The Great Gatsby revisited, with an evening with Sam Waterston at Rosecliff to discuss his iconic 1974 film. Another “feather in the cap” for the Preservation Society of Newport.
The film, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book set in the 1920s, is a love “triangle” of the “Haves and Have Nots.” A poor boy from the wrong side of the tracks evolves into a “self-made” man. He still pines for the “money” and “status” obsessed girl who married into her own class. “Rich girls don’t marry poor boys,” according to Daisy Buchanan (Mia Farrow).
The Great Gatsby’s Nick Carraway
Nick Carraway (Sam Waterston) is the narrator and; the storyteller of this tragic fable of unrequited love, the money class and “Eastern ways.” Carraway lives next door to the allusive tycoon, Jay Gatsby (Robert Redford), in a little “cottage.” In reality, no cottage existed next to Rosecliff. A model built to scale was on display during the evening.
To be quite honest, The Great Gatsby is not our favourite film, although the book was palatable. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a gifted writer. Just don’t say that in a room full of avid fans, however. Sam Waterston at Rosecliff was a sold out event. In our honest opinion, Sam Waterston was the only person who could have portrayed Nick Carraway. He was simply “marvelous” in the role. Carraway was the “glue” that held it all together, literally, as the narrator that set the tone of the film.
Additionally, he had the most significant character arc, from idealist to disillusioned and somewhat disdain for his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom at the end. Unfortunately, the film did not use many of the narration from the book, and its “poetic and lyrical prose.”
Nick Carraway moves to the Midwest to escape “Eastern ways.” Despite Gatsby’s attempts to reform himself and become equal to Daisy’s class of people, he never achieved that goal. In the end, Carraway and Gatsby’s father, Mr. “Gatz” were the only attendees at the funeral.
Sam Waterston at Rosecliff
The return of Nick Carraway aka Sam Waterston at Rosecliff delighted the gathered patrons and guests. The evening’s discussion, moderated by Anne Thompson of NBC News. The Today Show was on site filming and gathering interviews from some of the “extras” from the film who were among guests attending this evening.
The last time we saw Sam Waterston “live” was in 1986 at the World Premier of Hannah and Her Sisters at the U.S. Film Festival, later evolved as the Sundance Film Festival. Ironically, Robert Redford (Jay Gatsby) became closely associated with the Sundance Film Festival, as founder of the Sundance Institute in 1981. He helped to elevate the Festival to what it is today, “the largest independent film festival” in the United States.
Sam Waterston is a humble and charming man. He spoke highly of his co-stars. By the time Robert Redford starred in The Great Gatsby, he was a household name. Yet, he exhibited no airs. Waterston went on to star in Hannah and Her Sisters with Mia Farrow (Daisy Buchanan).
The Great Gatsby would also cement Waterston as a bona fide “actor” in Hollywood. Waterston admitted that he was “hungry” for this role and put all his efforts into getting the part. Almost passed over for being too “ethnic,” he listed out his hereditary “qualifications” in order to secure the role.
One of the delightful remarks Waterston offered was on direction. Continuity is key in theatre as performances are linear. Not so much in film productions where scenes and blocking occur out of sync. This troubled Waterson so much that he brought it up to the director, Jack Clayton, who responded in kind that Waterson was only going to look out the window for the next scene. This of course drew laughter from the attendees.
Audience Q&A Faux Pas!
When it came time for the audience Q&A, Waterston had to skirt a “politically” charged question. He did so masterfully.
Dear readers, whenever engaging in an audience Q&A please be respectful and stay on topic. In this instance, any questions pertaining to The Great Gatsby or any of Sam Waterston’s other roles were most appropriate. Please refrain from asking questions about a person’s political beliefs or religion!
Sam Waterson at Rosecliff
The Reception
Now let’s get down to the “nitty gritty.”
A bit of “musical” chairs were at play for the evening. The reception area changed from the “back lawn” to the “salon” due to rain. One guest remarked if all the attendees would fit into the salon, a rather “cramped space.” Apparently that guest was claustrophobic. The ballroom opened up and alas, more “breathing space” as attendees started pouring in. The Russell Morin catering staff worked both rooms with tray-passed hors d’oeuvres and canapé.
Let’s be crystal clear. All canapés are hors d’oeuvres. Not all hors d’oeuvres are canapés. The Social Diary will have a future story about all things “entertaining.”
The hors d’oeuvres included bite sized beef tenderloin and loaded potato deviled eggs. Crispy toast canapé also made the rounds. All deliciously prepared.
One note about food and drink in the ballroom. Not advisable! Some attendees forgot to eat a snack prior to arriving, and piled high their 6 inch plate and ate whilst seated in the ballroom. A few drink glasses tipped over and made small puddles on the hardwood floor.
The Dinner
The Sam Waterston dinner, originally planned for the dining room, moved to the Terrace. However, the change suited the evening’s theme, as a prominently featured film location.
As you are aware, The Social Diary is a stickler for table/place setting “best practices.” It’s one of our main topics of discussion. The 2024 Summer Art Ball at the Newport Art Museum was a classic example of things going not to standard, from table setting basics to table service.
On this occasion, however, the table/place setting was spot on. This included enough “space” between the diners, although eleven at a table was a bit odd. The Social Diary strives for four, six, eight, 10 or 12 to a round, but never an odd number and certainly never thirteen! However, table service was another matter. It was almost a repeat of the 2024 Summer Art Ball, to a lesser degree.
Table service was not consistent but don’t blame the wait staff. The Social Diary lays the finger at management. Some tables served and cleared before others received their main course. Waiting is never a good thing, especially when the clock is ticking, and the first course served about an hour prior.
Despite the inconsistent table service, the food needed no extra seasoning. Although the menu was standard and won’t win any awards, every bite was fresh, well seasoned and satisfying.