Nick Carraway said, “I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited.” Fortunately, an invitation is not required to go party with Gatsby this May.

         F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel about the Jazz Age, The Great Gatsby, is moving from paper to the big screen. The movie includes well-known actors, such as Leonardo DiCaprio (Jay Gatsby), Tobey Maguire (Nick Carraway), and Carey Mulligan (Daisy Buchanan). Additionally, it is directed by Hollywood legend Baz Luhrmann, who directed Moulin Rouge! and Romeo and Juliet.

         The Great Gatsby is a popular book among students. Dawn Kozlicki, English teacher, is excited for the movie and hopes the movie encompasses the whole book.

        “I really think they should keep all of [the parts of the book] because it’s a classic, and it would be a disservice to not include all the major components of it,” Kozlicki said.

         The Great Gatsby has been adapted onto film a few times. None of which, however, were very successful. Luhrmann decided he wanted to film the movie ten years ago. It was not until recently that he started production. Just as Fitzgerald spent much time on his book, Luhrmann chose his actions precisely, even down to educating the actors.

         “He gave us all these huge research folders at the end of the workshop with like seven books each to read and a folder this thick of information about the twenties. We all had little iPods with music and videos and lectures on the economy,” Mulligan said in an interview with Vanity Fair.

         Luhrmann was supportive through the whole movie and tried his best to ensure success.

         “The audition was horribly nerve wracking. I have never been so nervous in my life for anything,” Mulligan said to Vanity Fair. “But [Luhrmann] has the amazing ability to make everybody feel comfortable. I love him; he’s awesome. He’s got more energy than anyone I have ever met in my entire life.”

         Luhrmann chose Academy Award nominee DiCaprio to play Gatsby. DiCaprio also started in another famous adaption by Luhrmann, Romeo and Juliet. DiCaprio is a versatile actor and is a great pick to play Gatsby, according to Kozlicki.

         The movie will be released in 3D, as well as 2D. This has sparked some confusion over what exactly will be enhanced with the 3D effects or what purpose it serves.

         “The ‘special effect’ in this movie is seeing fine actors in the prime of their acting careers tearing each other apart. How do you make it feel like you’re inside the room?” Luhrmann said in an interview with The New York Times. “Everyone has strong and generally opposing opinions when you mention 3D or The Great Gatsby. [Fitzgerald would approve,] he was a modernist. He was very influenced by the cinema.”

         No adaptation is perfect, however, and more times than not, crucial scenes are either changed or completely removed. Unfortunately, DiCaprio feels Luhrmann made some poor decisions with the script.

         “And working now on The Great Gatsby, for example, it’s amazing what was edited out of the movie. What made that book great was everything they stripped away,” DiCaprio said in an interview with Kevin McCarthy.

         Nevertheless, Kozlicki said she would still show the movie to her class, even if it lacked important parts.

         “I would still show it,” Kozlicki said. “If I do notice something significant missing, I would take previous versions of [The Great Gatsby movies] and show the class the important parts that were missing in [Luhrmann’s version].”

         So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into theaters on May 10 to watch The Great Gatsby.