Breakfast at Tiffany's

Blake Edward's elegant 1961 adaptation of Truman Capote's novella has lost none of its sophisticated sheen or stylish sparkle, thanks to Audrey Hepburn's divine performance as wild child Holly Golightly, who lives a carefree, madcap existence in New York. While the term “escort” and its less seemly variations don't come into play, Holly sustains herself with $50 gratuities from the men she dates, and tells her new neighbor, struggling writer Paul Varjak (George Peppard), "I've taken care of myself for a long time." Would-be novelist Paul is himself compromised, as he accepts cash on the nightstand from his "decorator" (Patricia Neal). Hepburn's Holly is a screen icon: the supremely elegant party girl who seems desperate for love yet thoroughly isolated from it. For all its fun and parties, however, Breakfast at Tiffany's is at heart a somber film, rich in the romance of the big city yet also attuned to its soul-crushing realities. Hepburn and Peppard get wonderful support from the rest of the cast: Buddy Ebsen as a figure from Holly's surprising past; John McGiver as an incredibly patient Tiffany's jewelry salesman; Martin Balsam as a Hollywood sleaze who has Holly's number; and Alan Reed (best known as the voice of Fred Flintstone) as convict Sally Tomato, to whom the unwitting Holly delivers "weather reports" in prison. Contemporary viewers coming to the film for the first time may be shocked by Mickey Rooney's turn as Mr. Yunioshi, Holly's perpetually exasperated and disapproving Japanese neighbor—Rooney's performance begins at racially insensitive and never looks back. Perhaps the most significant performer after Hepburn, though, is Henry Mancini: It's impossible to imagine the film without his dreamy Oscar-winning score and its melancholy theme, "Moon River." This new “Anniversary Edition” sparkles in a pink box that contains a number of DVD extra gems: audio commentary by producer Richard Shepherd, a “making-of” featurette, and a segment devoted to Hepburn as a fashion trendsetter. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)[DVD Review—Jan. 20, 2009—Paramount, 2 discs, 114 min., not rated, $24.99—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's (Centennial Edition) sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include audio commentary by producer Richard Shepherd, the production featurettes “A Golightly Gathering” (21 min.), “Henry Mancini: More Than Music” (21 min.), “Mr. Yunioshi: An Asian Perspective” character featurette (18 min.), “The Making of a Classic” making-of featurette (17 min.), “It's So Audrey: A Style Icon” (8 min.), “Brilliance in a Blue Box” (6 min.), “Behind the Gates: The Tour” (5 min.), “Audrey's Letter to Tiffany” (3 min.), galleries, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine edition of a classic that is highly recommended for those who didn't pick up the 2006 anniversary edition.][Blu-ray Review—Sept. 13, 2011—Paramount, 114 min., not rated, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's sports a good transfer and DTS-HD 5.1 audio. Blu-ray extras are identical to the DVD release, including include audio commentary by producer Richard Shepherd, the production featurettes “A Golightly Gathering” (21 min.), “Henry Mancini: More Than Music” (21 min.), and “Mr. Yunioshi: An Asian Perspective” (18 min.), a “making-of” featurette (17 min.), “It's So Audrey: A Style Icon” on star Audrey Hepburn (8 min.), “Brilliance in a Blue Box” on the Tiffany jewelry store (6 min.), “Behind the Gates: The Tour” of Paramount Studios (5 min.), “Audrey's Letter to Tiffany” (3 min.), photo galleries, and trailers. Bottom line: an American cinema classic glitters on Blu-ray.]