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Early on a fall morning, a lone
taxicab deposits Holly Golightly at Tiffany's jewelry store on Fifth
Avenue in New York City. Holly eats a breakfast pastry and drinks
coffee while admiring the window displays, then strolls away for home.
At her brownstone apartment block, Holly successfully fends off her
date from the night before, who has been waiting in his car outside her
residence all night and is angry that she disappeared during the course
of their evening out together. Holly then meets Paul Varjak, a new
tenant. After feeding her pet cat (simply named "Cat"), Holly chats
with Paul as she hurriedly prepares to visit Sing Sing prison, a weekly
routine from which she earns $100 for an hour's conversation with Sally
Tomato, an incarcerated mob boss. Holly does not seem to realize that
she is passing coded messages for Sally's drug ring. Outside the
brownstone, Mrs. Failenson (referred to as "2E" throughout the movie)
arrives and is introduced as Paul's "decorator."
Later that night, Holly visits Paul
to escape a drunken date and sees Mrs. Failenson leave money and kiss
Paul goodbye. Holly wakes up Paul and they talk. It is revealed that
Paul is a writer but hasn't been published since 1956 and that Holly
ran away from home at age 14 with her brother Fred, who is in the army.
It is indicated in the conversation they are forms of prostitutes, by
Holly commenting on the amount Paul had received from Mrs. Failenson,
and by saying she understood his situation "completley."
The next day Paul attends a party at
Holly's where he is introduced to José da Silva Pereira, a
handsome, rich Brazilian; and Rusty Trawler, a pudgy, rich American.
Paul also meets O. J. Berman, Holly's agent. O.J. tells Paul about
Holly's transformation into a classy woman, but that she is a wild
spirit and difficult to pin down.
Another day, Holly and Paul are
visiting Sally at Sing Sing. Back home, Paul writes a story while Holly
sings "Moon River" on her windowsill. Suddenly Mrs. Failenson rushes
into Paul's apartment, worried about a strange man outside. Paul is
trailed by the man when he leaves the apartment, and eventually the men
confront one another in Central Park. The man introduces himself as Doc
Golightly. Doc and Holly were married when she was turning 14, and
Holly's real name is Lula Mae Barns. Doc has come to New York to take
Holly back home to Texas, where he feels she rightly belongs. But Holly
later explains to Paul that the marriage was annulled. A dejected Doc
returns to Texas.
Holly and Paul go to a bar, and a
drunken Holly explains that Fred is now her responsibility. She plans
to marry Rusty for his money, but discovers the next day that Rusty has
just gotten married. Holly and Paul spend the day together doing things
they never did, among others going to the library and to Tiffany's
where they have a ring from a box of Cracker Jack engraved. They share
a kiss when they arrive home. It is implied that Holly and Paul spend
the night together. The next day, Paul informs Mrs. Failenson that he
no longer needs her. A confused Holly now plans to marry
José, angering Paul.
Another night, Holly and
José return home and find a telegram informing them of
Fred's death. Holly trashes her apartment in grief. Paul tries to calm
her down but her behavior concerns José.
Months have passed. Paul has moved
out of the brownstone but has been invited to dinner by Holly, who is
leaving the next morning for Brazil. After Holly's dinner preparation
goes awry, they decide to go out to dinner and, upon returning, are
arrested in connection with Sally's drug ring. Holly spends the night
in lock-up. The next morning, Paul is waiting with a taxicab when she
is released from jail. As the cab enters the traffic, Paul reveals that
he is in possession of both Cat and a letter to Holly from
José, in which the rich Brazilian breaks off the
relationship due to her headline-making arrest. An emotional Holly
impulsively orders the driver to stop and she throws Cat out into the
pouring rain from the cab. Paul leaves the cab after confronting Holly
for being afraid to accept Paul's love. Holly runs after him and
together they find Cat. Holly and Paul kiss.
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