Ronan is a radiant revelation in this beautifully acted, timeless story about leaving everything you know behind to find your way in a new world. Director John Crowley and screenwriter Nick Hornby focus the adaptation on Eilis' development from shy and lonely to smitten and surprisingly resourceful. Surrounded by a talented supporting ensemble, Ronan shines as she navigates the streets of 1950s Brooklyn (although it's really Montreal). Broadbent is genial as Eilis' priest and connection to home, and Walters is hilarious as Eilis' nosey but well-meaning landlady, who makes sure to keep all her girls (including Eve Macklin and Arrow star Emily Bett Rickards) in check.

The real sparks are due to Ronan's chemistry with newcomer Cohen (The Place Beyond the Pines), whose Tony looks like a cleaner-cut young Marlon Brando. Tony is from a blue-collar Italian family that normally doesn't socialize with the Irish, but the moment he spots Eilis at a dance, he's a goner. Their romance is slow-burning, sweet, and full of delightful moments, like when Eilis practices eating spaghetti before having her first meal at Tony's family's apartment, or how he faithfully waits for her after every night class to walk her back home. When a tragedy requires Eilis to return to Ireland, it's clear she feels the pull of home. She's no longer a mousey little sister but full of American optimism, confidence, and romance -- which makes attractive bachelor Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson) notice. Caught between two men and two lives, Eilis must choose between the comfort of the past and the uncertainty of the future. Home isn't where you live, but where your heart belongs -- something Crowley portrays in a way that will make you cry bittersweet tears.