Delayed Reaction: Breakfast at Tiffany's

The Pitch: Truman Capote has this book. We're going to adapt it, but change a bunch of stuff.

I'm hitting a phase where every other movie I see is a well known classic. Often, watching the films has been as much about the why as the what. The 'what' of Breakfast at Tiffany's is the story of a woman who tries to leave her life behind for the allure of the big city. It's got some interesting twists and turns but feels entirely conventional. The 'why' of it - why the movie is so well known still - is three pronged.

Mostly, it Audrey Hepburn. She is iconic and if there was a higher word than iconic, I would use that. Her first scene, is as recognizable as anything in film. The lack of Oscar recognition (not even a nomination) for the costume design really is one of the biggest black marks in the Academy's history. I know Marilyn Monroe was Truman Capote's choice for the role (and I supposed she could've made it work), but the final product is so tailored to Hepburn that it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role. The second 'why' is the music. "Moon River". You just don't beat that. I can't imagine any other song working better. The third 'why': Mickie Rooney. His "yellowface" routine has aged horribly. I cringed at those scenes. Even if the character was played by a Japanese actor, it would still be pretty awful. Adding the Mickie Rooney aspect just pushes it over the edge. The only saving grace is that he's not a central character, so there's not that much to deal with.

Overall, it's a fine film. The images amount to more than the final product. Hepburn really makes it all worth it. In that respect, it can't match the other films of hers that I've seen like Roman Holiday or Sabrina. Holly Golightly certainly bridges the gap between Princess Ann and Eliza Doolittle.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend