Sentence:  Though the title <WSD>nods</WSD> to the Italian neo-realist classic Bicycle Thieves—and Cyril, much like the father and son in that movie, spends much of his time tracking down the oft-stolen possession—The Kid With A Bike isn't about the bike as something essential to his livelihood, but as his sole connection to the freedom and play of childhood itself. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To allude to something.