From the comments, I am glad I did not read the book, because I really enjoyed this film. From the very beginning I was struck by the water photography. This film is worth it just for the endlessly creative water shots.
The acting was marvelous. The ending was unexpected, but excellent. It was great to see Paul Newman. He was a great actor, not just a pretty face. Oh, I almost forgot, while I was oohing and aahing about the water scenes, my wife was loving the music. There was a lot of emotional depth to the film. Excellent !