Blue Class--The Dream vs. The Real Thing
As the Dutch sailors aboard Henry Hudson's Half Moon (name of the ship) saw the New World, Nick imagines that they must have held their breath, "face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to [their] capacity for wonder."
In your last blog response (200 words or 25 blog line minimum due Thursday, June 2), respond to one of these prompts:
1. Relate a personal experience where the reality matched or exceeded the dream
2. Relate a personal experience where the reality did NOT live up to the dream.
3. So you're not a dreamer by nature and you never get keyed up for anything. How's your life going? Explain what keeps you going, your own road to success.
4. Cast the new movie production of The Great Gatsby, casting the characters of Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Myrtle, George, Nick, and Jordan Baker. Explain your reasoning. Make sure that Daisy is a "dream" and that Jordan Baker is someone that I'd really like (for her athleticism, of course).
By the way, rumors abound that Leo is set to star in Baz Luhrmann's new production of Gatsby. Luhrmann directed DeCaprio in Romeo and Juliet some years ago.
posted by JTF @ 5:59 AM
20 comments
20 Comments:
4. In my movie casting of The Great Gatsby Eric Dane will be playing Jay Gatsby. He has a certain smile like Gatsby’s that lights up his whole face and he has a sense of mystery to him. Amanda Seyfried will be Daisy Buchanan. I believe she would make a great Daisy because she has a high voice that is innocent and perfect for Daisy’s. Also, in two of her past movies, Momma Mia! and Letters to Juliet, the characters she has played have been girls who want to be part of something bigger than theirself. They are innocently dreaming and persevering. Daisy strives to be a part of New York life and Seyfried would be good at playing this part. Next, Josh Duhamel will be Tom Buchanan. He is tall and stocky just like Tom. Jake Gyllenhaal will be playing Nick Carraway. I picked Gyllenhaal because he was just the image that I have of Nick. Amy Adams will be playing Myrtle Wilson. She has red hair and would be good at playing a character as crazy as Myrtle and looks like how I pictured Myrtle. Sean Murray will play George Wilson. I chose him due to the fact that he looks worn and worried. In his character on the show, NCIS, he plays a character that is bossed around and is a push-over, much like George. Lastly, Jordan Baker will be played by Jessica Biel. She is very athletic and has a husky voice.
My life is one giant roller coaster. It has its ups and its downs. Right now at the moment my life is up and down. I have been going through some rough times at home with my parents fighting. At school I get harassed constantly at school and I have lost a couple of good friends. But what keeps me going are my 2 best friends Emily and Denny. They are brother and sister and I am so glad to have them in my life. Denny and I met at my 8th grade school lock in and from there I met his older sister Emily and we all became best friends. I had a rough start to Memorial weekend, but on Sunday Denny invited me over to his house in Maryland and I had a great time. I didn’t get back till late Monday night because we all went tubing and I really connected with nature after sitting with Emily in her huge field Sunday night till 4:00 in the morning talking and watching the Lightning and stars. We always help each other get through hard times and she really helped me with some problems I have been having. I don’t know what I would do without these 2 friends of mine. Nothing could separate us even though Emily is going to college this year we will always feel like were right next to each other during bad times and good times. They make me realize that I should always be happy and express who I am because I have got a great life and wouldn’t change it for anything.
At the end of my sixth grade year, my parents had told me that I would receive a present if I had all A’s on my report card. So in early June I worked as hard as I could and studied as much as possible to make the grades. On the last day of school, I asked my parents what the surprise was, but they remained silent. A week passed and my hopes of the present were beginning to diminish. The next morning, my parents called me down stairs and revealed the surprise. They exclaimed, “We’re going to Disney World!” My face lit up with excitement and wonderful memories and anticipation flooded my thoughts. As I packed, I began to think of the rides and fun times I will have at the park; however I was not looking forward to the waiting lines. Once we got into the amusement park, we went on all the rides and the week was almost perfect. The day before we were expected to leave, we went on the Aladdin ride. Once we exited the ride, a few cast members from the park approached us and told us we had just won a night in Cinderella’s Castle! My family and I were able to spend a night in Cinderella’s Castle, which only 365 people in the world were able to do! We were privileged to cut in line to the front of all the rides, be on a float in a parade, be escorted by our very own tour guide, and a few other perks. By the end of the trip, I could not think of a better and more exciting trip. That trip to Disney world exceeded all my hopes and thoughts of Disney World and is by far the greatest moments of my life.
