Bernie Reubens (Gregg Sulkin), a young Jewish boy, is about to have his bar mitzvah. Initially, he meticulously plans a lavish reception to upstage that of his older brother Alvie (Ben Newton), but as the family's finances lurch from one disaster to another, the family is forced to lower Bernie's expectations and stage the bar mitzvah reception at home in North London. When England reaches the 1966 FIFA World Cup, most of the guests make excuses not to come to the reception so that they can watch the game. In the end Bernie's father saves the day by driving Bernie to watch the end of the match.