BY Kelly Covell

Staff Reporter

Everyone knows that there is nothing like a good book, and for that very reason, anytime a novel is projected to the big screen there is an inevitable anticipation.

In this case, I wondered how such incredible attention paid to certain characters and graphic yet tragic events would render exciting entertainment on the big screen.

“The Kite Runner” is a highly acclaimed coming of age novel by Khaled Hosseini that illustrates the dramatic and intense relationship of two young boys growing up in pre-revolutionary Afghanistan.

There is little dialogue and infrequent action. However, the story is powerful, political and poignant, and in a well-executed adaptation, Marc Forster directs a talented crew of actors in an almost equally moving version of the tale.

The story focuses on the protagonist Amir from his early youth in Afghanistan to his life in the United States. While in the book the author pays close attention to Amir’s childhood and relationship with his servant Hassan, the movie skims over this phase, focusing primarily on his adulthood with his father.

The movie’s limited time span limits the depth of the relationship between the two. The film entirely downplays the length at which the psychological and emotional aspects of the two boys’ growth was explored in the novel.

While the author has the ability to narrate and describe certain thoughts and emotions that the characters exude, it is much more difficult to capture this on screen.

The casting director did, however, successfully meet my expectations for how I imagined the characters. Each actor met the most significant characteristics originally described by the author.

Inevitably, movies cannot match the attention to detail paid in text, but for the most part, general themes and descriptions were met.

Slight alterations in the sequence of events and emphasis on different themes from the book made a clear distinction between screenplay and novel.

Despite this, the core message of the work was addressed and reflected.

The personal struggle of the characters along with the historical events illustrated in the story conveyed the same emotional and moving reaction both on and off screen.

Though the film successfully condensed the 371-page novel into a film that delivered a heavy and unforgettable portrayal of friendship, growth and sorrow, there is little comparison to the power of text.

The book takes the intensity of the tale to another level that is incapable of being feigned on screen. If you haven’t read the book yet, do so before seeing the film which premieres on Dec. 14, so you appreciate the story for its full potential.