I need to be really careful in regards to what I say about Driving Miss Daisy as this movie is a real favorite of my grandmothers. I remember seeing this advertised on a VHS when I was a kid and I could not have been any less interested in watching it, the fact that Ray from Ghostbusters was in it was the only thing that made it seem appealing to me!
How to Download Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy was released on December 15, 1989. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
However, I have watched Driving Miss Daisy a few times over the years and this is such a charming movie. I had no idea that this was based on a stage play of the same name. I got my grandmother the movie of the stage play (which has James Earl Jones – who you know as the voice of Darth Vader from Star Wars) in it and she said it was amazing.
Jessica Tandy’s Portrayal of Daisy Werthan
This was released in 1989 and now I feel like people still say it is good (it cleaned up at the Oscars) however some do criticize the way the civil rights movement and the way things were at the time are portrayed here. I cannot really speak of that, but at the same time, I can see why it could be an issue for some people.
Jessica Tandy plays the role of Daisy Werthan, a very wealthy Jewish woman who lives in the South. Daisy is a very independent woman, but she is getting older and a little “mishap” in her car forces her son, Boolie to step in. Boolie is played by Dan Akroyd and this was his first real serious role and the story is that he took this job for next to no money. It is a great performance and it shows that he could do far more than just comedy.
A Fun Side Note: Stay Tuned
On a side note, a 90s movie that I loved as a kid is Stay Tuned. It is a hilarious comedy about a husband and wife that get sucked into their TV and must fight their way out of it or they lose their soul to the devil…. Yeah really. Anyway, there is a parody of Driving Miss Daisy in Stay Tuned called Driving Over Miss Daisy and it is hilarious! I mention it because when the heck am I ever going to talk about Stay Tuned again?
Driving Miss Daisy is a classic and I am sure for most people who watched this in the late 80s and early 90s it is a real favorite of theirs. I watched this again recently and I think that it is still a charming movie thanks to the incredible performances and chemistry between Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy.
The Heartwarming Relationship Between Hoke and Daisy
After the trouble, Daisy has in her car. Boolie decides that she needs some help so he hires an older black man called Hoke to be her driver. Morgan Freeman is Hoke and he is just amazing in this role. He is such a nice and good hearted man that he is impossible not to love and root for.
Being so fiercely independent, Daisy does not want a driver and she does not think she needs one, but she cannot fire Hoke as it was Boolie who hired him. The story is basically about how Hoke and Daisy warm up to each other and as the years pass they become closer and closer and ultimately best friends. There are some heartbreaking moments here too, but by the end of it, it is the kind of movie that will put a smile on your face.
Themes and Social Commentary
There have been many articles written about how these two are different, but also so similar. The way that a black man like Hoke was treated back then was disgusting, but even though she was wealthy, a Jewish woman like Daisy did not exactly have the whole town loving her and being kind to her.