A personal experience that I had that did not live up to my expectations was when I tried to write this blog. I dreamed of beautiful sentences and many dashes (-). My reality was shattered the moment I opened the word document. My brain went blank with fuzz. Nothing interesting, nothing creative walked out of my brain and onto this page. My world is in ruins; my summer, a disaster. I will never be able to change this blog. It will forever remain a horrifying memory of my past. One filled with poor thought out sentenced, and terrifying grammatical errors. My visions of writing about golf and how the game is extraordinary were never developed. And how English class is by far my all time favorite class (especially with Mr. Fiorelli --who is a boss). I suppose that I cannot let this little assignment ruin my life. Yes, it did not and will never live up to my highest of expectations, but it has made me a harder worker and a better person. So thank you Mr. Fiorelli for assigning this blog, and maybe next time I’ll finally get my chance to write about golfing or English! ☺
Last summer my friends and I were going to a summer field hockey camp at Cape Henlopen beach. We were all really excited and spent many hours on the phone together discussing what we were packing and talking about how fun it was going to be. The day finally came, and we all drove down separately. When we met at our cabin it was an immediate disappointment. It was a very hot cement room no bigger than my bedroom. There were bugs flying around everywhere. Not ready to give up on our hopes of having a fun time at the camp, we kept our heads up and went to dinner in the mess hall. We were once again disappointed when the food was terrible. Sleeping that night was very hard because of the heat and none of us got much sleep. The next day, we had to go through a whole day of field hockey in the hot sun with such a lack of sleep. The rest of our days there went along a similar pattern. Little sleep, bad food, sweltering in the hot sun, and so on. The only highlight of our days was getting an hour of beach time everyday. However, we had to walk very far from the camp to get there. By the time we got there, we had little time on the beach. Needless to say, the day we left was one of the happiest days of our lives. Now we look back on the experience and laugh, so it seems worth it.
A personal experience where the reality exceeded the dream was when I met someone very dear to me. I had always fantasized about meeting the right person for me-- someone kind and affectionate, funny yet serious and mature. And now I have. This person is able to push my buttons and challenge me in all the right ways. He makes me laugh every day and increases my self-confidence. I had always seemed to daydream about finding the person who fits with my personality like a puzzle piece, and this person has, better than I could have imagined. I know he will always be there for me when I am going through the rough times of life, as I will be there for him. We hold each other up when one starts to falter, supporting one another when we need them. This is stronger than I could have expected to find in another person, especially so young in life. Having this person in my life has exceeded the dream I have had about relationships.
A personal experience of mine that did not live up to my expectations was my trip to Disney World. When I went to Disney world for the first time I was around the age of ten, I was going with my family and I was beyond excited. When I pictured Disney World I imagined a magical world with all of the princesses, a huge castle, tons of fun rides, and all of my favorite Disney characters coming to life; I soon found out Disney World is not exactly what the commercials tend to portray. When I arrived in Disney world at first it was pretty good, there was a large entrance with pictures of the Disney characters welcoming me, I thought it was going to be the best vacation ever. Once my family and I were in the park my dreams began to fall apart. I didn’t see one Disney princess except for the images on cheesy souvenirs, it was packed with people in lines for rides that were too big for me, and the only Disney character I saw was a dirty, stained, creepy version of Blue from the Jungle Book. After a day at Disney World, standing in lines, paying way too much for food, I was very glad to be back at the hotel laying by the pool.
One experience where the reality matched or exceeded my dream was my trip to Mexico. All along I had many thoughts about what Mexico was going to be like. Right as I arrived in Mexico and looked out into the water, I knew my dream had come true. All along I dreamt about seeing the beautiful blue water and feeling the soft sand. However, I didn’t realize that water could be so clear and blue. The weather was perfect every day, about eighty-seven degrees. The water was a very nice temperature and there were not many waves, so it was perfect to relax in. I thought this was too good to be true, but it got even better. I stayed at an all-inclusive hotel, so I could eat as much as I wanted, at any time of the day. There were drink stands where you could get unlimited amounts of frozen drinks, too. Also, as you were lying on the beach or around the pool and too lazy to get up, waiters would come around and take your order. There were kayaks and sailboats available to use right on the beach. This was paradise for me and life could not have gotten any better. Even though I had many expectations, this trip definitely exceeded them. It was by far the best vacation that I have been on and I would go back anytime.
