2019 | UK | PG-13 | 114 min.
Writer/director Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham) delivers another winning triumph with this exuberant crowdpleaser about the transformative power of music to inspire and connect. Javed yearns to be a writer, but for now he’s just a sixteen-year-old British Pakistani struggling through daily life in his small town of Luton in the late 80s. His traditional parents push him to do well in school, his friends push him to ask out that cute girl, and the local skinheads just push him around. When he discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen, everything changes. With the driving force of the melody and lyrics that seem to speak directly to his experience, The Boss helps Javed finally find the courage to fight for what he wants, and maybe even spark something new in the people around him. For anyone who has known the joy of listening to a song that connects to your very soul (and especially for those of us that have worn out our favorite cassette tape) this irresistible, toe-tapping film based on a real story will feed your hungry heart and get you dancing in the dark. In Person: The real life Javed! Screenwriter and author Sarfraz Manzoor. Tickets $25.