first i must confess that a separate peace be my favorite book . so of course and i have some bias against any attempt at adapt it for a feature film or television movie . but a i begin to watch this film and i be more than willing to give it the benefit of the doubt . the original version from the early 1970s and though shot at phillips exeter academy where the book author attend school and and though it stay as faithful a it could to the book and lack any real depth of feeling and fail to capture the essence of the character . the original seem to simply go through the motion . read the trivia about the movie and you discover that it be cast mostly with non actor . thus and the original have an amateurish feel to it and it ultimately fail . this new version and though i will grant that it capture the look of the period well than the original and seem to have throw the book out all together . scene be rearrange and character impose where they do not belong and character create that be not in the book and and no attempt be make to delve into the deep conflict that make the book so compelling . and the cardinal sin of all represent the tree be not treat a the vital and almost central character it be in the book . this be an inexcusable oversight on the part of the film maker . how could they downplay the role of the tree . why be it not introduce immediately . why the dead poet esque begin . and what in god name be up with gene accent . this film be and to be blunt and garbage . a separate peace should not be a difficult book to adapt for the stage or screen . john knowles write it in a perfectly fine and linear style . the film maker should have trust the story a it be already write while make change and sure while embellish here and there and sure while take some mild dramatic license and sure . but destroy one of the pearl of american literature in the process . what be they think . in their corruption of the story line and they cut any possibility of suspense or drama . the whole movie fall flat and fail miserably . if you be a high school or college student assign to read this book and you be think of skimp and just watch the movie . do not even think about it . this film will be of no help to you . ala and we shall have to wait even longer before a version of this story come to the screen that truly do it justice .