It's pretty impressive when someone is offered $500,000 for a first novel. It's even more remarkable when that first novel becomes an acclaimed movie. Such is the case with Jonathan Safran Foer's debut novel-turned-movie "Everything is Illuminated."

Published in April 2002, the novel was an instant success, winning several awards including the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction in 2002, and the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award. Soon Liev Schreiber–celebrated actor, director and now screenwriter–got hold of the novel and found it spoke volumes about his own personal experience.

"When I read Jonathan's story I felt deeply connected to it. What's more, he had done in 15 pages what I had been trying to do in about a hundred, and he had done it with humor," said Schreiber on the movie's website.

The two met and collaborated to write a screenplay. Soon the movie was put into production. The story, mostly autobiographical, is about Jonathan's discovery of a woman named Augustine after his grandfather's death. This woman played a huge role in his grandfather's life, saving him from Nazis in a small town in Ukraine. Jonathan (Elijah Wood), an obsessive "collector" of random items from his family's past, goes to Ukraine to find Augustine and the town where his grandfather's story took place. He enlists the help of two Russians, a translator named Alex (Eugene Hutz), who speaks little English, and Alex's grandfather, played by Borris Leskin. The trio embarks on a journey to find the small town in question, learning about each other and a secret past in the process.

Elijah Wood is a constant surprise when it comes to his acting. He plays the role of awkward Jonathan so effortlessly it's hard to discern where Jonathan stops and Elijah begins. He adopts Jonathan's insecurities and idiosyncrasies, adding humor to the smallest lines with his seamless delivery. His interaction with Eugene Hutz is priceless. Hutz was initially cast as an extra in one of the larger scenes, but because of his timely delivery and straight face while humorously misusing the English language, he landed the pivotal role. Hutz takes the role of Alex and transforms him into the most loveable character in the film. Finally, Boris Leskin, Alex's grandfather who speaks only Russian, is able to convey much through his eyes and mouth. His facial transparency only serves to prove his talent as an actor.

The film is very much about the subtlety of life and the intricacies that lie behind seemingly small interactions. While the film gets to the story very quickly, the plot moves slowly and Schreiber takes much care to show human emotion through the face and eyes. However, this emphasis allows the viewer to see just how powerful human memory can be and how it affects human interaction. The movie is shot in a way that emphasizes both the big and small things in life. There is one scene that shows a small, depressingly deserted house. As the camera passes back over it, though, viewers are shown a huge field of sunflowers surrounding the area. This shot elicits chills, showing that even isolation can be beautiful.

The film's soundtrack makes the emotional power of it much easier to stomach. Upbeat and smile provoking, it exhibits classic Russian music and chorus singers. This makes the scenes that seem to have little context feel a lot more substantial with expressions and one-liners complimenting the polka-like music.

What's important about the movie is that it takes a subject that is close to many hearts and sends it out in a way that's enjoyable to watch because of its humorous approach to lives changed. It shows that while human interaction is a powerful thing, it can be lighthearted; that maybe the most important interaction is that which makes you smile.