My Fair Lady (1964)

If you're a millennial like me, you grew up feeling the pressure to pick a side on many topics: N*SYNC or Backstreet Boys, Barbie or Bratz, Britney or Christina. These choices defined you in some arbitrary sense, infiltrating your friend groups and sparking impassioned debates. For the record, I am an N*SYNC, Barbie, and Britney girl, which might tell you something about me in that unique Y2K capacity.

One such decision among many in my formative years was between Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. I came down on the side of Marilyn, consuming her filmography and fascinating myself with her complicated, tragic life. It wasn't until recently that I became curious of the roads not taken, pop culturally speaking, and am acquainting myself with more of Audrey Hepburn's body of work. So this week I decided to tackle the Oscar darling, musical extravaganza of My Fair Lady.

The Gist

Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) is a brash, cockney-twanged flower saleswoman in Edwardian England trying to scrape by with whatever means she can earn. She gets the opportunity to learn proper English dialect and mannerisms by Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), who offers his services after betting fellow phonetics scholar Captain Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White) that he can turn Eliza into a proper posh lady.

Here is the trailer for a closer look:

MPAA Rating: G

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The Take

This is the film to watch if you are a fan of visual art. The sets, costuming, and choreography permeating this movie are a feast for the eyes, from the humble streets of Covent Garden to the spotless halls of the embassy ball. Even the opening scene is bursting with sumptuous gowns and coats of the opera attendees descending the stairs and confronting the rain-soaked streets outside. Hepburn's entire ladies' wardrobe is a celebration of opulence and triumph of design.

Hepburn herself is a comedic wizard, able to encapsulate the outspoken demeanor of Eliza Doolittle in her tongue flashing and elbow splaying gestures. She brings to life a woman making herself heard in the hustle and bustle of London streets in order to earn a few shillings. By the few glimpses of her drunkard father from early in the film, we know that Eliza's behavior is born out of necessity as well as learned from her community. Even when Eliza is subjected to the torturous teachings of Henry Higgins and learns how to speak like a proper lady, she does so with an exaggerated elegance that leans towards humorous.

My favorite part of the movie is at the Ascot Racecourse. I had to restrain myself from dedicating the entire post to this one scene because of its brilliance, as it depicts the whole point of the story in a few perfectly executed moments. From the hyper choreographed opening sequence to the ironic lyrics of "Ascot Gavotte" sung by a group of stone faced aristocrats in deadpan tones, it is a stark contrast to the lively and unwieldy Eliza you've seen thus far. This is the world she is trying to penetrate, and everything we know about her suggests her attempt will be a hilarious failure.

The turn for me is in the second part of the film - and yes there are two parts, because this is a three hour marathon of a movie - where it feel like scenes are missing that would make that part of the story more organic. The first two hours of the film are filled with extravagant musical numbers and a leisurely exploration of the main and secondary characters, leaving the final hour to plow through the meat of the internal conflicts and emotional journeys of our protagonists. This may be a result of the adaptation from stage play (Pygmalion) to film, but I struggled to invest in the story in the latter part of the movie and instead leaned into the visuals of it all to get me through.

Eliza has the unfortunate burden of living in the company of careless, self-absorbed men who use her for their own gain. Her father only shows up when he needs a few extra shillings for another drink, and Higgins turns her life upside down in order to prove his greatness as a phonetics professor. He treats her like a child and a plaything throughout the story, making me question whether I was ever meant to root for him. Is he a hero or a villain in it all? Aside from some fatherly concern displayed by Colonel Pickering - who is nevertheless complicit in this bet - Eliza has no support from the men in her life.

My new nemesis, Henry Higgins

The film also flirts with the concept of romance without fully delving into it. There are some hints to a romance between Eliza and Henry (the horror) but nothing is explicitly born. I was left confused as to whether Henry saw Eliza as a woman or a petulant child for much of the film. There is also a subplot sprinkled throughout involving Freddy, a sweet young man who falls for Eliza in her more outlandish moments. He may be the one person who likes Eliza for herself, so I automatically root for him.

It felt throughout my experience that everyone was working hard to make a good film despite the plot they were given. The musical numbers were expertly choreographed, the acting was at once wild and nuanced, and the costuming was catapulting the film to greatness. But at the end of the day, I have to be able to invest in the story I'm being asked to watch, and this one was lacking in some major areas. I may revisit some of the scenes in the future, but can't see myself signing up for another three hour session.

Rating: 6/10

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Notable Moments

• The entire Ascot Racecourse scene. Seriously, if you watch nothing else, look up this scene on YouTube and revel in the choreography and wry comedy of it.

• Every Audrey Hepburn entrance in one of those decadent gowns.

• "The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated."

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Try It If...

• You love lavish costumes.

• Audrey Hepburn's comedy appeals to you.

• You want to reminisce about the big studio productions of the past.

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Avoid It If...

• You're not a fan of musicals.

• You don't want to simmer in feminine rage for three hours.

• You're still in your Marilyn phase.

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Where to Watch

My Fair Lady is available to stream on Paramount+.

What is your favorite scene in My Fair Lady? Let me know in the comments below!