She's Single, Likes Sports, and Hates Careless People, and Can Be Yours If the Price Is Right!

Today's character:  Jordan Baker

Luhrmann's Jordan:  Elizabeth Debicki

Past Ms. Baker's:  Ruth Hussey, Lois Chiles, Francie Swift

I don’t like Jordan Baker.  By the end of the book her character has annoyed me to such an extent Fitzgerald should have put her in the pool with Gatsby.  Please, do not get me wrong.  The awkward ‘new’ love affair she has with Nick contrasts beautifully with the awkward ‘old’ love affair going on between Daisy and Gatsby (along with other Old World vs. New World metaphors, regional differences, etc.), and her life motto of “it takes two to make an accident...I hate careless people (that’s why she likes Nick)” line suits her lifestyle and choices well.  She plays golf but cheats, she is dangerous (read: reckless) but she has the figure of a ‘sportswoman’ (thus beautiful and fit), she ain’t care what anyone thinks but she is too inviting and social to be considered unfeeling.  She comes across as too good for you (and she might be) but she isn’t too good to get her jollies in the process of dragging your heart around.  Very dynamic and necessary to drive the plot and provide Daisy/Gatsby background, but again, by the end of the book she has run her course.  When she and Nick talk about their relationship and what happened after Gatsby dies, she blows Nick off with ‘I’m engaged,’ and then dismisses him with the whole ‘I was wrong about you’ and “I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person.”  WHAT. A. BITCH.  I always wondered if Fitzgerald was trying to blow off steam from some unfortunate event in his past with this exchange because Nick’s response of “I’m thirty...I’m five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor” is a solid, assholish comeback.  It leaves her speechless, and that’s what makes it so good.  Of course, readers are supposed to get a disgusted, visceral reaction by how Jordan, Tom, and Daisy turned out by the end of the novel.  The only difference is Tom and Daisy are sucky people and Jordan is just being cold to be cold because she can move on and no one will call her on it.  Nick didn’t do anything wrong.  FREE NICK!!!

Anyway, someone named Elizabeth Debicki or something is playing Jordan in the new film.

Pros: I have no idea who this person is thus cannot hate them, “striking, athletic appearance,” has “dreams”

Cons:  Apparently she is there to provide “chemical connectivity to Tobey Maguire,” recent college student, not much experience, no IMDB or Wikipedia page nor does she have any videos on YouTube, dare I say ‘enigmatic’

A quick aside:  The fact that she is in the film to provide connectivity to Maguire (which almost makes it sound like Luhrmann is setting the two up to go out or something:  "Tobey, I’d like you to meet this recent college graduate.  You two would be perfect for each other!") is a good indication that Luhrmann will stay true to the book and place a strong significance on the Nick/Jordan relationship dynamic.  But, her being a newcomer begs the question ‘how much screen time will she really see?’ or ‘how much will her drama school roots rub off?’

Woof!

Lois Chiles gets the honor for playing the best Jordan so far (even though she just isn’t that good), only because Ruth Hussey’s Jordan barely mirrors the character from the book and Francie Swift copies Chiles.  Jordan is described as having “a jauntiness about her movements as if she had first learned to walk upon golf courses on clean, crisp mornings."  None of these actresses have conveyed this idea.  Chiles’ idea of jaunty comes across as rigid, and does not appear to glide or be deliberate with her movements as the book suggests.  She speaks in a low, booming contralto, and just seems like a hard person.  Jordan is no angel, but she doesn’t work construction.  Debicki’s Jordan needs to act like Chiles’ while taking in the casual grace that Swift seems to fight against throughout the most recent film version.  Debicki, please be casual but deliberate, be self-confident, be a tough girl in contrast to Daisy (but not so obvious), and don’t sound like the guy who kicks Snoopy out of the library.