No matter who took on the lead role in 2000s The Audrey Hepburn Story, there were always going to be the knee-jerk critics complaining about the poor casting and the gall of the actress who dared to impersonate Hollywood's most beloved beauty. With that in mind, one compliment that must be paid to Jennifer Love Hewitt is that she was admirably courageous to attempt the role at all. It isnt easy to step into the shoes of an icon. Unfortunately, the compliments don't go much further than that. Its not that Hewitt gives an altogether bad performance, but she doesnt quite hit the mark as a believable Hepburn. The accent and style is there, and Hepburn's trademark niceness is present in bucket loads, but the portrayal rarely succeeds in surpassing anything more than a half-decent impression. The Audrey Hepburn Story is, however, a good reminder of that important balance between physical likeness and personality that needs to be struck by actors in biopics. Hewitt just about passes superficially, but the character was exaggerated to the point that the performance would seem more at home at a fancy dress party than on a television screen. Unsurprisingly, the aforementioned critics had a field day.
