So ... I start film school in a month and my buddy and I are almost done writing our first film. My goal length is 45 minutes, but I would be happy with an hour.

It was going to be a war/western clash set in the 1940's, post WWII. But I'm starting to doubt the war aspect of it. I kind of just want to go straight up western (same settings, though).

We are to have our final project done in a year and a half (we got a good jump on writing the script). Is it too late to change it? What if the change SHOULD be done (to make the film better?)

First script is horrible ... 65% writing, 35% double guessing every single line you write. How do you know what's good? What's better than what you had before (revision-wise?)

Ugh.

Give it to someone whos not gonna touch his heart when giving you feedback. If you can get someone profesional on screenwriting tell him to read it and make an analsys, you might have to pay for this. But still an script analyser/doctor is extreamely usefull.

Also the shorter the better, every single festival says this.

And read it from the beggining till the end, do you get distracted at some point, do you feel its weak or its strong? how many drafts do you have?

You need time to reconcider your ideas about the script until you are SURE of what you are doing, you must feel inlove of your script.

Also show it to the editor of the film, and ask him for advices. Good editors will tell you if they find flaws.

Other than that good luck!