I honestly had some trouble picking an actor for each character in The Great Gatsby. It was difficult to find someone that I thought would get the character perfectly. For the character of Gatsby I chose Matt Damon. Matt Damon is not only an attractive individual but he seems like a mysterious person to me. From interviews that I have watched, he wants to go back throughout his life and change things that have happened to him; just like Jay Gatsby. For Daisy and Tom Buchanan, I chose Ashley Greene and Chris Hemsworth. In the book, Daisy is described to almost being a fairy or a sprite, almost like she is too good to be true. Ashley Greene exemplifies this through role as Alice Cullen in the Twilight Saga. Ashley, although fairylike and beautiful, can come off as snobby or stuck up, thus making her the best fit for Daisy. Because all the characters in the book are no older then thirty-five, it was hard finding a younger and muscular man for Tom. I finally settled on Chris Hemsworth, from the new movie Thor. Fitzgerald describes Tom as having straw- hair and having an enormous body with lots of power. Hemsworth seems like the best fit to play Tom. For the character of Nick, I chose Tobey Maguire. Maguire is actually cast for the remake of The Great Gatsby. Tobey is a very honest individual, never really mixes himself with the wrong sort of people and knows when speak for what is right. Nick Carraway posses these sorts of qualities which make the casting perfect. Myrtle and George Wilson were the hardest of all to find, this is because throughout the book each character has their own sense of attitude which is rather hard to find. For Myrtle I chose Rachel McAdams because she can adapt to any alter ego and perform it above and beyond. Towards the end of the book, Myrtle seems to have driven herself mad, showing the reader a different side of her. I think Rachel could do that very well. For George Wilson I chose Ryan Gosling simply because he has a very sad and depressed look in his eye just like George always had. Now for the role of Jordan Baker I did not know if I should chose an athlete or an actual actor. I decided on picking Cindy LaCrosse who is a current member of the LPGA Tour. Jordan Baker is not a beautiful as Daisy, she doesn’t have the men following her around like love sick puppies, but she is still a good looking girl who has her own thoughts and wants to be independent. That is why Nick likes her, Cindy seems to be the most fitting for the role.
If I were to cast my own remake of The Great Gatsby movie, I would choose the following actors for the following reasons.
For Jay Gatsby I have chose Chris Pine. I believe Chris Pine is most suitable Gatsby because he has the mysterious but very handsome and intriguing appearance. I cast Jesse Bradford for Nick Carraway. Jesse Bradford looks like what Nick should be in my mind and he seems very innocent and modest like Nick is. Also, for Tom Buchanan, I chose to cast Collin Farrel. To me, Collin looks exactly like what Tom should be in my mind and he is a big and tough man just as Tom appeared to be in the novel. Next, George Wilson will be played by Ryan Gosselin. Ryan seems very innocent and misunderstood just as George is in the novel. He also has blonde hair but I'm not sure about blue eyes. Daisy Buchanan will be played by Kirsten Dunst because she seems very playful and happy just as Daisy is. She has blonde hair and has a very excited smile. These are the characteristics I believe Daisy posseses in the book that make her distinct. Also, Myrtle Wilson will be played by Isla Fisher. Isla is a very good actress and can be a psycho when it is needed. She looks like a Myrtle to me and she is very passionate and dramatic just as Myrtle is. Last but not least is Jordan Baker and Angie Harmon will be playing her. Angie is sporty and somewhat manly looking. She has a deep voice but she is still somewhat attractive. She also looks like an athlete in some way or another.
