Social and political themes are a trademark for director Ken Loach. Whether broaching issues from other nationalities (Spain in Land and Freedom, and Nicaragua in Carla's Song), or from his own country, he invariably shows his humanistic and sociological concern.

     After years of alcoholism, Joe is finally free of addiction. Unemployed but brimming with energy, he devotes a great deal of his time to the worst football team in Glasgow, Scotland. Sarah is a social assistant who lives exclusively for her work, assisting needy maladjusted families. They first meet at the house of Liam and Sabine, a young couple struggling to keep the household going with the upkeep of one small son, steering their way through drugs and debt with an aggressive money-lender.

     Joe and Sarah set themselves to helping out, even though things are really more difficult than they seem. Romance springs from this cumplicity and solidarity, within a reality where choice is never as straightforward