Movies from the Heart—Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Last week I talked about how a misunderstanding can either kick things off or give the audience an unexpected twist in a story. This week, there’s no misunderstanding at all—the “surprises” are given to you right up front.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s [1961], by George Axlerod, and based on the famous book by Truman Capote, tells the story of, basically, a kept man and a kept woman and how they navigate the choppy waters of each other’s lives.

This is, by the way, the first of five films I’ll be talking about with Audrey Hepburn as their star. These films span the years from 1961 to 1967 and show why she was the quintessential young romantic leading lady of her day.

In Breakfast at Tiffany’s we’re introduced to a young woman, Holly Golightly—a socialite or a bit of an escort?—it’s left up to us to decide. And we’re also introduced a young man, Paul Varjak, who’s the plaything of an older woman who funds his life while he tries to work on reenergizing his writing career.

So we don’t spend a lot of time with these characters and are then surprised with their lifestyle choices. No. Instead we get pretty quickly that she’s a bit loose in the morals department and so is he, that they’re each unemployed and using their bodies to pay the rent. So the story is really all about how these two misfits come together.

Watching this movie today, the moral dimension of it probably won’t be a concern for most viewers. But for its time—early sixties—it was a bit on the racy side. But despite the raciness, it was also fun. And funny. It was a true romantic comedy. It touched on the morality of each of their life choices and where those choices had brought them.

Take a look at the trailer for the film.

I think the trailer captures the “fun romp” nature of the film but also shows a couple of the more dramatic moments as well.

The film also kept up a great pace. Things happen quickly. We find out that his apartment—indeed his food and clothing—is being supplied by an older woman. And we discover that she’s more of a call girl than a socialite… she accepts money for favors but doesn’t actually solicit clients as a true call girl would.

So both of these people are living on the edge. And you feel like one—or both—of them is going to fall and get hurt. But, of course, once he realizes what he’s become he vows to change and wants her to change with him—but she has a better deal if she marries a wealthy South American playboy. So what will triumph in the end?

That dilemma is dramatic and, perhaps, makes this one of the first “dramadies” as Hollywood has come to call them. I think it’s a great film to study if you want to bring the dramatic in with the comedic and not be heavy- handed about it but have it seem organic to the story you’re telling.

Next week, a film played all for fun—with a little romance and a little suspense—Charade.

Copyright © Diane Lake

03Mar24

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com