Perhaps they should have paid more attention to the script or the details in Frederick Exley's, A Fan's Notes.
Either way, you are on your own to form opinion on the merit of the film. It seems to value the themes from the book, but other than that, it omits certain features. I think it could have been a little more plausible if the writer was not insane. That is one example that I can think of. I did like it though, as it had it's moments. A sense of lunacy pervades it throughout. Jerry Orbach as Fred was quite capable and Burgess Meredith was in the film as well.
The details in Frederick Exley's, A Fan's Notes have been shortened obviously, as one needs to truncate certain scenes that do not translate onto the screen.
I think some people will enjoy it, others won't even understand the situation.
Either way, the copy of the film was cheap, as I bought it at a rummage sale at a Film School Archive in New York. I watch it at least every year.
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