Friend of the program Drew Magary put it best when he tweeted, “The Great Gatsby looks like they took a nice book and made a terrible award show out of it.” I’m certain anyone who’s read the novel, followed Vince’s coverage, and is someone I want to be friends with wholeheartedly agrees with this assertion.
But if nothing else, this shiny new over-the-top fiasco of a movie gave us last night’s wonderful Gatsby-themed episode of The Colbert Report, where Colbert’s Book Club went next level dedicating the entire show to book/movie-related bits and interviews melding terrific comedy with critical thinking as only Stephen Colbert can do. Let’s just stroll through all the video clips, shall we?
Opening. Colbert clearly does not hold F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work in the esteem he does Tolkein’s, which is a good thing. For us. Bravo on the production extras.
In easily the best segment of the night Colbert goes on a journey to learn more about the book itself and in the process we learn that Carrie Mulligan is funny and LeVar Burton is not against making killer late night cameos. Only thing missing was LeVar’s thoughts on the way Riker sits down.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan answers the most important Gatsby literary question: “Couldn’t you boil this book down to ‘B*tches Be Crazy’?”
Followed by a gloriously undermine-y interview with director Baz Luhrmann. All the Australia jabs you could possibly ask for.
And the closing to Colbert’s template to how to dedicate your late night show to new movie promotion without insulting your audience.
Forever my Oprah.