I have had the dream of wanting a dog for many years, and for the past two and a half years of reality the dream has been matched and maybe a little exceeded, but there is much that was not expected. My dog has lived up to my expectations in the sense that she is beautiful, loving, and playful, but she is also very energetic. However, in my dream of owning a dog, I never imagined the amount of my personal time that I would be giving up in order to care for her. In my dreams, I never pictured the demand to be played with, walked, fed, bathed, and cleaned up after. I have had many hours of fun and enjoyment spending time with my dog. The one way that my dog has exceeded my expectations is that she has total unconditional love for me and my family. She is always there to greet whoever walks in the door. She “cries” whenever one of us leaves. She is also very protective of her family. It is amazing how the dreams of children can be so close to reality, yet still have such unexpected results. Children only see the fun aspects of their dreams, but they do not comprehend the “true” reality. In summary, my life-long dream of owning a dog, when it became a reality, matched and slightly exceeded my expectations.
I'm actually really excited about Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby" movie, and I hope that it will come out in theaters, so that I can see it. If I were to cast roles for the movie, they would be quite a bit different from the actors and actresses already cast for the parts. For the role of Gatsby, I would pick Bradley Cooper because he acts in a way that makes him seem confident, mysterious and romantic. According to a few websites, Luhrmann casted Leonardo DiCaprio to play Gatsby. I would cast the role of Diasy to Reese Witherspoon because she is attractive in a way that could seem vapid and money-obsessed. Luhrmann casted Carey Mulligan as Daisy in his new film, but I don’t think that it was a good choice. Carey, from her looks, doesn’t seem like she could seem as self-obsessed as Daisy’s character should be. I would cast Nick as someone with a young and trustworthy appeal to him, and I can’t do any better but to agree with his choice to cast Tobey Maguire because he fulfills both of those characteristics. Myrtle was casted as Isla Fishe by Luhrmann, but I don’t agree with this because she seems too attractive to portray someone described as “contain[ing] no facet or gleam of beauty.” I would cast her as Lindsey Lohan. I wouldn’t just do this based on the fact that Lindsey Lohan isn’t the most gorgeous actress, but more on the fact that she can act in a way that is both alluring and mentally insane. Tom would be cast a “hulking” and selfish man-- like David Boreanaz.I would cast George Wilson as someone like Owen Wilson because he was described as “a blonde, spiritless man, anaemic, and fairly handsome." Jordan, the most difficult character to cast, would be played by Bridget Dwyer-- an American professional golfer. I applaud Baz Lahrmann for picking the characters like he did because it was way harder than I thought it was going to be.
Jay Gatsby needs to be a clean cut character with a lot of charisma and confidence that almost borders on cocky. Gatsby isn't a witless idiot, but he is a romantic who's got it wrong. He thinks of himself as a gentleman, but he doesn't really know how they act. A perfect actor to play this part would have to be Leonardo DiCaprio. He would fit this character perfectly and he even has the look of Gatsby. You could picture him being in the type of business Gatsby was in. Nick Carraway needs to be almost innocent. He has to look like a smart man but not too wealthy. Tobey McGuire would fit this part. He has an innocent face and he can easily be pictures in this role to me. He is a like able character and needs to have this innocence to him. Daisy is a "beautiful fool" (She says that's what she wants her daughter to grow up to be.) She's totally self-absorbed and wants a rich man who will do everything for her. The problem is that she isn't capable of giving anything back, like love or support. Tom doesn't care about that, but Gatsby would. She's just a trinket. She'd have to be blonde because she's one of Fitzgerald's Golden Girls. She has to be beautiful and have a proper manner to her. Kirsten Dunst would be a perfect fit for this part. As long as her hair is blonde she would be perfect. Tom needs to be good looking enough to have come from a rich family, by he can have mean streaks. Matthew Mcconaughey would almost be a good match for him but not quite. James Marsden would be good. He has been in movies such as The Notebook and Hairspray. The look he has going on in both those movies are like Tom. I'm not sure if he could have a mean streak but he is a good actor so i think it could be arranged to work well for him. He seems to be the "other guy" in movies, which is what he is in The Great Gatsby also with Daisy loving Gatsby. Myrtle Wilson is a big mess. She is not very attractive but yet still beautiful. Myrtle would rather be treated like a dog by someone who has money instead of being cared for by someone who has no money. A good actress to play this part would be Renee Zellweger. She isn't the smallest woman, the youngest, or the most beautiful which would make her perfect for the part of Myrtle. George Wilson is a tough one. His character is a blond, Spiritless man, anemic, and faintly handsome. A plain ordinary man would be good for this part. Scott Patterson from Gilmore Girls is plays a hardworking man who owns a diner. He fits the part of George. Jordan Baker is a golfer who cheats. For this part, i think it should be a real golfer. Even though Anna Rawson didn't cheat, she is still a good pick for Jordan. She is pretty but still athletic. She also looks like the right age for Jordan.
