The Adaptation of Parenthood

I think one of the most interesting aspects of adaptation is editing. When re-telling an old story, what do you take out? What gets left in? As I haven't seen the movie yet, I went onto the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) website and read a little about the film. I also watched the original trailer. In the pilot, Amber's boyfriend is only seen in the opening minutes, as Sara drags her daughter away from him. I have seen a few more episodes and do not remember him returning. He seems to be a more integral aspect of the film version, even being included in the family photo of the trailer. What was the choice made in terms of that characters appearance (or lack thereof)? As Ron Howard and his team were involved in both the film and the television series, what was their motivation to edit this character?