This weekend, Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's literary classic The Great Gatsby over-performed at the box office with a $52 million take, though the comic book sequel Iron Man 3 still came in first place in its second week of release.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as mysterious Jazz Age millionaire Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as self-absorbed flapper Daisy Buchanan, and Tobey Maguire as Gatsby's optimistic neighbor Nick Carraway, Luhrmann's Gatsby featured lavish costumes, extraordinary sets, and an anachronistic hip-hop soundtrack from Jay-Z that helped lure a younger audience.
The film received a mixed reception from critics, however, while becoming the fourth adaptation of Fitzgerald's book to hit the big screen. The first was a silent version from Paramount Pictures in 1926 starring Warner Baxter as Gatsby, Lois Wilson as Daisy, and Neil Hamilton as Nick Carraway. William Powell had a supporting role as doomed mechanic George Wilson.
In 1949, Paramount made the first sound version with Alan Ladd as Gatsby and Betty Field as Daisy, though certainly the most famous adaptation came in 1974 with Robert Redford playing Gatsby, Mia Farrow as Daisy, and Sam Waterston as Carraway. Directed by Jack Clayton from a script by Francis Ford Coppola, that film was walloped by negative reviews despite praise for its adherence to the source material.
While Lurhamann's version undoubtedly speaks to the current times while remaining true to its source, filmmakers are sure to find inspiration in Fitzgerald's novel years from now and make a fifth film for a newer generation.
The cast of Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby' (2013)/Warner Bros.
Here is a list of classic movie stars and directors who were born in the month of May. A few are still with us, but all should be remembered for how their lives and work touched us deeply.
Every month, I try to dig up enough films that are being released on Blu-ray to make it worth writing an article. Most months, I'm hard-pressed to find much of anything, which often leads to writing about obscure films released by an indie distributor.
Of the all the major studios, Warner Bros. has the most to offer with the release of four classic gangster flicks from the 1930s and '40s as part of their 90th anniversary celebration, including Little Caesar (1931), The Public Enemy (1931), The Petrified Forest (1936), and White Heat (1949).
On Saturday, actress Jane Fonda was honored at the TCM Classic Film Festival when she received her hand and footprints outside the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. The ceremony was conducted by TCM host Robert Osborne, and featured several celebrities that included brother Peter Fonda, actor Jim Carrey, TV actress Eva Longoria, and Fonda's Nine to Five (1980) co-star Lily Tomlin.
Also in her career, Fonda earned nominations for her roles in Sydney Pollack's Depression era melodrama They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969),