Director John Crowley’s “Brooklyn” follows young Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) and her encounters in 1950s Brooklyn as she adjusts to American life after leaving her hometown in Ireland. However, “Brooklyn” is not simply the story of a young woman getting used to her new home.

Just when Eilis finds herself at an apex in her life — accomplished in her job, successful in college and with exams, and happy with her boyfriend, Tony (Emory Cohen) — she leaves abruptly, returning to Ireland in the wake of a loss. Life back in Ireland becomes dangerously cozy to a point where we ask ourselves whether Eilis will return at all. A bookkeeping job in town and a soft-spoken Irishman in love with her tempt her away from the life she has built in Brooklyn.

Although the two competing love interests give the film a who-will-she-choose feeling of suspense, “Brooklyn” at its core remains a story about Eilis’ independence as she decides where to live, however excruciating that choice is. Eilis keeps her struggles with homesickness, sorrow and frustration personal and her decision hers alone.

Eilis longs for the familiarity only Ireland offers, still uncomfortable in America among a population she hardly understands. Ronan makes Eilis’ longing tangible, with her shy demeanor guarding thoughts of her family in Ireland and doubts about her new home. Inner turmoil is portrayed more than adequately not only by Eilis but also by her sister who misses her.

Certain aspects of the movie attempt to overcompensate for acting that could stand on its own. Indeed, “Brooklyn” has borderline sappy moments, like the slow-motion, near-tragic waving goodbye as Eilis’ boat departs for New York. Still, as a member of the audience, I felt invested in Eilis’ life, and by the end, I knew I would feel genuinely upset or glad about where she ultimately stays.

“Brooklyn” is a movie more about self than about friendship and relationships. Other than her existing friend from Ireland, Nancy (Eileen O’Higgins), Eilis does not get to make new friends. Rather, she finds allies in unlikely people who pass on whatever wisdom they can offer. Tony admires Eilis for all the right reasons, and Eilis falls in love without resorting to dependence on anyone other than herself. When weighing Ireland against Brooklyn, she knows that disappointing people close to her is inevitable.

In the end, she knows the importance of her own happiness and success outweighs people’s wishes for her. Whatever her friends want her to do, not to mention what we as viewers want her to do, hardly matters compared to what Eilis wants. Back in Ireland, Eilis bonds with a caring local man (Domhnall Gleeson), a turn of events that alarmed me, considering her promise to Tony that she will return shortly.

One strength of “Brooklyn” is its portrayal of Eilis’ immigration experience. I imagine many people, like Eilis, confront similar questions regarding home – where it should be, what it is, and how it should feel. As someone who has never permanently left my home, I admired Eilis’ journey. The movie shows the difficulty of establishing oneself in a new country without victimizing Eilis or making me pity her. Her multiple hardships, from seasickness and a difficult job to anguish and second thoughts about Brooklyn, never degrade her. Instead, they show her strength and willingness to take on the difficult questions she thought she would not have to revisit.

From personal loss to the daunting task of making her way in a new country, Eilis must overcome more than a few obstacles, and a committed, engrossing cast makes Crowley’s “Brooklyn” a film worth seeing.