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Plot

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Alfred Uhry, Driving Miss Daisy affectionately covers the 25-year relationship between a wealthy, strong-willed Southern matron (Jessica Tandy) and her equally indomitable Black chauffeur, Hoke (Morgan Freeman). Both employer and employee are outsiders, Hoke because of the color of his skin, Miss Daisy because she is Jewish in a WASP-dominated society. At the same time, Hoke cannot fathom Miss Daisy's cloistered inability to grasp the social changes that are sweeping the South in the 1960s. Nor can Miss Daisy understand why Hoke's "people" are so indignant. It is only when Hoke is retired and Miss Daisy is confined to a home for the elderly that the two fully realize that they've been friends and kindred spirits all along. The supporting cast includes Esther Rolle as Miss Daisy's housekeeper and Dan Aykroyd as Miss Daisy's son, Boolie (reportedly, playwright Uhry based the character upon himself). Driving Miss Daisy won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actress (Jessica Tandy), Best Screenplay (Uhry), and Best Makeup (Manlio Rochetti).
MPAA Rating:
PG
Genre(s):
Drama
Run Time:
99min.
Theatrical Release Date:
12/12/1989
DVD Release Date:
04/30/1997
Distributor(s):
Warner Brothers
Director(s):
Bruce Beresford
Starring:
Morgan Freeman , Jessica Tandy , Dan Aykroyd , Patti LuPone , Esther Rolle
Themes:
Race Relations,Unlikely Friendships,Golden Years,Servants and Employers
Tone:
Bittersweet,Affectionate,Gentle,Humorous,Earnest,Sentimental,Heartwarming
Keywords:
Civil-Rights,chauffeur,cross-cultural-relations,culture [social culture],elderly,family-tragedy,friendship,matron,self-discovery
Country of Origin:
USA (12-15-1989)
Language:
English