Once, while I was in elementary school, the classes went on a field trip. Each class went on a different day that week. I was excited for the day out of the normal school routine, but I was upset because my best friend was in a different class. My friend went the day before me. When she came back, I asked her about the trip. She told me about it in a very detailed and excited way. I imagined how the place would be. She told me most of the trip took place outdoors. My friend told me about the field they spent their time in, the trees the students sat under, the kind of butterflies that were about, and about how much of the sky you could see. She told me the temperature was perfect, and it wasn’t too hot because of the breeze. I imagined how perfect that field must have been for my friend and her class. I was so eager to go the next day I couldn’t concentrate on anything else. On the bus ride, I could hardly keep in my seat. Since my best friend wasn’t in my class, I got a new best friend just for the trip. I kept telling him how excited I was. When the bus stopped, I didn’t know what happened. I looked out the window and didn’t see the field my friend told me about. It looked very plain. It was hot out. I thought maybe we’d go back in the bus and go somewhere else, but we went out to the field we had stopped at and stayed there. The grass wasn’t as green as I had thought, and the field was too flat compared to the one in my head. There was only one big tree, and its roots were twisted above the ground and it was uncomfortable to sit under. There were too many clouds in the sky to see any blue, and the only bugs I saw were gnats and ants. My new friend was confused about my dissatisfaction. I didn’t tell him why I was unhappy. I only kept to myself that I had imagined a place that I had expected to see and didn’t. Needless to say, the trip was a disappointment.
The new cast of “The Great Gatsby” would consist of seven actors that play the essential roles in the story. The new characters would be:
Jay Gatsby- Daniel Craig
Daisy Buchanan-Nicole Kidman
Nick Carraway- Shia LaBeouf
Tom Buchanan- Ben Affleck
Myrtle Wilson- Sophia Bush
George Wilson - Adrien Brody
Jordan Baker- Piper Perabo
Daniel Craig fits the role for Gatsby’s role because he has bright blue eyes and that charming style and smile. Nicole Kidman would be a perfect role for Daisy because she has that dreamy voice that every man is drawn to, and she is a beautiful woman. Shia LaBeouf would play Nick Carraway’s character. LaBeouf is a young actor who looks honest and looks like a wealthy person.
Ben Affelck is a great role for Tom Buchanan because he has that perfect height and stout stature for his character. Sophia Bush is a good pick for Myrtle because she is a beautiful woman. Adrien Brody is a perfect pick for the role of George Wilson because he has that dirty, poor mechanic look to him. He looks like a man that is happy helping others and he doesn’t have that rich look about him. Piper Perabo would be a perfect for Jordan Baker because she has a sporty look to her and in every other role that she has in movies, she has a sports role.
I chose to make my own cast for a present day version of the movie The Great Gatsby. Playing the role of Jay Gatsby I chose Jon Hamm. I chose Hamm mainly because of his role in the hit television show Mad Men. He has a sort of mysterious demeanor that I feel would be the right choice for this role. Playing the role of Daisy Fay Buchanan I chose Jessica Simpson. I chose her due to her country music back round. She has a southern-belle quality that I believe would suit her well since Daisy is originally from Louisville, Kentucky. Playing the role of Tom Buchanan I chose Dwayne Johnson. He is a big, muscular, “hulking” man, just as described by Daisy in the novel. For the character of Nick I chose Leonardo DiCaprio. I feel like he would fit the role because he is a person that someone could follow, or listen to, narrating this story. He is a trustworthy actor, just as Nick describes himself. For Jordan Baker I chose Megan Fox. She is an attractive person who is somewhat “sporty”, mainly from her roles in the Transformer movies. For the roles of George and Myrtle Wilson I chose Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. When these actors starred as a couple in That 70’s show, Kunis’ character would also find what was wrong with Kutcher’s character, much like Myrtle Wilson. Kutcher’s character was a fairly clueless person, just like how Myrtle describes George. I feel that this set of actors and actresses would most closely mirror the characters in the original movie and the novel itself.
