Most of the changes made sense and were defensible, a few were less to my taste (Tom didn't need to drive the point home that way to Wilson, for one, and while the frame story may be necessary to get some of the book's best lines into the movie, it's rather weak otherwise), but the story is solid enough that it can take a few questionable changes and still stand strong. With a great cast, great soundtrack and great sets (the last two are kind of automatic with Luhrmann, of course...), the result is marvelous.