Bend It Like Beckham

[leavethesky]

I wanted to follow up that last post with an extensive and comprehensive Bend It Like Beckham mega-rec, but the archive and half the fics I have bookmarked are GONE! WTF internets?! why do you hate me? So if anyone has recs please let me know. I so need the jules/jess angstcuteness right now.

Steam Pressure by guede_mazaka, Jules/Jess, R. The POV gets a little confusing in this one thanks to the omniscient third, but it's still hot and angsty and...actually it's more Jules/Jules as she pines for Jess.

Two from kittenfic aka paranoidkitten:
Funny which is a quickie and definitely R.
and Love and Friendship, PG and so supersweet and lovely and captures all of that awkward terror of being the gay girl in the locker room.

Discontent, by minougemini, PG. More sugary sweetness that will make you smile.

And please, pretty please, let me know if you have more Bend It fic 'cause I'm so missing my old links. *sigh*


eta anenko has come to the rescue with more great BiB slash (http://ireadthat.livejournal.com/tag/bend.it.like.beckham and http://del.icio.us/anenko/bilb) including some that I'd loved and lost. And, more importantly (as ireadthat pointed out in comments) several from Jess' uber-complicated POV. thank you!!!! and keep it coming :)

Comments

[lostingeekdom.livejournal.com]

Nice list. Curious how most of them seem to have the perspective of Jules angsting over Jess.

One thing that strikes me about BILB slash is actually how much angstier it can and should get from Jess's perspective, not just about falling for Jules, but also how she might be inhibited by the possible reaction of her family. For someone who is as close to her family as Jess is, this would be a huge factor. Remember the locker room scene where Jess lists the hierarchy of unacceptable choices? That was dead on. And being gay would top it all. Which is exactly why Gurinder Chadha changed her mind of initially portraying jules and Jess as a couple.

[leavethesky.livejournal.com]

I totally agree about the complexity of Jess' POV and there were several in my lost list of links. Actually, checking out your list I think you have a couple of them linked (woo and hoo!!!!).

I'm still a little miffed at Chadha for removing the slash, but it is still So there in subtext I can almost forgive her. I imagine her directing the actresses to play up the subtext. Kiera clearly did (whether consciously or not). I was convinced that either the character or the actress was gay by the end of the movie.

Also, I added your links to the original post. thank you again!

[lostingeekdom.livejournal.com]

Uh ..whoops, much as I would love to claim to be a good fic reccer, I'm not ireadthat.

And yeah, Chadha definitely played up the subtext. I always felt that Jules was more jealous over jess than she was over Joe, and was only really placated once she realised the scout might recruit them both.

[leavethesky.livejournal.com]

ugh! sorry about that. I'm kind of fuzzy-headed today. I corrected the post.

I always felt that Jules was more jealous over jess than she was over Joe, and was only really placated once she realised the scout might recruit them both.

exactly! I think every dyke in the world has been through that entire experience.

[lostingeekdom.livejournal.com]

Ding Dong - the bells of realisation finally toll. Heh, yeah. Definitely been there. Jess might have been just a bit slower on the uptake. Hmm ... now that's a fic waiting to be written.

As for Chadha keeping it subtext, she had a ready made audience for anything she churns out if there are indian characters, and she obviously wasn't looking for a confrontation with them like Deepa Mehta had for 'Fire'. She followed the money. The Indian audience is still a couple of decades behind on this issue, and the homophobia is unremittinngly blatant in everyhing.