this be a charming film and but for those who love the book and it have some major disappointment and especially in the script and in the portrayal of topaz . she be a marvelous and lovable and nutty character in the book and an original . neither script nor actress even begin to capture the real topaz . i find tara fitzgerald actually annoy in the part . the book be not only intrigue and romantic and but deliciously funny and a tell in cassandra journal . the writer and director do not even try on that score which give the film a heavy and melodramatic quality . rise and neil be shortchanged at the end . rise have a wonderful speech in the book which give her reason for her action in movingly persuasive term . that be leave out of the movie . and and a another reviewer have point out and the scriptwriter do change the end of the movie and and not for the good . the book end in cassandra journal be more authentic and true to the 18 year old character .