themetfairy wrote: I know that it's supposed to be a commentary on the shallowness of the era, but a good film needs to have something that resonates with the viewer. When I was a kid, I guess in the wake of the Redford film, "Gatsby" was a theme of many an adult party, and all my friends seemed to have photos of their parents in goofy ice cream suits and flapper dresses. It bothered me in a way I couldn't get until I read the book and saw the film in high school --- these people were dreadful, and to celebrate and stylize (or, for Luhrmann, hyperstylize) their taste, seems to be about invite folks into a dark place where extreme shallowness is elevated.