For example, he plays a small role in the book just as he does in the movie. The 2013 movie is different because this character, now played by Tobey Maguire, had a larger role (Conner 1). His part included him being a patient in a sanatorium. On the contrary, a similarity between the movies is he kept as an observer just like the book. Nick's cousin, Daisy, provides more comparisons and contrasts between the two films.
Even though Nick influenced the movies, he was not the only one who played a vital role in shaping the films, Daisy Buchanan did as well. Mia Farrow, from the 1974 film, shows Daisy more as loving and friendly. While on the other hand, Carey Mulligan shows Daisy as melancholy and depressed throughout the movie. This could be the result of her not having enough speaking parts provided for her in the film (Smith 2). Both movies have the similarity of showing Daisy's miserable life with Tom (Conner 2). Daisy's husband, Tom Buchanan, is another major character that shows many likeness and differences in the two film versions.
In the 1974 and 2013 movie, the directors use Tom Buchanan differently to develop the plot. In the 1974 movie, Bruce Dern captured Tom's ignorant, racist personality perfectly (Conner 2). The 2013 adaption is more politically correct which is why Tom, acted by Joel Edgerton, is not portrayed as a racist as he is in the book. Both movies show Tom's coldheartedness towards Daisy. There are other characters that provide similarities and differences between the two movie adaptations.
Additionally, Jay Gatsby is another dynamic character that is portrayed differently throughout both films. Played by Robert Redford, the 1974 Gatsby manages to always seem calm and complacent. The opposite of this is shown in the 2013 version by Leonardo DiCaprio's Gatsby when he loses his "cool" when arguing with Tom. This movie's scene is different from the book's scene by undermining Gatsby's good personality.