Driving Miss Daisy

Driving Miss Daisy

Winner of 4 Academy Awards in 1990, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay & Best Actress (Jessica Tandy), Driving Miss Daisy is a modest little movie that hit the big time by being in the right place at the right time and saying the right things.

It's a story about love, perhaps even Romantic Love, between two people who, over 25 years, find they have more in commom with each other than they originally think. The problem is, though, she's white & rich and he's black & poor.

It's 1948 and Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy), is an irascible, highly independent Southern Belle in her sixties. One day, while reversing out of her garage, she hits the pedal too hard and finds herself unintentionally in her next door neighbor's garden.

Her attentive son, Boolie (Dan Aykroyd), who runs the family's cotton factory (note the symbolism), decides that Daisy's driving days are over and after much aggravation between the two, hires Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman) as her chauffeur. At first Daisy is curt, unfriendly and downright rude to Hoke, but being black and desperately needing employment, he takes the abuse and eventually the two start to find out about each other.

Over 25 years that bond intensifies, 25 years of massive social change with good son Boolie happy to pay Hoke's wages as his mother's unofficial friend...and eventually, preferred companion, even after Hoke stops being able to drive.

Originally a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Alfred Uhry that was first performed in 1987...

...but Australian director Bruce Beresford has translated it to screen unobtrusively, happy to not get in the way of such strong material.

The acting is convincing and strong but those winning those Academy Awards is still something of a surprise to me. My guess is that Driving Miss Daisy probably won them because  the movie is an important film for Americans, documenting an historical era brilliantly by telling a sweet love story...and I ain't gonna argue with that. Whether that makes Driving Miss Daisy worthy of four Oscars is another question altogether. However, there's no doubt, I really liked it.

Driving Miss Daisy DVD

"...Lovely is such an old fashioned word, I know but that's the word that describes this film, for me. The story of the developing friendship over many years between the black chaueffeur and the older Jewish woman is very heartwarming in its simplicity. Amazon reviewer F. Gentile

"...A calm and subtle review of race relations over about 40 years. Never in your face, it still makes you think about the changes in our country and the work that remains to be done..." Amazon reviewer Stormchild "Maeve"

"...Finally a decent, dirt-speck free, clean print of this fine film. Also includes a few new bonus extras on the making of the film, as well as interesting commentary by its director. It'll make you want to head south for a plate of fried green tomatoes!..." Amazon reviewer djohn48946

Driving Miss Daisy soundtrack

With Driving Miss Daisy, film score composer Hans Zimmer proves once again that he can tackle any genre (others include The Lion King, The Rock & Crimson Tide, just to name a few) with the same level of creativity and uniqueness. This one is no exception..." Amazon reviewer D. Collier

see also:

• wikipedia Driving Miss Daisy