Blinded by the Light (2019 film)

In 1987, Javed Khan and his family – Pakistani migrant parents Malik and Noor and sisters Yasmeen and Shazia – live in Luton, England during Thatcherism. Javed likes contemporary rock music, which Malik disapproves of. Javed writes poetry and lyrics for his best friend Matt's band, but Matt critiques Javed's work for being depressing.

Javed feels out of place at his new school, where he is one of two South Asian students; the other, Roops, is a fan of "The Boss". In Ms. Clay's writing class, Javed develops a crush on a student activist named Eliza and becomes interested in writing as a career. Javed talks to Ms. Clay after class about his poetry and diaries. During lunch, Roops approaches him and gives him two Bruce Springsteen cassette tapes, calling Springsteen "the direct line to all that is true in this shitty world." Javed faces constant racism from his peers and neighbours, and Malik forbids him to socialise, insisting he "follow the Jews" in his school because of their success as a people.

Javed is denied any opportunity to write for the school paper. Meanwhile, Vauxhall Motors lays off much of their workforce, including Malik. Frustrated by racism and Malik's inability to understand him, Javed discards his poems on the night of the Great Storm of 1987. After listening to the Springsteen tapes, the lyrics immediately speak to him, and he recovers his poems. At school, Javed excitedly tells Roops that Springsteen knows exactly how he feels. Inspired to continue writing, he shares his poetry with Ms. Clay. A neighbour, Mr Evans, recovers one of Javed's poems that decries the National Front, who are planning a local march. As a World War II veteran, Mr Evans sympathizes with Javed's feelings and calls the poem brilliant, but Javed's parents are less appreciative.

Javed submits a piece about Springsteen to the newspaper, which is accepted. Meanwhile, Malik is becoming aggravated over mounting bills and Yasmeen's upcoming wedding. Javed takes a job with Matt's father, also a Springsteen fan, at his flea market. Matt's father helps Javed impress Eliza by serenading her with a Springsteen song. In the process, however, Javed upsets Matt by siding with his father as he bullies Matt about his musical taste and his band's aspirations.

Javed asks out Eliza, and, steeling his nerves with Springsteen songs, the two enjoy a night out and kiss. Javed is inspired to write his own poems about Eliza, which she loves. Ms. Clay enjoys his poems and article and arranges an unpaid internship for Javed at the Herald. Javed and Roops lock themselves in the school radio station and play Springsteen, briefly getting in trouble. Soon after, while wandering through town with Eliza and Roops, Javed is almost caught with Eliza by Malik. He learns of growing tensions between the Muslim community and the National Front, who have organized a march and hung a pig's head at the local Mosque. Eliza invites Javed to dinner with her conservative and racist parents who imply that she is only with him out of rebellion.

At the Herald, Javed gets paid after an article he wrote about racism is chosen for the front page and decides to use the money to buy tickets for a Springsteen concert. On the morning of his sister's wedding, while Javed runs to the shops to buy tickets, his family arrives separately at the venue and National Front members assault Malik. Upset that Javed withheld money from the family, Malik rips up the tickets. Javed stuns his parents by telling them he does not want to be their son.

At school, Eliza chastises Javed for abandoning his family and then for using them as a reason to stop seeing her. In class, Ms. Clay tells Javed that his Springsteen essay won him attendance to a lecture at Monmouth College in New Jersey, near where Springsteen grew up. Javed initially declines, knowing his father will not allow him to go, but changes his mind. Malik tells Javed that if he leaves, he will not be allowed to return.

Javed and Roops enjoy an inspiring trip to the States. Back home, with Javed staying with Roops, Noor tells Malik to reconcile with Javed and reminds him that he left his own family and country at a young age. When Javed is asked to read his essay at a school event, Eliza recruits Javed's family to show up in support. Instead of reading his original essay, Javed talks about being "Blinded By The Light" of Springsteen and his own dreams, and being willing to abandon his friends and family along the way. He recognizes his father's struggles and the way his community has shaped him, saying he must "build a bridge to my dreams, but not a wall between my family and me.” Everyone is moved. Javed reconciles with Eliza and thanks her for inviting his family. Malik reconciles with Javed and tells him that he has read Springsteen's lyrics and admires the themes of working hard and respecting one's family. As Javed leaves for university, he and Malik listen to Springsteen together.

Springsteen allowed twelve of his songs to be used in the soundtrack and it features several Springsteen rarities, including the first performance of "The River", from the No Nukes concerts at Madison Square Garden in 1979 and an acoustic rendition of "The Promised Land" that Springsteen performed in 2014 at Washington, D.C.'s National Mall. The soundtrack also showcases a number of Springsteen's classics such as "Badlands", "Hungry Heart" and a 1975 acoustic recording of "Thunder Road" performed at The Roxy Theatre.

The soundtrack contains a previously unreleased Springsteen song "I'll Stand by You", which was originally written for inclusion in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.[27]

• Blinded by the Light at IMDb 
• Blinded by the Light at Box Office Mojo