'The Great Gatsby' Book to Movie: 5 Key Differences

Yahoo ^ | May 10, 2013 | Breanne L. Heldman

[EveningStar]

If you haven't already, you're going to hear a whole bunch of gripes about "The Great Gatsby" movie out this weekend. And the biggest of them all will likely have something to do with how faithful it was to the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.

Needless to say, there are some significant changes. But there are significant changes in "Iron Man" when put up against the comic books -- sometimes change is necessary, and even good. Then again, sometimes they're not.

[Joe 6-pack]

Let's just say the film is truer to the book than some reviews give it credit for being.

While there are some small but significant liberties taken, IMHO, they actually serve to better relate the larger themes and emphasize the more obvious symbols and back story.

As mentioned above, the device of Carraway writing from an institution sounds very contrived in speaking or writing about it, yet on screen - it worked. Similarly, the flashbacks to Gatsby's childhood, Dan Cody and his days as a junior officer were brief but very effectively contributed to the overall telling of the story.

[verga]

How do you know if the movie is drivel if you haven’t seen it.

I noticed that it’s getting mixed reviews.

Didn't care for the book, and have not liked a single movie I have seen DiCaprio in.

Absolutely hated Titanic and walked out halfway through the movie (can't recall the name) that he was "gay" in.

In addition he is an uberliberal.

Three strikes in my book.

[newheart]

Let's just say the film is truer to the book than some reviews give it credit for being.

Makes sense to me. And FWIW (without having seen it yet) DiCaprio strikes me as the best possible choice to play Gatsby from the current crop of actors—maybe because of, rather than in spite of, all the reasons he is hated on FR. (I would have liked to see Allison Pill as Daisy after she did such a believable job as Zelda in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.)

[Joe 6-pack]

I agree. DiCaprio was an excellent casting choice for JG.

[dfwgator]

Absolutely hated Titanic and walked out halfway through the movie

Then you missed the best part, the part where he dies in the end.

[verga]

While the majority of the leads were libs, “Midnight in Paris” was amazing. Loved Picasso and Latrec.

[verga]

The movie I walked out halway through was the one he played the "gay" charector in. I had to sit through his over acting in the death scene of "Titanic".

The only reason I saw that either of them was that I owed the wife a chick flick. She didn't tlike the "gay" one either.

[Fiji Hill]

So they decided to keep some of the anti-semitism in without making it so obvious.

In the movie, I heard the word "kike" used to refer to Jews, something I didn't see in the book.

[Fiji Hill]

The musical score was ridiculous. There was no rap or disco in 1922. And the few tunes from the 1920’s that were used were all post-1922.

[EveningStar]

Did you see the movie?

[Mountain Bike Vomit Carnage]

I thought that Hemingway in Midnight In Paris was spot on.Sexiest Hemingway ever!

[Fiji Hill]

I just saw the movie this afternoon. In its favor, the 3-D technology certainly added to its entertainment value, and although it was more than two hours long, it was never boring.

[Fiji Hill]

I thought the flashbacks to Gatsby’s childhood were an improvement on the book. And in the book, when Carraway asks Gatsby what part of the Midwest he is from, Gatsby answers “San Francisco.” The movie omitted this ridiculous answer.

[EveningStar]

FWIW:

Rotten Tomatoes

Metacritic

[Fiji Hill]

I was hoping the musical score would include the tunes mentioned in the book:

• Beale Street Blues--Marion Harris (1921)

• Ain't We Got Fun?--Van & Schenk (1921)

• The Love Nest--Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra (1920)

• Three O'Clock in the Morning--Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra (1922)