A Closer Look: The Great Gatsby: Book vs. Movie My Thoughts: The Great Gatsby, an American classic written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925, is a love letter to the glamour and decadence of the 1920s. It was adapted into a visually stunning movie by director Baz Luhrmann in 2013. I saw this movie back in June, and it has been haunting my dreams ever since. I knew that I would eventually write a post on it, and even a book review for it, as it was the most challenging and engaging film I had seen in a while. Both the novel and the film are amazing and captivating. Even though the novel ends in a very tragic way, this movie gives the reader a glimpse into what could have been if Gatsby had just chosen Daisy instead of her friend, the rich, spoiled, and beautiful Mia. After seeing the movie I can’t wait to read the book again, and see what other lessons this movie taught me that I can apply to my own life. Themes: This movie is almost like a fairy tale. I see a lot of similarities between this movie and a typical Disney movie. I can imagine an entire Disney channel show based on this story. The themes in this movie are many, but I would like to highlight a few. In the film, the main character makes one of the biggest mistakes in the book. Gatsby makes himself and Daisy into “it”. This is one of the biggest themes in the book and the movie. In both the book and the movie he is trying to keep his love a secret because he knows that he can never make her happy as she deserves. I personally believe that he will inevitably fail in this. Even though it may be difficult for some to come to terms with this, ultimately, no one truly is happy unless they are happy with who they are as an individual. In the book, Gatsby is haunted by the image of his ideal, beautiful lover. He realizes that this girl is out of his league and he is obsessed with her beauty, but he never lets go. Finally, after years of waiting, we finally see him break the shell that he has created around himself. He lets out this massive scream as the waves crash onto the shore as a metaphor of him realizing that he is capable of anything and it is okay to be you. In the book, Daisy’s biggest flaw is that she is a product of her upbringing, that she thinks she is much less than everyone else and therefore can never really be happy in the way that she deserves to be. She also is drawn to his money which again, makes him feel more valuable than he really is. These are some of the main themes in the book and it is clear that Daisy makes this decision that impacts Gatsby’s story forever because she feels so worthless and so low. Even though she has Daisy’s father’s money, she still needs his love. In the film, Mia is a rich girl who has everything she wants right at her fingertips. After being rejected by someone she feels she needs to be with, she spends the rest of the movie trying to convince Gatsby to love her. When I think about the book, I think that Gatsby’s biggest flaw is that he didn’t know love. The film shows how the “love” Gatsby is shown, just like in the book, is love for a girl who had everything but never wanted Gatsby. The Great Gatsby: Book vs. Movie In the film, the ending is very similar to the book. Even though it is highly unlikely that anyone can live up to the level of being described as ideal in either one, both were so highly desired that it made them feel better. In the book, Gatsby didn’t give up. He believed that he was able to, and always could win her love because he was so beautiful. The movie goes into even more detail with the description of Gatsby’s beauty. Even though the novel is almost painfully realistic, this movie emphasizes his beauty to create a fantasy that many girls will be able to connect with in some way. The film also shows how much Gatsby loved Daisy in his last moments with her as she lies dying. The novel focuses on this as well, and the way that Gatsby loves her is how he always loved her and never broke his promise. Final Thoughts: The film was beautiful, as expected, and it had a great musical score, and cinematography. I truly do not understand why they kept going back to a yellow light in the sky for the sun, especially when it was a clear day. Even though I may be a biased fan of the movie, I believe that the film was extremely well done. The film stays true to the story in the book while adding its own flair to make the story even more engaging. It has a modern feel to it while creating a world that makes even more sense because it is inspired by the 1920s. While it might not be the best movie of all time (a challenge I will try to make soon), it is a movie that will remain in the mind of anyone who saw it, and all that it means to them. This book is one of the most heart wrenching and beautifully told stories I have ever read in my life. Some of the scenes are some of the most heart wrenching and emotional scenes that I have ever read. It will pull at your emotions and cause you to reflect on your own life and its meaning. I was not sure if I would even continue reading because of my lack of interest in the subject matter, but I am so happy that I did. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I have no problem recommending this book to people who may be afraid to read it because the story is beautiful and has meaning. You can read this book and not necessarily have to worry about the subject matter. It is a very important book to me that should be read by all. This is a very emotional book, and you will not be able to put it down. When the world is going crazy and in the worst way possible for Gatsby, he must have had the “bright lights,” or at least his “bright lights” were always in the distance. I loved that Gatsby actually did change and saw what he could have had in life if he truly let himself be loved. He actually was able to see Daisy in this life, even after she was gone. That is a feat that not many can do in life. If you are not interested in reading this book, it may be wise to skip it and give another author a chance to introduce you to something that will make you think about your life and what truly matters in it. While reading this book, I felt like the characters were like ghosts that came back to say goodbye to a boy they had so much respect for. You will be amazed by the amount of emotion that one book will leave you with and how it can change your life. Even if you are just interested in the literary significance, I would suggest this novel because it can change the way you look at the world forever. It is just a truly beautiful book. Subscribe Get Teen Ink’s 48-page monthly print edition. Written by teens since 1989. Join the Discussion What an interesting subject to talk about. I love this book, and I agree with your conclusion, that "Mia" could have been the most beautiful character in the entire story, but I have heard people say that she was meant to represent Gatsby and Gatsby was the more beautiful girl. I think you will love this book if you've never read it and if you don't like reading about tragedies. I highly recommend you try it. @morganstarr: Thank you for your advice, although I do think that the "Bright Lights" may have been in the background during Daisy's point of view, the scenes where she would view Gatsby had the lights on. I personally do not think that Mia was meant to represent Gatsby. I agree that there is a lot of heartbreak and tragedy in this story. The book didn't start out strong for me at all, but it