Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

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

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writers:

Alfred Uhry (screenplay), Alfred Uhry (play)

Stars:

Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Aykroyd

Won 4 Oscars. Another 24 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Morgan Freeman	...	Hoke Colburn
Jessica Tandy	...	Daisy Werthan
Dan Aykroyd	...	Boolie Werthan
Patti LuPone	...	Florine Werthan (as Patti Lupone)
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

Storyline

An elderly Jewish widow living in Atlanta can no longer drive. Her son insists she allow him to hire a driver, which in the 1950s meant a black man. She resists any change in her life but, Hoke, the driver is hired by her son. She refuses to allow him to drive her anywhere at first, but Hoke slowly wins her over with his native good graces. The movie is directly taken from a stage play and does show it. It covers over twenty years of the pair's life together as they slowly build a relationship that transcends their differences.

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Plot Keywords:

jewish | chauffeur | 1950s | widow | african american | 

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Taglines:

The comedy that won a Pulitzer Prize

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

15 December 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Miss Daisy et son chauffeur

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$106,593,296 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zanuck Company, The, Majestic Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital (DVD version)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The play "Driving Miss Daisy" won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1988.

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Goofs

In the very early scene where Miss Daisy is inside starting her car it is a 1949-1953 Chrysler. The car shown backing over the wall from the outside is a 1946-1948 Chrysler.

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Quotes

Daisy Werthan: It's 7:16!
Boolie Werthan: You should have a job on the radio announcing the time.

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Connections

Referenced in Full House: Driving Miss D.J. (1992)

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Soundtracks

"JINGLE BELLS"
(1857)
Written by James Pierpont (uncredited)
Arranged and Performed by Charlotte Georg (as Les Peel)
Courtesy of Capitol Production Music/Ole Georg

User Reviews

Something for Everyone

It has become fashionable to knock movies like this, a low-decibel kind of personal memoir that offers no lofty message and keeps to straight linear episodes over a given span of time. Yet this is a movie that one celebrates for the sheer beauty of its filming, its gentle sentiment that does have a basic moral, easily understood.

Another quality present in this film is uniformly fine acting by all the characters. Morgan Freeman does ham it a bit, but that is rather in keeping with the script given him. Jessica Tandy IS Miss Daisy, just as she IS Ninny Threadgoode two years later in Fried Green Tomatoes. This is not type-casting, just very fine acting. Some of the lines, especially the ones expressed by Freeman and Tandy in the car after the bombing of the temple, are Classic with a big "C." Anyone who was living over the time period represented will also appreciate the generally accurate sets, right down to the appliances and dishes. The "goofs" are few and far between. One comes away from viewing the film with a deep satisfaction that it was indeed the way things really were back in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. If some are offended by that, it is more a reflection on the evils of the time rather than of this excellent filmed representation.