You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
209 reviews for:
Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman
Sam Wasson
3.64 AVERAGE
209 reviews for:
Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman
Sam Wasson
3.64 AVERAGE
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Enjoyed this 'behind the scenes' look at the making of this wonderful movie.
The book I had packed for my trip out West was completed on my first flight. And while I purchased a book about Cowgirls at one of the National Parks shops, I wanted something light for the plane ride home. This book caught my eye in the airport and I made the hasty purchase. I read the majority of it on the plane and it was a perfect plane book -- interesting and quick moving. But I stalled to finish it when I got home. The book's subtitle is "Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Dawn of the Modern Woman" but I felt I wasn't getting that. How did the movie and Hepburn's performance substantially change, or begin to change, the notion of the "modern worman" in American society? After reading this book I don't really know. It was a fascinating play by play of how the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" got made including some interesting interviews author Sam Wasson did in research for the book. He details how risky the role was for Audrey Hepburn and does an excellent job illustrating how the movie's public relations spun Hepburn's role to make it acceptable to the American public, and pass the Hollywood censors at the time. But somehow, I wanted a bit more about the effect the film had. i wanted something more cohesive than some big scored interviews. Still, as a fan of the work, both the movie version and Truman Capote's version, it was a book that was interesting, just not spectacular.
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Read like a really long magazine article. Was hoping for more insight on feminism in the 1950-60s and how the film influenced popular culture. But it's a light and entertaining read for fans of the movie. Fun map of NYC film locations.
Interesting account detailing the making of Breakfast at Tiffany's and Audrey Hepburn, Truman Capote, and the entire crew's lives before and during the filming.
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
If you’re a Audrey Hepburn or Breakfast at Tiffany’s fan, this is an interesting read. Although I didn’t feel very entertained and it was a bit dry, it was interesting to hear how Audrey was a unique actress and icon of her time.
Oh, what joy can be found in minutiae! While I'm not sure that the author accomplished all that he set out to find in this work (which reads like a spunky term paper) at least in terms of pointing Hepburn's performance of Holly Golightly as causing the dawn of the "modern woman" (whatever that means), but this is a fun collection of anecdotes of what led to the making of the film version of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Behind-the-scenes of film stories are a particular favorite of mine, and while Wasson took a few liberties in the method storytelling, at the end of the book, he was able to show the fact base for all of these ideas, which I appreciated. It made for a lively read that I actually found myself wishing to be a bit longer. This book is a must for any serious fans of the film.