that allows them to negotiate their place within the various groups that claim them and within the broader society. How, the article asks, do the heroines in these films find …