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Review & Trailer: The Kite Runner

by Jane Boursaw on April 9th, 2008

Movie: The Kite Runner * Buy It	On DVD:	March 25, 2008
Runtime: 128 minutes	In Theaters:	Dec. 14, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for strong thematic material including the rape of a child, violence and brief strong language	Gecko Rating:

I saw this movie at the opening of the renovated State Theatre in Traverse City, Michigan, last fall. Author Khaled Hosseini was there, as well as actor Khalid Abdalla. Both men spoke volumes with their quiet, thoughtful comments about the impact of the film.

Directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction), this movie is both heartbreaking and uplifting. Skillfully weaving threads of friendship, family, mistakes, and redemption, it’s one of the best films of 2007. Just be prepared for the haunting images to stay with you for a while, possibly forever.

The movie begins in the year 2000, with Amir (Khalid Abdalla), a published author in his 30s, taking…

…a call at his San Francisco home from his father’s old business partner, Rahim Kahn (Shaun Toub).

“There is a way to be good again,” Kahn says, and Amir flashes back to 1978 and his childhood in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital city.

Young Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) and Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) – the son of his father’s servant – are friends who, on this day, are participating in a kite-fighting tournament. It’s an intriguing battle of kites in the sky, a game that requires intense skill and know-how. The title refers to Hassan’s skill at chasing kites cut down in the competition (the strings are weighted with broken glass and glue).

But when Hassan suddenly finds himself alone on a street with some older boys, tragedy strikes, and Amir fails to protect his friend. The incident divides the two friends and sets off a series of events that follow Amir into adulthood.

Years later when the Communists invade Afghanistan, Amir flees the country with his father, landing in California and marrying a fellow Afghan, Soraya (Atossa Leoni). His repressed guilt over the childhood incident has plagued him all these years, but Kahn’s phone call offers a chance at redemption – even if it means Amir must risk his life.

Beautiful, haunting, and heartbreaking, this movie is a tribute to the impact of a love that spans several generations.

DVD Extras: Audio Commentary by Marc Foster, Khalid Hosseini, and David Benioff; Featurettes: Words from The Kite Runner, Images from The Kite Runner; Public Service Announcement with Khalid Hosseini; Theatrical Trailers

Parents Should Know: While rated PG-13, the intense subject matter – including rape, stoning, gunfire, fistfights, and other Taliban violence (including the sexual abuse of children) makes it best for kids 16 and older. Language includes several f-words and other colorful phrases.

Theatrical Trailer: