10 New York Romantic Comedies

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is an adaptation of a book by Truman Capote. The original book, from what I can tell, was a little bit more complex, and had a much different ending, but the movie is still a lot smarter and deeper than I ever expected.

The story concerns a struggling writer stuck in a relationship with a rich older woman. One day a quirky, energetic girl named Holly Golightly appears outside his fire-escape window, and they strike up a friendship, and, eventually, a relationship. As he gets to know her, more and more secrets from her past come spilling out, until finally she decides to take flight – again.

I can’t help but think that the original book must have had something quieter and subtler underneath it all – when the movie begins, there seem to be a lot of hints that the main character, who Holly calls “Fred,” is gay. Also the fact that Holly insists on calling her lover by the name of her dead brother is deeply weird. But by the second half all of those undertones seem to be forgotten as the movie strikes an odd balance between care-free rom-com and serious character study.

It’s not the greatest movie, but it’s interesting, and it’s a great place to watch Audrey Hepburn – one of the most beautiful women in the history of cinema – give her best and most famous performance.