What an awesome accomplishment: Hepburn’s regal grace, coy ditziness, and beguiling patter make a call girl’s life the stuff of romantic dreams. Although author Truman Capote thought his pal Marilyn Monroe would be perfect for the role, Hepburn makes the thought of buxom, flighty Marilyn swaggering through this film incomprehensible. Her thin build and delicate features are put to their full advantage, and her tenderness can never be confused with naïveté, as she treads an impossibly fine line between optimist and opportunist. The ladies of Sex and the City—and, really, any girl who tries on a tiara (you know, just to see how it looks)—owe it all to Audrey.

Next Entry