Plot & Details
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
- Status: In Theaters
- 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
Awards
Academy Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Cast & Crew | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Picture | Lili Fini Zanuck | Won |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Costume Design | Elizabeth McBride | Nominated |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Editing | Mark Warner | Nominated |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Art Direction | Bruno Rubeo | Nominated |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Makeup | Kevin Haney | Won |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Makeup | Manilo Rocchetti | Won |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Actor | Morgan Freeman | Nominated |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Supporting Actor | Dan Aykroyd | Nominated |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Makeup | Lynn Barber | Won |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Art Direction | Crispian Sallis | Nominated |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Adapted Screenplay | Alfred Uhry | Won |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Actress | Jessica Tandy | Won |
| 1989 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Picture | Richard D. Zanuck | Won |
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
| Year | Award | Category | Cast & Crew | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | British Academy of Film and Television Arts | Best Actress | Jessica Tandy | Won |
| 1990 | British Academy of Film and Television Arts | Best Picture | Bruce Beresford | Nominated |
| 1990 | British Academy of Film and Television Arts | Best Director | Bruce Beresford | Nominated |
Golden Globes
| Year | Award | Category | Cast & Crew | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Picture - Musical or Comedy | Won | |
| 1989 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy | Morgan Freeman | Won |
| 1989 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy | Jessica Tandy | Won |
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