by Sam Wasson
First published 2010
Sam Wasson takes readers behind the scenes of one of cinema's most beloved films. The book opens in late 1950s America, where Truman Capote originally envisioned Marilyn Monroe as Holly Golightly. Wasson traces the complete story of how Breakfast at Tiffany's came to life, from Capote's initial resistance to Audrey Hepburn's casting to director Blake Edwards filming multiple endings. The author exposes the real Hepburn, far from her pristine public image, struggling to balance motherhood with stardom. Through interviews and archival research, Wasson assembles the full cast: costume designer Edith Head, fashion house Givenchy, and composer Henry Mancini creating "Moon River." The book follows the production from Manhattan's Upper East Side to Hollywood's Beverly Hills, showing how Holly Golightly's unconventional sexuality shocked conservative America. Wasson demonstrates how this single film changed fashion, cinema, and sexual attitudes, paving the way for later cultural phenomena like Sex and the City. The story captures a pivotal moment before the cultural upheavals of the 1960s, when one movie character could reshape American values.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, biography-memoir, film
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, cultural-impact
Setting: Beverly Hills, Manhattan, Upper East Side
Period: 1950s
231 pages · Hardcover · Harper