Didn't read the book, not a student of film, and I thought the movie was awful! Elliot Gould smokes and mumbles his way through the film as a bumbling, staggering doofus, the very embodiment of uncool. It's as though by making him a chain-smoker he would be cool or mysterious but it sure doesn't work. The other characters are more like caricatures, poorly and/or overacted. Was very excited to get this film; could barely finish it.