Romantic comedy Something From Tiffany’s is just about as generic as they come. Feeling like it emerged fresh from the other side of the conveyor belt, I was left hunting for the scraps of salvageable delights from this unfortunately misguided and questionably-paced little Prime Video flick. How does one waste the talents of Zoey Deutch or Kendrick Sampson? By all means, there are worse ways to spend an hour and a half. But with so many great options at one’s fingertips, how can one justify spending the time with this instantly-forgettable New York-at-Christmasstime rom-com?
Daisy (Leah Jeffries, Beast, Empire) and her charming father, Ethan (Sampson, How to Get Away with Murder, The Vampire Diaries), head to Tiffany’s as the film opens—Ethan is about to buy a beautiful engagement ring for his future fiancé, Vanessa (Shay Mitchell, Pretty Little Liars, Netflix’s You), and he is right on the cusp of making all their dreams come true. At the same time, sub-par boyfriend Gary (Ray Nicholson, Promising Young Woman, Licorice Pizza) pops in the store, inquiring about a last minute gift for his longtime romantic partner, Rachel (Deutch, Set It Up, The Politician); or, as he puts it, “anything that’s reasonable.” As fate would have it, as Gary rushes out of the store late for dinner as per usual, he sweeps by Ethan, and is abruptly hit in the street by a taxi!
When she finds out about Gary’s accident, Rachel of course rushes to the hospital to check on him. Gary only has a mild concussion and a cracked phone, along with some minor memory loss; it doesn’t stop Daisy and Ethan from swinging by to make sure he is okay as well. Vanessa is currently away on a girl’s trip, but right when she gets home, Ethan is planning to pop the question. Ethan and Rachel meet, and there is an obvious connection in spite of the other already being romantically involved. Ethan is a creative writing professor at UCLA currently working on his new book, and Rachel runs a bakery/restaurant in Bryant Park. Has luck brought them together? Even upon this first meeting, they do not fully grasp the reality of their situation.
You see, during the taxi mishap, the two packages from Tiffany’s were accidentally exchanged. Ethan picked up the wrong one. Now, Ethan is about to gift sparkling earrings to Vanessa, and Rachel is about to receive a most definite impromptu proposal from Gary. Something From Tiffany’s has all the promise of a classic romantic comedy setup, courtesy of producers Deutch and Reese Witherspoon, based on the book by Melissa Hill. To my dismay, the film never really takes off in quite the way it should. Short on romantic moments and grand gestures, director Daryl Wein (who also helmed the dismal but occasionally amusing comedy, How It Ends) highlights character work but forgets the fun.
One of the scenes that worked best for me involves Daisy and Rachel, as the duo reminisce about what it means to remember a mother one has lost. As the tears welled up in Daisy’s eyes, I felt a genuine connection between the two actresses that I did not feel for a single moment amidst any of the other off-key romantic combinations. I am not entirely sure if the movie was miscast—the chemistry does seem a little off. Without spectacle and genuine memorable sequences, Something From Tiffany’s feels as hollow as an empty jewelry box.
Don’t forget to grab Something From Tiffany’s when this brand new rom-com debuts exclusively to Prime Video on Friday, December 9th.
