I never read the book and did not miss it to fully enjoy the movie. The cinematography is impressive and adds the poetic element to the movie, the use of special effects did not detract from the story - enhanced it, even the violent scenes were tastefully presented to a sensitive audience - by using sounds and shadows rather than gore to convey it. Only the outdoor scene during the storm concerned me because kids have a tendency to copy movies, and I live in Florida - sorry, I won't give it out, but Florida residents will get what I mean when they see it. There are sexual innuendos and violence, however the director chose a surprisingly clean way of depicting them.