Plot
After spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble.

Release Year: 2007

Rating: 7.7/10 (37,434 voted)

Critic's Score: 61/100

Director: Marc Forster

Stars: Khalid Abdalla, Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada, Atossa Leoni

Storyline
In the 70's in Afghanistan, the Pushtun boy Amir and the Hazara boy Hassan, who is his loyal friend and son of their Hazara servant Ali, are raised together in Amir's father house, playing and kitting on the streets of a peaceful Kabul. Amir feels that his wise and good father Baba blames him for the death of his mother in the delivery, and also that his father loves and prefers Hassan to him. In return, Amir feels a great respect for his father's best friend Rahim Khan, who supports his intention to become a writer. After Amir winning a competition of kitting, Hassan runs to bring a kite to Amir, but he is beaten and raped by the brutal Assef in an empty street to protect Amir's kite; the coward Amir witness the assault but does not help the loyal Hassam. On the day after his birthday party, Amir hides his new watch in Hassam's bed to frame the boy as a thief and force his father to fire Ali...

Writers: David Benioff, Khaled Hosseini

Cast:
Khalid Abdalla - Amir
Atossa Leoni - Soraya
Shaun Toub - Rahim Khan
Sayed Jafar Masihullah Gharibzada - Omar
Zekeria Ebrahimi - Young Amir
Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada - Young Hassan
Mir Mahmood Shah Hashimi - Business Man in Baba's Study
Homayoun Ershadi - Baba
Nabi Tanha - Ali
Elham Ehsas - Young Assef
Bahram Ehsas - Wali
Tamim Nawabi - Kamal
Mohamad Nabi Attai - Uncle Saifo the Kite Seller
Mohamad Nadir Sarwari - Spice Merchant
Mustafa Haidari - Party Worker

Taglines: There is a way to be good again.

Official Website: Official site | Paramount Pictures [United Kingdom] |

Release Date: 26 December 2007

Filming Locations: Afghanistan

Box Office Details

Budget: $20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $471,713 (USA) (16 December 2007) (35 Screens)

Gross: $15,797,907 (USA) (13 April 2008)

Runtime: 128 min

Trivia:
Due to Afghan mores concerning male rape, Paramount Vantage agreed to relocate the young actors out of the country to the United Arab Emirates and arrange visas, housing and schooling for the young actors and jobs for their guardians. Paramount Vantage accepts responsibility for the living expenses of Zekeria Ebrahimi, Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada, Ali Danish Bakhtyari and Sayed Jafar Masihullah Gharibzada until they reach adulthood, a cost some estimated at up to $500,000.

Goofs:
Continuity: When Hassan first points the slingshot at the three big guys to save Amir it is crossed but in the next shot it appears to be normal again.

Quotes:
Baba: The Mullahs want to rule our souls... and the Communists tell us we don't have any.

This is truly one of those times when a film does great justice to a book!

Rating: 10/10

I recently was lucky enough to see "The Kite Runner" in a small theater, surrounded by seasoned movie-goers who knew how to enjoy a masterpiece of such sophistication. With all the controversy surrounding this film's central scene these days, I was expecting a piece both crude and violent. But the way Mr. Forster handled the delicate subject was touching and really, deeply moving. Even though the film's credits indicated China as the main location for the shoot, I could have sworn I was seeing Kabul throughout the scenes which are meant to be taking place in Afghanistan. The acting, by non-professionals as well as professional actors, is excellent and the casting is magnificent. So, this is a movie I would see again and again, because though it is undeniably sad in its subject, the masterful way it has been made awakens a whole new hope in modern cinema.

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