The Yuba Post Recommends

The Yuba Post recommends reading The Great Gatsby for the first time since high school. Not because the book is fantastic, which it is, but because you can then rent the 2000 A&E adaptation of the novel and truly appreciate its awfulness. We guarantee you won't be able to sit through the whole thing. Unless, that is, you're laughing the whole time. Paul Rudd plays Nick, and it's not hard to imagine that, after every line, he's thinking to himself "Wow. This film is going to be horrible and embarrassing and I hope I never have to watch it." The main culprit is Toby Stevens as Gatsby. Say what you will about the Robert Redford adaptation, but at least he understood the role. Stevens overacts so poorly, in such a ridiculous manner, that eventually you just start keeping you finger on the rewind button every time he's onscreen. That's right, rewind button. In every scene he has at least one line delivery that is so hilarious it's worth seeing twice. (Incomprehensibly, the IMBD page for this film has a discussion post about how great Stevens is in the role.) But, of course, the badness cannot be attributed completely to one man. Credit should also be given to... well, basically everyone, but particularly the person who decided that insultingly gratuitous flashbacks should be used as often as possible. Oh insultingly gratuitous flashbacks - how we cherish thee.

So, reread the book, and in the meantime put this film on your Netflix. We guarantee you will completely regret it (but in a good way).