 The film is a partially fictionalised account of the relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren . In 1961 , Hitchcock notices Hedren in a television commercial for a diet drink . He wants to turn her into the next Grace Kelly , with whom he had worked extensively during the 1950s . Hedren passes her screen test and is groomed for the starring role in Hitchcock 's latest film , The Birds ; the director instructs her about her dress and appearance . 
