Meyer fan sites have been abuzz since, with fans debating about which scenes had to appear in the movie — such as a prom scene and the depiction of a fight between Edward and another vampire, James (played in the film by Cam Gigandet).

As one of the movie's stars, Lautner has obviously seen the final product and says he believes fans will be happy.

According to Lautner, Meyer visited the set several times and that she was "heavily involved" as one of the film's producers. But he added that "changes have to be made to fit a 500-page book into a two-hour movie." That includes combining a few characters and "moving a few things around."

At the same time, "there's a lot more action than people might be thinking," Lautner said. "Even I was a little surprised by how exciting it is."

Pugmire says she's sure she'll like the film either way. She and her younger sister, Lauren, have tickets for a sold-out midnight showing at Orem's SCERA.

They'll be accompanied by their 44-year-old father, Daniel, who's read the books as well. "I like to check on what my daughters are reading, and because of that I wound up becoming a fan."

He quickly added that he is "not nearly as carried away as they are about this, though." But Pugmire did let his daughters design a "Twilight" display at the Utah County Partyland store he manages.

As for Clark, she's seeing an earlier showing, arranged by a corporation. "I'm keeping an open mind, but I think it's going to be terrific," she said. "It's an event."

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com