"A Separate Peace" meets "A Catcher in the Rye." Max Fisher is a strange kid, but that is not unusual. There are many such "odd balls" in every school, many of them quite talented but in areas not reflected by academic success. Max's success as a producer of plays indicates a promising future in that area alone, but he is also an organizer extraordinaire, initiating all kinds of successful extracurricular activities. But he neglects his school work, probably out of boredom, and is kicked out of school for that failure. His infatuation with a pretty teacher ten or more years older than him is nothing unusual, just ask any former teenage boy. His problem is that he becomes obsessed and obviously needs special counseling i.e. "professional help." In the end his quirkiness appears to be more appreciated by all and happiness is just around the corner. (What is it about prep schools that they turn out so many maladjusted young men; did I mention that we now have one in the White House?)