Daisy-Candice Swanepoel
Myrtle- Tilda Swinton
Gatsby- Brad Pitt
Nick- Ian Somerhalder
Tom- Bradley Cooper
George- George Clooney
Jordan- Olivia Wilde
If I were given the opportunity to cast the new movie production of the Great Gatsby, I would use actors and actresses that I think could do a great job at portraying the characters Fitzgerald created. Daisy would be Candice Swanepoel because she is a blonde, beautiful girl that could use her charm and looks to resemble Daisy’s personality. Tilda Swinton, an unglamorous, unfeminine woman, would be Myrtle. George Clooney would play George Wilson’s character because he looks like a farmer and he has baby blue eyes just like Wilson. Ian Somerhalder would be Nick because he looks like he’s from the West and will do a great job playing this important role. Bradley Cooper, who is casted as Tom, resembles him because Cooper is muscular, hulking, and strong just as Tom is throughout the novel. Olivia Wilde will be Jordan Baker, a manly, athletic woman. She resembles Jordan through her beauty and athletic abilities. And of course, Brad Pitt will play the most important character of the book, Gatsby. His cool, suave personality and great looks can help him portray Gatsby in this new film.
One of the first things that came to my mind when I was thinking of an experience where the reality exceeded the dream was a family trip to Niagara Falls. In the days leading up to the trip, I began to form these images in my head of what it would be like to witness this magnificent waterfall in person. I looked at pictures of Niagara Falls online and started to become more and more excited as the trip came closer. In my head I pictured just standing in front of the falls, and just watching the water flow over the edge and down to below. I of course expected the entire experience to be amazing, but my dreams were well exceeded when my family and I arrived in Niagara. Driving along the road leading up to the falls, and to the hotel, I was surprised to see the mist in the air from the falls. This was the first time the reality had exceeded the dream. Then, after checking in to the hotel, when my family and I got up to our room on the twenty-first floor, we were all astounded to see that right outside our window, was a fantastic view of the Niagara Falls themselves. As soon as the door to our room opened, you could see straight out the window, and instantly saw the falls and the mist from the falls in the surrounding air. I am positive that all of our jaws dropped when that door was opened, and I have no doubt that each of our dreams was well exceeded by the reality before us. I know mine was! It is very few times in your life, where you are given the opportunity to witness a truly amazing marvel of nature, such as Niagara Falls. My preconceived dream of what Niagara Falls would be like was well exceeded by the reality I experienced in person.
1. I personally don't have too many moments in my life where something has met or exceeded my expectations but one great example that does come to mind is the time that I went to the Grand Canyon. A few years ago my family and I took a trip to the Grand Canyon as a small vacation. We arrived late at night so we couldn’t see the canyon that night which caused my anticipation to rise as I had to wait all night before I could witness this thing of “true beauty” that I was told about. The next morning I woke up bright and early so we could head out. When we finally arrived, my mouth was gaping open in amazement and awe. What I thought was just some big hole in the ground turned out to be this magnificent work of nature. The site of the canyon was enough to compensate for the heat of the area as well. My family and I continued to walk around the canyon for about an hour or two to see any different view of the canyon. The only thing was that it was so large that when we walked around the view barely changed. But the size was quite shocking overall. In the end I could say that going to and seeing the Grand Canyon in person definitely exceeded all of my expectations.
When I was 6 I went to my first amusement park. I imagined a magical place where everyone is having fun and is happy. I had recently seen commercials on the amusement park I was going to go to, Hershey Park. When I got there it was even more amazing than I thought. When you are a kid, everything is always more exciting and interesting; and this was probably the best thing in the world. When you walk into the park there is a huge Hershey's chocolate candy store. It is filled with any type of candy you can possibly imagine. It was so overwhelming, and I wasn't even at the park yet. The park was beautiful. The landscaping was amazing, the rides were huge and the park had this feeling that made you feel good. Throughout the day I had a wonderful time, going on every ride I saw and eating candy until I couldn't move.
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