This was a charming film, but for those who love the book, it had some major disappointments, especially in the script and in the portrayal of Topaz. She was a marvelous, lovable, nutty character in the book, an original! Neither script nor actress even began to capture the real Topaz. I found Tara Fitzgerald actually annoying in the part. The book is not only intriguing and romantic,but deliciously funny, as told in Cassandra's journal. The writer and director didn't even try on that score--which gave the film a heavier, melodramatic quality. Rose and Neil were shortchanged at the end. Rose has a wonderful speech in the book which gives her reasons for her actions in movingly persuasive terms. That was left out of the movie. And, as another reviewer has pointed out, the scriptwriter did change the ending of the movie, and not for the better. The book's ending in Cassandra's journal was more authentic and true to the 18 year old character.