Between the Pages

With all the hype surrounding Baz Luhrmann’s big-screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s incredible novel, it seemed like a good time to check out another adaptation – not the famous Redford/Farrow version from 1974; rather this one stars British actor Toby Stephens as Gatsby, Paul Rudd (usually better known for his comedic roles) as Nick Carraway, Mira Sorvino as Daisy, and Martin Donovan as Tom Buchanan.

This version was made for tv, and clearly had a much smaller budget that the lavish 1974 version.  In addition, some of the casting choices seem unusual, but somehow it all works and I think I actually got more out of this than it’s more famous predecessor. (There were actually two much earlier adaptations starring respectively, Warner Baxter and Alan Ladd as Gatsby, and I would certainly be interested in seeing these.)

Tony Stephens did a good job in the titular role.  His American accent was convincing and he certainly possesses the enigmatic beauty of Gatsby.  I was not so sure of Mira Sorvino as Daisy.  Basically Daisy is a shallow, self-absorbed woman who places far too much emphasis on the importance of money – this being the reason that she and Gatsby did not end up together after they first fell in love, because at the time he simply did not have enough money to keep her.  Sorvino’s portrayal is a lot softer around the edges, and had I not read the novel, I probably would have felt a fair amount of sympathy for Daisy (well, until the end of the film anyway, when she lets Gatsby take the blame for the death of a woman in a road accident, and then didn’t turn up or even send flowers to Gatsby’s funeral when the grief-stricken husband of the dead woman shoots him dead, believing him to responsible for his wife’s death).  Mia Farrow made Daisy too shrill and annoying; Sorvino makes her almost too likeable, but it’s a different interpretation, which is interesting to watch.

For me however, the two stand-out cast members were Rudd as Carraway, who is by far the most decent character of the lot, and Donovan as the brutish Tom.  Both played their roles extremely well, which in Rudd’s case particularly was important, as Nick narrates the story.

The sets are not as lavish and extravagant as some might expect (I know without having seen it, that Luhrmann is bound to go the other way, and have sets that are completely OTT), but they certainly served their purpose well enough.

As an accompaniment to the novel, this version is probably an excellent one to see – it is faithful to the story, and impressed me.  I wouldn’t call it brilliant, but I would say that it is certainly worth a watch.  The funeral of Gatsby at the end genuinely made me sad to just three mourners; just one of the hundreds of people who were happy to attend Gatsby’s house, enjoy his hospitality and consume his food and drink could be bothered to turn up.

Overall, I would recommend this.  It’s not a perfect adaptation, but it’s a faithful one, and there was plenty to enjoy.

Year of release: 2000

Director: Robert Markowitz

Producers: Delia Fine, Antony Root, Jane Tanyer, Tom Thayer, Manon Bougie, Craig McNeil, David Roessell

Writers: F. Scott Fitzgerald (novel), John McLaughlin

Main cast: Toby Stephens, Paul Rudd, Mira Sorvino, Martin Donovan, Francie Swift

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Click here for my review of the novel.

Click here for my review of the 1974 film adaptation.

Click here for my review of the 2013 film adaptation.

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