re: Gatsby

I taught this book for 5 years to high school students; it was my favorite book to teach.

I really liked the Luhrmann film. I always thought he was the right person to direct it.

What's good: faithfulness to the novel, the 1st half party scenes are stupendous--pure eye candy, DiCaprio and Edgerton's performances, Tobey Maguire brings life to Nick in a way Waterston couldn't/didn't, it's interesting to look at unlike the Reford version.

What's bad: Some of the anachronisms (like the blacks with the white driver) took me right out of the world Luhrmann was creating; Jordan Baker is a cheat--that's how she becomes a champion golfer--I didn't totally buy Nick telling her off at the point he did--the motivation was lacking

The worst performance, IMO, was Carey Mulligan. Not because she's a bad actress; it's that she's TOO GOOD. Luhrmann and Mulligan seemed to want to fill Daisy out and give her some depth. The film is really clear that she loved/loves Gatsby, but, in the book, it's always ambiguous as to whether or nor she's playing him to give Tom a taste of his own medicine. I didn't buy that she was shallow enough or vapid enough to do what she did. Her compliments to Nick at the beginning seem sincere when they should just be inane babble. The lack of direct appearance of Tom's physical abuse on her was troubling. Again, she was played too strong.

Still, overall, I thought it was a great adaptation. My quibbles are about slight details and minor interpretations.