Driving Miss Daisy
Academy Award × 4
The story of an old Jewish widow named Daisy Werthan and her relationship with her black chauffeur, Hoke. From an initial mere work relationship grew in 25 years a strong friendship between the two very different characters, in a time when those types of relationships were shunned.
What critics thought
Critics at the time warmly embraced the film's performances and quietly observed screenplay, with Tandy and Freeman drawing particular admiration for their nuanced, theatrical work within a realistic frame. The more lasting debate, however, is whether the film's racial politics hold up — its preference for gentle uplift over uncomfortable confrontation has made it a touchstone for arguments about what Hollywood rewards versus what it should, especially given that it beat Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing for Best Picture consideration.
“It is an immensely subtle film, in which hardly any of the most important information is carried in the dialogue and in which body language, tone of voice or the look in an eye can be the most important thing in a scene.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“The two actors manage to be highly theatrical without breaking out of the realistic frame of the film.”
Vincent Canby·The New York Times
“one scene after another of a pompous old lady issuing orders and a servant trying to comply by saying 'yassum.”
Candice Russell·South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Genres
Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorBruce Beresford
StarringMorgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Aykroyd, Patti LuPone, Esther Rolle
ComposerHans Zimmer
Driving Miss Daisy
Academy Award × 4
The story of an old Jewish widow named Daisy Werthan and her relationship with her black chauffeur, Hoke. From an initial mere work relationship grew in 25 years a strong friendship between the two very different characters, in a time when those types of relationships were shunned.
What critics thought
Critics at the time warmly embraced the film's performances and quietly observed screenplay, with Tandy and Freeman drawing particular admiration for their nuanced, theatrical work within a realistic frame. The more lasting debate, however, is whether the film's racial politics hold up — its preference for gentle uplift over uncomfortable confrontation has made it a touchstone for arguments about what Hollywood rewards versus what it should, especially given that it beat Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing for Best Picture consideration.
“It is an immensely subtle film, in which hardly any of the most important information is carried in the dialogue and in which body language, tone of voice or the look in an eye can be the most important thing in a scene.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“The two actors manage to be highly theatrical without breaking out of the realistic frame of the film.”
Vincent Canby·The New York Times
“one scene after another of a pompous old lady issuing orders and a servant trying to comply by saying 'yassum.”
Candice Russell·South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Genres
Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorBruce Beresford
StarringMorgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Aykroyd, Patti LuPone, Esther Rolle
ComposerHans Zimmer