Yeah, it won Oscars and all that and shows the misery in Afghanistan starting before the Soviet invasion, don't want to add spoilers to the film if you haven't seen it. But apparently if you are wealthy, can leave it all behind and come to the USA. If you learn you have a relative there, again no details, just hop on a plane, find that relative and bring that relative back here and live happily ever after.

If I didn't meet the woman of my dreams with a family with all the BS of trying to get them here, probably like every one that watches this movie would cry and have sympathy for the victims of war. But couldn't help but realize that our immigration procedure was completely left out of this movie and that is my only point.

Sure there is hardships in going to a war torn country or any country for that matter and trying to find a long lost relative. But do you just find them and bring them back without all that paper work and waiting? And in this movie, there wasn't even any proof that person was actually a relative.

How did they do that?

Not sure if this has anything to do with it was in the 70's when they first came to the US. Things may have been different?? Also, it is a movie - they always leave the boring stuff out!

Back in the 70s, Afghans were probably considered refugees. Makes it far easier to immigrate.

Besides, I don't want to watch a movie about immigration.

If you read the book you would know that he went through a lot of trouble getting the boy over to the United States. They just left that part out in the movie. In fact, the part of the movie where you see the boy ran off to the mosque when they were in Pakistan. Well, in the book the boy ran away there because the guy had told the boy he may have to stay in another orphanage until they could work out the visa to the US. The book goes over the troubles people face in proving a child is an orphan and available for adoption so that he can be brought to the United States.

I hope I didn't spoil the movie for anyone, but I thought that since the subject was brought up and I had read the book that I would give these details for a better explanation of the movie.

Also, in the book the father and son had to go to Pakistan for awhile and wait to get refugee to the United States. I think to save time in the movie all this was left out. They didn't have time to put in the many details.

I'm glad you said this I was going to point out these things too, but I didn't want to give too much away.

Anyway, to the OP I think the point of the book (and the movie) isn't about immigration or having money or any of that. The point is the conflict of the human spirit and struggling with your decisions to finally make things right again. Not immigration. Or even America.

I agree with you jundp. Did you read the book "A Thousand Splendid Suns"? I am hoping they make a movie from that book too.

No I haven't but I just looked it up on Amazon
I'm re-reading The Power of One right now so I can teach it next year. We already teach The Kite Runner, and I just put your recommendation on my hold list at the library. Thanks!

A great book. I have seen Kite Runner too.

Thats great! I am sure you will enjoy it. My grandfather nagged me forever to read The Kite Runner, but because it came from him I thought it would be long and boring, lol. Finally I just sat down and started reading and loved it. Also realized half my friends were reading it at the same time I was. When I heard there was another book out by the same author I had to read it. That is interesting that you are teaching it. I'm glad they are getting some modern but historically relevant fiction novels in. That book has a lot that a teacher can work with. It must create some interesting discussions in class!

The ite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are indeed both excellent books.
As far as immigration goes, the movie does not say anything about that. I was not so far in the book when I saw the movie in theatre. I was a bit upset when I found that immigration wa snot covered. I remember leaving the theatre thinking "Must be nice to have skipped the immigration process!"
In the book, however, it talks about the issues they had but does not go into the actual process itself. All it talks about was how he had to prove his half brother's son was an orphan and that he had no living family members. The embassy over in Pakistan told him it was a no go but referred him to a lawyer. The lawyer was a bit pessimistic about taking the case. In the meantime, Amir's wife knows what is going on and she gets a hold of someone who has connections with the state dept. And soon after that, they move to the US. So while he did go through the immigration process, he found connections that all of us wish we had, lol
That book was very sad...well, the book and the movie. I knew about the rape scene beforehand when i went to the theatre so I knew when to close my eyes:) I totally cannot watch a kid going through that. It was so sad to see him look up at Amir in shame as I believe he knew what Amir saw but Amir was too chicken to help him. But I thought the book was great in having Amir go back to Afghanistan to rescue the hazarat's son....it was kinda like he was making up for what he did when he was younger....in one big circle you could say you know.
Is the kite Runner based on a true story? I thought originally it was but now i'm not so sure.
Also I think this takes place in the 80's actually. The taliban were not in power in the 70's yet as that was when the communists had taken power. Maybe I'm wrong on dates though.
Also do you guys know that the kids who played Amir and Hasan had to flee Afghanistan for feara they would be ridiculed in their country for playing those roles? The boy who played Hasan and his family were living in fear there because they were afraid that due to the culture there, they were afraid that the other people would think their son really was raped.. And of course rape is so not talked about there in those places......

It's a story! Whether or not it is fiction or nonfiction, the writer has the right to tell it like they want.

Did you ever think maybe in every story there is a "poetic" ending.....the real conflict (issues) has been resolved. If you begin to focus on all the nit picking details of immigration, it takes away from the story.

Doing a screenplay on a novel to make a film normally a lot of details get lost. There are lots of films where people come out and say, "not as good as the book" "gee, they didn't have that scene that was in the book."

By the way, in the book, immigration is dealt with in that sponsor has to go to the Embassy and stay for months and months in Pakistan with the boy until his application is approved.

When Amir was a child, the movie dated that in 1978, as an adult returning to Afghanistan, the movie dated that in the year 2000. If I ever learn how to read, may read the book, but have to read way too much technical stuff already.