The Kite Bummer

I read "The Kite Runner" a couple of years ago--I could hardly put the book down and I practically wept through most of it. I love the book--the storytelling, especially when the protagonist was a young child in Afghanistan, is utterly absorbing and rich. I highly recommend the book to anyone. So, as one can imagine, I was totally excited to see the movie. When I sat down in my seat at the theater, the pump was primed--I dialed up my tear ducts to Streaming.

Imagine my bewilderment when the credits started rolling and the only tears that had come out of my eyes were extruded due to yawning. The theater being an effin' meat locker for the last 40 minutes of the movie only added to my misery. I'll be the first to say that making a great book into a movie isn't easy. But boy, the rich treasure must be buried deep in the book because I felt I was watching the Cliff Notes version of it. I will say the kids in it are great, as is the father.

I'm embarassed to admit it, but I was also distracted by some of the wardrobe selection. The early part takes place in the 1970's, so of course there had to be the telltale fashion choices. But it wasn't simply, hey let's dress the father in a turtleneck and blazer. Instead, it was, hey let's dress the father in a forest green turtleneck and an orange plaid blazer, and ooh, let's feather that hair a bit more 'cause it's not quite looking like John Travolta in "Welcome Back Kotter" yet. And oy...the wig on teen bully character! Somewhere Nikki Sixx is panicking looking for that wig for the upcoming Motley Crue reunion tour.

Bottom line--read the book.