Joe Johnston didn't really capture the novel's emotional feeling. In the book when Sonny saw Dorothy at the Dugout with his brother Jim he was devistated. In the movie however, he really didn't seem all that depressed.
Joe Johnston didn't fully capture the feel of Sonny's home life. In the movie it looked bad, but it was worse in the book. If the director had gotten that feel it would have been a much better movie.
When you read a book that is in 1st person, you actually become part of the character. Sometimes it's like you can feel what they feel. The movies don't exactly capture that feeling. I think that the director could have made some parts more depressing...in a good way.
I usually favor a movie over the book, but in this case I think I respect the book a little more than the movie. Because I actually felt like Sonny a few times. In the movie though I really didn't feel that way. I just think Joe Johnston could have went more by the book and it would have made the movie a lot better.
So overall the book was better than the movie. The movie was fairly good though and worth watching.