Based on Truman Capote’s 1958 novella of the same name, Breakfast at Tiffany’s stars a radiant Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, an apparently naïve, somewhat ‘eccentric’ socialite.
With its couture Givenchy styling – Hepburn’s iconic black dress was considered radical and even shocking at the time – the film carries an abundance of effortless cool. Nevertheless, as an introvert required to play an extrovert, Hepburn regarded this as one of her most challenging roles.
In the film, the beautiful and chic Holly lives with her cat in her New York apartment; a seemingly carefree lifestyle funded by a complex network of shallow alliances with various powerful and rich men, including former husbands, incarcerated mobsters, politicians and other adoring potential suitors.
But her approach to life and relationships is shaken up when the aspiring, but financially challenged, writer Paul Varjak (George Peppard) moves in to the block and a significant friendship develops between the pair.
Nevertheless, Holly’s singular focus on securing the money needed to fund her lifestyle repeatedly undermines the potential of their relationship, much to Paul’s frustration…
The film won two Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “Moon River”. The film was also nominated for three other Academy Awards: Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Art Direction.