Breakfast at Tiffany's
Director: Blake Edwards
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Buddy Ebsen, Patricia Neal, Mickey Rooney
Released: October 5, 1961
Oscar nominations:
Best Actress - Audrey Hepburn (lost to Sophia Loren for Two Women)
Best Adapted Screenplay - George Axelrod (lost to Abby Mann for Judgement at Nuremberg)
Best Art Direction, Color (lost to West Side Story)
Best Original Song - Moon River (won)
Best Score - Henry Mancini (won)
When I think of Breakfast at Tiffany's, two words spring to my mind: iconic and overrated. Everyone knows the character of Holly Golightly and her fashionable wardrobe (most notably her little black dress, tiara, and her cigarette holder). Besides maybe Star Wars, I can't think of any other movie that's often mentioned in other movies and TV shows. Whether you've seen it or not, you are familiar with this film. Everyone has heard of Audrey Hepburn and Holly Golightly is her best known role. Hollywood has touted Natalie Portman/ Keira Knightley / Carey Mulligan and who knows who else as "the next Audrey Hepburn", but why do we need to have another Audrey? Isn't she one in a million? She has a certain charm she eludes as Holly that I don't think any actress working today could copy.
I enjoyed the film, but I didn't salivate over it It's such a classic that I thought it was high time I see it already...nearly fifty years after its release! (Although I did have an excuse for the first thirty years as I wasn't born yet / would have been too young). Even though Audrey is very charming and fashionable, there were times when I wanted to yell, "Shut up, already!" She reminded me of somebody you've just met for the first time and they feel like they need to tell you their whole life story.
I've composed a list of my favorite things about the movie in no particular order:
That orange wool coat!
1. The fashion. How did this movie not even get nominated for a Best Costume Oscar?!?!?! It's preposterous! Every time Holly was shown wearing a new outfit, I kept thinking "Ooh, I want that!" That pink dress! That orange wool coat! That trench coat! Those hats! I was envious of her sleepwear; even her ear plugs and sleeping mask were fashionable. Hell, this movie even made me want to start up smoking so I could wave around a cigarette holder. (I jest).
2. Moon River. Beautiful song and if that indeed was Audrey singing, she has a beautiful voice. It deserved its Oscar.
3. Holly's cat, Cat. Cat bears a striking resemble to my cat, Milo, so guess I'm a little biased. They're both male, both tabbies, and both have similar coloring. Perhaps he's an ancestor of Milo!
4. Without the Truman Capote novel the film was based on, we would have never gotten the film and without the film we would have never gotten to hear one of the best one-hit wonders from the '90s that first graced our radios in 1995. That's right, I'm talking about the single by Deep Blue Something aptly called "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Best. Song. Ever. (Taken after the name of a film title).
Besides the movie being vastly overrated, really the only thing I didn't like about it was the cringe worthy performance of Mickey Rooney as Holly's Japanese landlord. Oh, and when Holly complained she was turning into a "fat pig". You're a freaking waif!
Haven't seen it in years, but you're right, it is iconic!
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