What's the AFI Project, you ask? For more information, or if you just enjoy my bemused ramblings, read here: http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/3/1/25756.aspx
Breakfast at Tiffany's is on the following AFI lists:
100 Years...100 Passions (#61)
100 Greatest Film Songs (#4 - "Moon River")
Truth be told, Breakfast at Tiffany's is not the greatest movie in the world. Don't get me wrong, I love it! I'm a big Audrey Hepburn fan, and Holly Golightly is among her finest and most legendary roles. In addition, I think George Peppard is awfully pretty in this film, and the best supporting performance goes to Cat, the nameless slob. Ultimately, though, Breakfast at Tiffany's is really just a guilty pleasure disguised with some timeless elements that make the film a cut above most other romantic comedies, before or since.
Holly Golightly (Hepburn) is a freespirit living in New York City and socializing with all manner of men, looking for the rich one that will marry her. She's also a dreamer, and a favorite pastime is to have breakfast while peering through the shop windows at the lovely, sparkly things in Tiffany's. She's such a freespirit, she's mainly commitment phobic - but then along comes a budding author with writer's block, Paul, who moves into the apartment above hers. He's kept and maintained by a wealthy woman (Patricia Neal), and Holly and Paul, whom she calls Fred because he reminds her of her brother Fred, who is in the service of the military, strike up a close friendship. Of course, any romance film fan knows immediately that Paul/Fred and Holly are right for each other, but her wacky individualistic streak and each's dubious exploits in pursuit of money to live the high life in NYC, delay their realization of it for most of the movie. It is, technically, a romcom, but the movie is more of a formula creator, not a formula follower.
This film is not perfect because, plotwise, it is really just a string of funny and surprising situations which the extraverted Holly and the happy-to-oblige Paul/Fred find themselves in, giving them a not-so-organic motivation to cultivate their budding friendship and love. There's nothing special technically. It's no landmark film, and Mickey Rooney gives a decidedly offensive performance as a Japanese neighbor who lives next door to Paul/Fred but who Holly harasses to open the door because she always loses her keys. Also, like I said, George Peppard was pretty in this film, but he didn't give a ringer of a romantic leading-man performance himself.
The best parts of the film are what make it a winning and entertaining couple of hours in the end, however. Audrey is adorable as Holly, and it's a different type of romantic lead than what she played in Roman Holiday or Sabrina. Her character's spirit is infectious and her performance is so charming and effortless, the viewer finds themselves wishing they could be so seemingly carefree (though she has layers, as the film illustrates). She wears fabulous clothes and has a stilted life philosophy that makes one chuckle. The score, variations on the beautiful and lilting "Moon River," all for which Henry Mancini was responsible, is as timeless as Audrey's opening scene of cruller, coffee, and Tiffany's shop window in a stunning black gown.
In fact, it's the spirit and the message surrounding the spirit, the one of loving oneself while also not being afraid to love someone else, that makes it such a classic movie. For that, it at least should be on the greatest romances list, and of course, Moon River is #4 on the song list.
As a movie, I would rate it an 8 for having minor flaws but being very good. I also already own it, so it was easy to pull out and watch. It's also easy on the eyes and easy on the mind, so I naturally find it easy to like...