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The Great Gatsby: book vs. movie

The Great Gatsby has been brought to the screen and stage many times since 1926, when a silent film was made that is now lost. The best known today are the glittering 2013 film with Leonardo DiCaprio and the 1974 film with Robert Redford, and the story is now a Broadway musical too. Every version keeps the grown-up story of love affairs, drinking and a deadly accident. This page helps parents see what each one is like and decide what to save for the teenage years.

Which version should we watch?

Honestly, none of the Gatsby films or the musical is meant for 6–9 year olds. Every version includes an affair, heavy drinking, a car crash that kills someone and a shooting, and the films are long. For this age, a gentle picture-book retelling is the best way in: it lets children meet Nick, Gatsby, the parties and the green light without the grown-up parts.

Save the films for the teen years, ideally after reading the book. The 1974 Robert Redford version is the closest to the novel and calmer in tone, while the 2013 Leonardo DiCaprio version is the most exciting and the one most teenagers will want to see. Watching both and comparing them makes a great conversation about what a director chooses to keep.

The film and TV versions

  • The Great Gatsby (2013)

    FilmRated PG-13Mostly faithful

    Baz Luhrmann’s loud, dazzling version stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy and Tobey Maguire as Nick. The 1920s parties are set to a modern soundtrack, and much of Nick’s narration comes straight from the book.

    For families: Not for 6–9s. It includes a violent car crash, a shooting, a woman being slapped, drinking and suggestive scenes, and it is nearly two and a half hours long. Best for teens who have read the book.

  • The Great Gatsby (1974)

    FilmRated PGVery close to the book

    Robert Redford plays Gatsby and Mia Farrow plays Daisy, with Sam Waterston as Nick, in a slow, elegant film with a screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola. It follows the book’s scenes closely and looks beautiful.

    For families: Rated PG under the standards of 1974, but the story is the same grown-up one, with an affair, drinking and violent deaths. Its slow pace and length (about two hours and 25 minutes) will lose most young children.

  • The Great Gatsby (2000)

    FilmRated TV-PGVery close to the book

    A made-for-TV film from A&E with Toby Stephens as Gatsby, Mira Sorvino as Daisy and Paul Rudd as Nick. It is shorter and plainer than the big-screen versions, and Rudd’s Nick was widely praised.

    For families: Rated TV-PG, but it covers the same adult events as the book. Fine for a high school student studying the novel; not one for young children.

  • The Great Gatsby (1949)

    FilmLoosely based

    Alan Ladd plays Gatsby as a gangster-film hero, with Betty Field as Daisy. It was made under the strict movie rules of its day and changes the story more than the later versions.

    For families: Old-fashioned and mild on screen, but still a story of crime and death, and it is hard to find. Mostly of interest to film fans.

  • The Great Gatsby (2024)

    MusicalMostly faithful

    A Broadway musical starring Jeremy Jordan as Gatsby and Eva Noblezada as Daisy, with big 1920s dance numbers, jazzy songs and huge sets. It follows the main story with plenty of song and spectacle.

    For families: Broadway listings recommend it for ages 10 and up, and some say 12 or 13 and up, because of its mature themes. Children under 4 are not admitted.

How the movies differ from the book

Nick tells the story from a hospital
In the 2013 film, Nick tells the story to a doctor while he is recovering in a sanitarium, and he types it up as a book. In the novel, Nick simply looks back on the summer himself, with no hospital and no doctor.
Modern music at 1920s parties
The 2013 film fills Gatsby’s parties with hip-hop and pop songs. In the book the music is 1920s jazz, played by a full orchestra on Gatsby’s lawn.
Words on the screen
In the 2013 film, lines from the book float across the screen as Nick writes them. This is fun for readers who know the novel, but none of it appears in the story itself, where Nick is just a quiet narrator.
Some characters and scenes are cut
Even the faithful 1974 film trims small scenes, and the 2013 film leaves out or shrinks moments such as Gatsby’s father and his old schedule for self-improvement. Gatsby’s early life is told more briefly than in the book.
A bigger, louder Gatsby
The book’s Gatsby is mysterious and seen only in glimpses for the first few chapters. The 2013 film introduces him with fireworks and music, making his first appearance much grander than Fitzgerald’s quiet moment of a man smiling at a party.

Questions about The Great Gatsby movies

Is The Great Gatsby movie OK for kids?
The 2013 film is rated PG-13 for violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language, and it is not suitable for 6–9 year olds. The 1974 film is rated PG, but its story is just as grown-up and its slow pace suits older viewers best.
What is the best Great Gatsby movie?
The 1974 Robert Redford film is the closest to the book, and the 2013 Baz Luhrmann film with Leonardo DiCaprio is the best known and most exciting. Many teachers show the 2013 version to teenagers after they read the novel.
Is The Great Gatsby movie the same as the book?
The 2013 film follows the main story and uses many of Fitzgerald’s words, but it adds a framing story with Nick in a sanitarium and uses modern music. The 1974 film is closer to the book.
What movies are based on The Great Gatsby?
The best known are The Great Gatsby (2013) with Leonardo DiCaprio, The Great Gatsby (1974) with Robert Redford, a 2000 TV film with Paul Rudd as Nick and a 1949 film with Alan Ladd. There is also a 2024 Broadway musical.

Ratings are shown only where we could confirm them. Check current ratings and streaming details before watching.