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 17 wins & 24 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
Jo Ann Havrilla	...	Miss McClatchey (as Joann Havrilla)
William Hall Jr.	...	Oscar
Alvin M. Sugarman	...	Dr. Weil
Clarice F. Geigerman	...	Nonie
Muriel Moore	...	Miriam
Sylvia Kaler	...	Beulah
Carolyn Gold	...	Neighbor Lady
Crystal Fox	...	Katie Bell (as Crystal R. Fox)
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 | widow | african american | 1950s | old age | 

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Taglines:

The comedy that won a Pulitzer Prize

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of three Warner Bros. movies in a row where the Best Picture winner co-stars Morgan Freeman. The other two are Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004). The Departed (2006) would be the first Best Picture Oscar Winner for Warner Bros. without Freeman since Amadeus (1984). It is also the only one out of the three that Clint Eastwood didn't direct or star with Freeman.

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Goofs

Hoke drives past the same house with the same truck in front of it twice in in fifteen seconds when going home from the temple.

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Quotes

Hoke Colburn: [seeing Boolie in his office after his trip with Daisy to Mobile] It's Mr. Sinclair Harris, sir.
Boolie Werthan: My cousin Sinclair?
Hoke Colburn: It's his wife... the one that talk funny?
Boolie Werthan: Jeanette. She's from Canton, Ohio
Hoke Colburn: Well, she's tryin' to hire me!
Boolie Werthan: What?
Hoke Colburn: Yessir, she said, 'how they treatin' you down there, Hoke?' You know how she sound, like her nose stuffed up. So I said, 'fine, Mrs. Harris, just fine, thank you.' She said, 'Well, you lookin' for a change, you know who to call.'
Boolie Werthan: I'll be damned!
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Film title logo appears at the end of closing credits

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Connections

Referenced in Only Fools and Horses: Miami Twice (Oh to Be in England) (1991)

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Soundtracks

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by the guests at Uncle Walter's birthday party

User Reviews

"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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

26 January 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Driving Miss Daisy

Filming Locations:

Sevananda Natural Foods Grocery, 1111 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$73,745, 17 December 1989

Gross USA:

$106,593,296

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$145,793,296

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Zanuck Company, Allied Filmmakers, Majestic Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1