Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Composite Score: 83.33
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, José Luis de Vilallonga, Dorothy Whitney, Stanley Adams, and Cat
Director: Blake Edwards
Writer: George Axelrod
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: Approved
Box Office: $522,588 worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is the film adaptation of Truman Capote’s novella of the same name, following a New York socialite and her new neighbor as they navigate the complexities of their own lives and each other’s. The film stars Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, the socialite who has joined New York society after fleeing from a rural past and a shot at showbusiness, and George Peppard as writer Paul Varjak, Holly’s new upstairs neighbor who has his own issues as he struggles to make money writing a novel that he’s been working on for nearly six years. Their will-they-won’t-they romance takes center stage in the classic film that highlights the simple joys of life and the complex nature of romantic relationships.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
For starters, Breakfast at Tiffany’s contains one of the most offensively racist portrayals of an Asian man ever put to screen in non-propaganda filmmaking. Mickey Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi lives at the top of Holly’s and Paul’s apartment building and might be the most offensive caricature of Asian stereotypes that has ever been done. He has buckteeth, struggles with his English, yells all the time, and sleeps on the floor under a paper lantern. This character was clearly played for comedy and was a direct deviation from the character in the novella. He exists only to make the audience laugh, and in this case, the joke is the stereotype, nothing else. For real, this comes close to Holiday Inn and Dumbo for most unnecessarily racist portrayal in a popular film.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
For me, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of the classic romantic dramedies – full of romantic tension between the two leads and seemingly constant obstacles in the way of their relationship. The development of both Holly and Paul over the course of the film provides a compelling story of romance set against the backdrop of New York City. Paul’s shift from moody writer, reliant on his hookups with a wealthy interior designer for income and human interaction, to near hopeless romantic, willing to comfort his love even as she is engaged to marry another, comes naturally as a result of his interactions with Holly and her compatriots. Similarly, Holly’s transition from flighty socialite, going out with a different rich man every night, to committed lover, caring only for one man no matter what, stems from her friendship with Paul and his efforts to help her see the good in people. Though both characters border on archetypes (Paul the brooding author and Holly the manic pixie dream girl), both manage to break their tropes and establish unique takes on the characters for posterity.
I can’t talk about Breakfast at Tiffany’s without mentioning its award-winning music. Both the song “Moon River” and the original score won Oscars that year for their excellence. The film’s score accentuates the film, building in romantic scenes, dragging in melancholy moments, and keeping key themes playing for each of its leading characters in ways that stick in the audience’s head. As original songs from non-musical films go, “Moon River” has to be in the top 25 of all time – it’s catchy, memorable, and encapsulates the desires and character of Holly so well, fully deserving of the Oscar that it won.
Excellent music accentuates a well-developed, character-driven romantic dramedy in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, carving out a place not only among the classic romance films but also among the Greatest Films of All Time. It could certainly do without its incredibly racist caricature, but without those scenes, the film becomes an even better film, solidly worthy of its reputation. This film is currently available to rent on most streaming services if you want to watch it any time soon.
