In this refreshingly, delicate and emotionally heartwarming documentary, 'Audrey: More than an Icon,' it explores the story of Audrey Hepburn's personal life, career and who she really was outside of Hollywood's limelight.
As someone who has always had a love for old Hollywood films and true elegant beauty of iconic leading ladies like Hepburn, I could not wait to watch what I knew would be a very special documentary.
As I pressed play and snuggled under my blankets on a Sunday afternoon with a giddy smile, I was fooled when this film took an unexpected turn and exceeded my expectations of what I thought it was going to be. I thought I was going to watch a documentary mostly talking about Hepburn's unique and different but exquisite fashionable appearance and how she became a popular sensational actress and icon in her career; I was definitely in for a treat!
Although Hepburn's fashion and career was discussed, this documentary definitely explored personal and private aspects of her life in a little more depth. Director Helena Coan featured unseen footage and soundbites as well as photos of Hepburn at home and with friends and family.
Seeing interviews of close family and friends of Hepburn like her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer and granddaughter Emma Kathleen Ferrer were very special, but hearing Hepburn's voiceover throughout the documentary gave me chills because it was almost as if she was in the room telling me her life story.
As beautiful and elegant as Hepburn was, her modesty and insecurities gleamed through the documentary which made it vulnerable, tragically unexpected, and beautiful all at the same time.
Many of the interviewees touched on Hepburn's strength and power she had when it came to knowing how to work as an actress in front of the camera, working alongside her co-stars, knowing what was good and what was bad for a film she was partaking in and finding the right wardrobe that fit not only her characters in her films but for herself also.
As Hepburn's close friends and family speak highly of her gracefulness, compassionate nature and her keen sense of fashion, it is Hepburn's voice that radiates strongly when she speaks down on her looks stating that she, "would like to have changed everything."
This goes to show that no matter how Hepburn presented herself to the public eye and no matter how beautiful others thought she was, she, like everyone else, felt she was not as beautiful or wished she could be more.
Hepburn faced many hardships such as her father leaving (which affected her life for many years), being brought up during World War II and finding ways to keep herself from completely falling apart such as entertaining others by dancing and acting in an underground theater.
After the war ended, she suffered from malnutrition which did not allow her to become a ballet dancer as she had hoped.
Although she did not make it in ballet she was discovered and offered a part in a play called Gigi which led her to her first Hollywood movie role as Princess Anne in "Roman Holiday." It was not till after that she became a Hollywood sensation overnight. She went on to make well known and popular films like "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Funny Face" and more.
Deeper into the documentary, Hepburn's love life is also talked about. She was twice married and twice divorced and had two children, one from each of her marriages whom she loved unconditionally. Although her marriages did not last, Hepburn remained compassionate and loving and moved on to find things that made her feel alive other than her Hollywood career.
Like many other celebrities Hepburn grew tired of fame and paparazzi which led her to move to a more remote and quiet setting in Switzerland to her home she called La paisible (which means peaceful in French). It was there that she felt more at home and very happy.
She later became a humanitarian and joined UNICEF. This is where Hepburn really outshines as a compassionate human being and why I have so much respect for her. She visited places like Ethiopia, Valenzuela, Somalia and Ecuador because she wanted to help children who suffer from malnutrition as she once did after World War II. She had a very deep connection to these children and wanted to make a difference, change humanity for the better as well as make others aware of what goes on in other countries.
She appeared on television solely to bring attention to world hunger. And because of how much power she held and the things she did to help children around the world, UNICEF received a lot of money to help fund the children she really wanted to make a difference for.
I may be biased because I adore Hepburn so much that I will honestly say Marilyn Monroe has nothing on this true beauty other than sex appeal and typical blonde bombshell appearance that most men today love, but Hepburn really was exquisite inside and out not just for her grace and beauty but for her compassion and thirst to make a change. This is something we do not see much coming from people we idolize in modern Hollywood era.
As much as I love Hepburn's movies and beauty I admire her for striving to do so much more for her family and others out of unconditional love.
To Helena Coan, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Emma Kathleen Ferrer and everyone else who brought every piece to bring Hepburn back to life in this must watch tear jerker, awe inspiring documentary, thank you!
Go watch Audrey on Netflix now!
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