Synopsis
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.
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Cast
- Morgan FreemanHoke Colburn
- Jessica TandyDaisy Werthan
- Dan AykroydBoolie Werthan
- Patti LuPoneFlorine Werthan
- Esther RolleIdella
- Joann HavrillaMiss McClatchey
- William Hall Jr.Oscar
- Alvin M. SugarmanDr. Weil
- Clarice F. GeigermanNonie
- Muriel MooreMiriam
Recommendations
- 100
Boston Globe
Driving Miss Daisy, about the deepening relationship between a Jewish matron in Atlanta and her black chauffeur, is a luminous joy of a film, heartbreakingly delicate, effortlessly able through indirection to invoke the civil rights era without ever once slipping into portentous pronouncements. [12 Jan. 1990, p.35] - 100
Chicago Sun-Times
Beresford is able to move us, one small step at a time, into the hearts of his characters. He never steps wrong on his way to a luminous final scene in which we are invited to regard one of the most privileged mysteries of life, the moment when two people allow each other to see inside. - 100
Entertainment Weekly
Director Bruce Beresford's tightly focused adaptation retains all the impact of its Pulitzer Prize-winning stage original. Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman give exceptional performances as the aging widow and the sage black chauffeur who enlightens her in the segregated South. - 100
Orlando Sentinel
This is a story about people, not politics. And perhaps because we can see the actors in closeup on the screen, that is even truer of the movie than the play. When you leave this film, you're not thinking, "My, what an important story!" When Driving Miss Daisy is over, you think, "I sure will miss those folks." [12 Jan. 1990, p.12] - 100
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
This is Daisy's story, and Hoke's story. It's a beautiful story, filled with warmth and compassion. It was a glorious evening of theater when I saw it, and it's just as glorious on the screen. [12 Jan. 1990, p.3F] - 88
Rolling Stone
Freeman's nuanced acting is a marvel. - 80
Empire
It gets to its hugely emotional destination without ever having to put the foot down; a poignant and provocative road movie. - 70
Los Angeles Times
When something heartfelt occurs in this movie, you accept it without too much squirming. The disciplined yet intuitive way in which these actors connect is a model of ensemble performance.
