4 Things We Learned From The Trailer For The Great Gatsby

Jun. 7, 2012
Logan Kyle Lockner grew up in Tennessee but is now a student at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an ...

1. Isla Fisher is apparently a serious actress.

Not that her track record from Confessions of a Shopaholic and Horton Hears a Who! didn’t have us convinced that she was worthy of playing what may be one of the most iconic roles in American literature, but casting her as Myrtle wasn’t exactly an obvious choice. (Just for contrast’s sake, her other movie being released this winter is a Disney film in which she plays the Tooth Fairy.) Are we sure Baz Luhrmann didn’t accidentally think she was Amy Adams? You can’t really blame him; we’re all guilty of that mistake.

2. We’re really going to have to ignore flashbacks to Spider-Man in order to enjoy Tobey Maguire’s narration.

Although, when you think about it, Peter Parker and Nick Carraway aren’t entirely dissimilar: both are somewhat loser-ish everymen to whom the audience must guiltily pay attention while other characters lead almost unrealistically fascinating lives. (It’s the same thing with Craig Sheffer in A River Runs Through It. Like, who cares? Your brother is Brad Pitt.) This unsettling comparison aside, that obviously put-on, dry, pseudo-cute voiceover has got to go. It doesn’t really affect you upon first viewing, but on the second time it’s hard not to notice a similarity. We can’t get distracted and start thinking that Gatsby is going to ditch Daisy for Mary Jane Watson, or, worse yet, that we’re facing a dismal musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio is finally fulfilling his place as this generation’s replacement for Robert Redford.

Now that this trend has gotten off to such an illustrious start, the string of unapologetically nostalgic remakes can begin. An avant-garde enough reinterpretation of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid would almost be guaranteed a spot at the film festival that bears its name, and a less landscape-focused, moderately abridged treatment of Out of Africa would be useful. If Isla Fisher really stays on top of her game, she might even be able to take over Jane Fonda’s role in Barefoot in the Park. In the new version of The Way We Were, however, there will be no replacement in the role of Katie Morosky: Streisand stays.

4. Hip hop is the new soundtrack to 3D screen adaptations of masterpieces of modern literature.

It’s the 21st century, people. These are the sorts of stylistic innovations we’re going to have to get used to. I don’t know about you, but I’m personally stoked about a 3D version of The Sun Also Rises with music by Nicki Minaj. TC mark

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  • Emil Caillaux

    Also, it’s cool to party with zebras. (0:18) Really, look for it. Fucking zebras.

  • Anonymous

    A 3D version of The Sun Also Rises with music by Nicki Minaj?

    Don’t even joke about such things.

    • Anon

      That might actually be really awesome.

  • Hanna

    Aw yeah, Gatsby, yeah.

    Can we talk about how glorious Carey Mulligan’s Daisy is going to be?

  • http://thebestmedicineis.wordpress.com Nate

    Pretty sure I can sum up what I learned from the trailer in one word: Nothing.

  • http://dielittlehero.tumblr.com Gaby Matz

    I don’t like this trailer, in fact, I don’t like many of Baz Luhrmann’s films. I’m only gonna watch it because of Carey Mulligan and the fact that it’s one of my favourite books.

  • jess

    i didn’t see isla fisher anywhere in this preview, unless she grew a foot and is now touting a black wig

    • Domino

      AHAHAHAH i know right?! i was looking for her the entire time and she definitely is not that tall

      • Myx

        I was thinking the same! was she mistaken for Carey Mulligan? lol

      • Anonymous

        You can see her at 2:06, and also on the cast list on imdb

  • Bob Kellerack

    I don’t like the look of this movie like I don’t like Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, which is to say it looks fucking awesome.

  • http://actuallyallie.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/friday-jamboree-books-broads-friend/ Friday Jamboree: Books, Broads, and Best Friends | Actually Allie

    [...] am so so so excited for the remake of the movie, The The Great Gatsby. This article shows the trailer and shows viewers what they can gather from [...]

  • http://actuallyallie.wordpress.com actuallyallie

    I am so so excited for this movie. Even though it has a strange cast, it should be much better than the older version. Hopefully… Anyway, I mentioned this great post on my blog!

  • nhp

    Gatsby couldn’t even by an iPhone.

  • Random Boyd

    I loathe the soundtrack with a passion. Somehow this contemporary take on a classic isn’t a perfect fit. Not for something as epic as Gatsby anyway.

  • Melanie

    “In the new version of The Way We Were, however, there will be no replacement in the role of Katie Morosky: Streisand stays.” – a 1,000 times yes.

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