VIDEO-Breakfast at Tiffany's

A friend of mine who loves old movies recommended this classic to me. I'm not a fan of chick flicks, and Breakfast at Tiffany's is a classic chick flick. But it isn't your typical chick flick. Based on a story from Truman Capote, the movie is both a lighthearted romp while simultaneously being a commentary on love and the human condition.

Audrey Hepburn shines as Holly Golightly, a free spirited lady who loves the party lifestyle and desperately wants to find a rich man to marry. But underneath her sunny exterior is a vein of sadness and loneliness. George Peppard plays Paul Varjak, the writer neighbor who befriends Holly and ends up falling in love with her. But he is merely a struggling writer who is nothing more than the kept man and boy toy of Patricia Neal. Both Holly and Paul are the roadkill of the fast highway of life as both trade love for money. Needless to say, complications ensue involving Holly's past, a connection to organized crime, and the introduction of a rich South American. I won't give anything else away.

What makes the movie so good is the fact that it is bittersweet. Unlike romantic comedies today, Holly and Paul are damaged people. You can tell they need each other and belong together. There is a gritty edge to this one as we are dealing with gold digging and women paying men for sex. It makes you want to read the Capote novella.

The movie ends with something I have known for many years. In such a harsh and empty world as ours, all we have is each other. In the truth of it all, this is what matters most. The world is a mean place full of phonies, and the most valuable thing you can have is someone who loves you just as you are.

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