My wife knows that I have a general distaste for movies that are older than me. There are exceptions to that rule, but if the movie was made prior to the late seventies it is a safe bet that I do not have a high opinion of the film. So imagine my wife’s surprise when she found me kicked backed and relaxed watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
“Since when did you watch these kinds of movies?” She asked.
“I love this movie!” Like I said, there are exceptions to the rule.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of those movies that breaks my rules. And it’s not much different than most romantic comedies. It follows the formula: 1. Boy meets girl 2. They develop feelings for each other 3. One of them screws it up 4. They fix it and kiss at the end. So what sets Breakfast at Tiffany’s stand apart from other romantic comedies?
It’s the characters. I have a hard time relating to the characters in typical romantic comedies. The male lead is usually the ideal image of every girl’s dream boy. The romantically involved couple lead idyllic lives that can only be made more perfect by being together. Blech.
But I can relate to the characters in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Paul Varjak is a struggling writer who has lost his inspiration. Holly Golightly is a girl who doesn’t know who she is - yet desperately wants to be someone other than herself. I get that. As a writer I understand the difficulties in finding motivation to write. I’ve been in seasons where I didn’t want to be me.
From that perspective you could assume that this is a sad movie. That’s my mother-in-law’s take; she thinks Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a depressing movie.
Yet it is punctuated by absurdity. Hepburn’s character is as neurotic as she is beautiful. She surrounds herself with friends that are too pompous to be true friends. The foreign neighbor is hilarious and unapologetic in its non-politically correct stereotype. And there’s a cat with no name. (It’s not that the cat’s name is never spoken – but the characters insist it’s a no-name cat.)
And spread thorough out, there are parts that make you burst in laughter. Holly crawling through Varjak’s window while he’s sleeping, re-introducing herself, and helping herself to a glass of wine (subsequently pouring that wine into Varjak’s houseplants). Holly yelling “TIMBER” at the party. And my favorite – when Varjak tells Holly "You know what's wrong with you?" I have always wanted to say that to a girl and get away with it.
But the film succeeds. It accomplishes a feeling that modern romantic comedies try to capture. It tells the story of two imperfect people finding a perfect match. We need stories like that.
