We have many choices in life, but one choice we're not born with is the choice of our name. That's something that's decided for us soon after our birth by our parents.  That's how it was for Gogol Ganguli, the main character in Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake,a best-selling novel that comes to the big screen today.

This is a movie that you will want to see. I give this movie almost 4 out of four WORDs, because it's such a great adaptation of a book and a great movie that makes me want to read the book again.

In The Namesake (rated PG 13), Gogol Ganguli [played by Kal Penn] is the first child born to a young, immigrant couple from India. His father names him after his favorite writer, the Russian author Nikolai Gogol whose short story "The Overcoat" led to the phrase - "We all come out of Gogol's overcoat."

This movie follows the story of the Ganguli family --Gogol's parents' arrival in New York, Gogol's birth, his first trip to India where he sees the Taj Mahal and realizes he wants to be an architect, his adult decision to change his name ... [and more, but I don't want to give it all away with too many spoilers.]

You can imagine how a name such as Gogol may raise eyebrows and instigate teasing on the playground -your classmates would call you giggle or gargle, or maybe even google. As Gogol grows from child to adult, his relationship with his name changes - a fitting metaphor for his relationship with his identity as a hyphenated American - an Indian-American.

Gogol Ganguli: "I've been thinking I want to change my name. Can you imagine Gogol Ganguli on a resume or a business card?"

Ashoke Ganguli (his father): "Do as you wish."

This particular scene in the movie is laced with silence and laden with emotion. We, the viewers, know that Gogol's name carries a history, but we know there's something about it that we don't know. And yet, he's ready to give up his namesake. Will he regret this decision? (You have to watch the movie to find out.)

Jhumpa Lahiri is one of my favorite female authors - her writing is full of descriptive details and rich character portraits. Her stories allow us to enter the interior worlds of people who come from different worlds, but who share the same challenges we share. She is not a Pulitzer Prize winning author for naught.

The Namesake is a story and film about family, about being an immigrant in a new culture, and about the connections between generations. You can watch a preview right now, if you wish. But then, get up from your computer, go to the library or a bookstore, and pick up this book. Then, read it. You won't regret it. Nor will you regret seeing this movie. It's a powerful, poignant story about family, growing up, and the sacrifices that parents make--the ones we often take for granted. It's moving, it's lyrical, and it's a movie that makes me want to pick up my phone and say thank you and how did you do it to my parents?

The Namesake is rated PG-13. Visit the official website.

Food for Thought: Is there a story behind your name? Who were you named after? Your grandfather? grandmother? a very special great aunt? a famous musician? a piece of fruit? your parents' favorite city? or, a political and cultural figure? Who is your namesake? Ask your parents this question this weekend and let us know what you find out. E-mail your discoveries to word@weeklyreader.com and we'll post them here.