Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writers (WGA):

Alfred Uhry (play)
Alfred Uhry (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 January 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

The comedy that won a Pulitzer Prize

Plot:

An old Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.

Plot Keywords:

Jewish | Widow | 1950s | Chauffeur | American South

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 16 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Morgan Freeman	...	Hoke Colburn
Jessica Tandy	...	Daisy Werthan
Dan Aykroyd	...	Boolie Werthan
Patti LuPone	...	Florine Werthan
Esther Rolle	...	Idella
Joann Havrilla	...	Miss McClatchey
William Hall Jr.	...	Oscar
Alvin M. Sugarman	...	Dr. Weil
Clarice F. Geigerman	...	Nonie
Muriel Moore	...	Miriam
Sylvia Kaler	...	Beulah
Carolyn Gold	...	Neighbor Lady
Crystal R. Fox	...	Katie Bell
Bob Hannah	...	Red Mitchell
Ray McKinnon	...	Trooper #1

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital (DVD version)

Certification:

Germany:6 | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | Brazil:Livre | South Korea:All | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:PG (#29912) | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:F (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

822 Lullwater Road, Druid Hills, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Majestic Films International

Trivia:

The aria heard in the azalea blossoms/time passes scene when Daisy is listening to the radio is "Song To The Moon" from Antonín Dvorák's "Rusalka".

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Hoke gets back into the car after being questioned by the police, there is foliage from two different trees grouped together, visible in the reflection of the window; probably so the audience can see Hoke through the glass. Then in the long shot of the car pulling away, there are no trees or plants close enough to the car to have caused those reflections.

Quotes:

Daisy Werthan: [Hoke and Daisy are driving to Boolie and Florene's for a Christmas party. Daisy, a Jew, is annoyed at the extraneous Christmas light displays] Everybody's wishing the Georgia Power Company a Merry Christmas.
Hoke Colburn: I bet Miss Florene got 'em all beat with the new house.
Daisy Werthan: If I had a nose like Florene's, I wouldn't go around wishing anybody a Merry Christmas!
Hoke Colburn: [laughs] Yes'm... but, I tell ya, I do enjoy a Christmas at their house.
Daisy Werthan: Of course, you're the only Christian in the place!
Hoke Colburn: Well, they got that new cook.
Daisy Werthan: [sighs] Florene never could keep help. Of course, it's none of my affair. Too much running around, if you ask me.
[Hoke agrees]
Daisy Werthan: The Garden Club this, the Junior League that... as if any of them would give her the time of day! But, she'd die before she'd fix a glass of iced tea for the Temple Sisterhood!
Hoke Colburn: [coming up on Boolie's house, looking at the gaudy light display] Oh, Lord, look what Miss Florene done done!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Human Duplicators (#5.20)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

SONG TO THE MOON

"Driving Miss Daisy" is a masterpiece.

Looking for a great, in-yer-face fast-moving action THRILLER? Driving Miss Daisy ain't it.

Looking for a great MOVIE? You're in the right place.

"Driving Miss Daisy" charts the subtly-shifting relationship between "Miss Daisy," a very reluctantly aging Jewish lady who's no longer able to drive for herself, and her new (and, as you can expect, rather unwelcome!) driver -- a not-terribly-young-himself Black guy (or African-American guy, whichever you prefer) named Hoke.

Bear in mind this is the Deep South of the 1950's and 60's we're talking about here, and the racial attitudes and prejudices of that time make for fascinating background -- as does the whole general culture, which I believe was well portrayed.

The directors frankly took on some delicate racial subject matter here (and certainly the racial divide in those days was very deep indeed) -- but they handled it with remarkable skill. I think they succeeded so well because they brought you into the lives of people as people, not just as cardboard stereotypes. Long before the movie is over, you find yourself really caring about the two main characters -- Daisy and Hoke.

This is a movie about life, relationships, and people. You see some good things -- and also some very human weaknesses, not the least of which is sheer stubborn pride.

I personally was a child of the deep South, and I appreciate movies such as this one and Jessica Tandy's other wonderful movie Fried Green Tomatoes (which is in some ways very similar) which give us a glimpse into the culture of those days. There are definitely things we can learn from the past, and there are also things we can learn from watching how people change over the course of their lives.

Several moments from this movie stand out, some of which are funny, some sobering, and some of which are particularly moving:

The scene involving Dr. Martin Luther King.

The unashamedly bigoted comments of a 50's or 60's police officer.

A great scene involving Hoke and Miss Daisy's businessman son.

An incredible scene in which Jessica Tandy portrays the aging Miss Daisy.

And, perhaps most of all, what Miss Daisy says to Hoke towards the end of the movie.

Now personally, I love action movies so well that I was initially reluctant even to watch this one. This is not a movie of action, but it IS a movie of substance and beauty, mixed with some funny moments.

The acting is great, the script and directing are beautifully done, and the substance, humor and beauty are such that overall, I consider "Driving Miss Daisy," one of the best movies I've ever seen.