Driving Miss Daisy (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: "How much is Boolie paying you?" "That's highway robbery."
Review: The movie titled "Driving Miss Daisy", starring Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, and Dan Aykroyd was released in 1989. It is a lighthearted drama about an old lady who needs a chauffer to drive her but doesn't want one at the beginning. This movie is 1 hour 40 minutes including credits. Driving Miss Daisy was directed by Victor Kempster and filmed in a Warner Studio.
This movie begins in the 1940's and goes through the 1970's. It did a good job of depicting the changes through out the decades. I feel that the theme of this movie is to get Miss Daisy to change her ways for the good of herself. The plot of the movie is to find Miss Daisy a chauffer driver but instead finds a best friend through out the years. This is a color movie. The soundtrack for this movie is good.
I enjoyed the movie because of the way they filmed the scenes. I really enjoy seeing the way it used to be in the earlier years. I love antiques! If you like to see the way it used to be, then you will love this movie. I beleive Victor Kempster did a good job of directing this movie, because it flows together very well.


Rating:
Summary: This Widescreen shows less picture than Fullscreen!
Review: Driving Miss Daisy is one of my all-time favorites. I bought the Special Edition widescreen DVD (ISBN 0-7907-7237-X, UPC 0-85392-33402-5) and was horribly disappointed. It shows less picture than does my old fullscreen VHS tape (and I seem to be the only one who has noticed)! Although the image is with a widescreen aspect ratio, the left & right sides of the picture do not extend beyond those of the VHS. And the top & bottom letterbox black bars on the DVD image are actually covering up parts of the picture that I can see on the VHS. In other words, THE PICTURE BETWEEN WIDESCREEN DVD AND FULLSCREEN VHS IS IDENTICAL, EXCEPT THAT THE DVD HAS BLACK BARS LITERALLY COVERING UP THE TOP & BOTTOM. For instance, at the end of the movie, the VHS tape clearly shows Miss Daisy's hand fumbling with the fork, and her slice of pie sitting there on the table. On the widescreen DVD, this is all covered up by the bottom black bar, so all you see of the pie is the few bites that Hoke raises (out of the void) to Miss Daisy's mouth. The touching scene is completely ruined. I'm not exactly sure what's up with this pseudo-widescreen version, but it stinks.

Rating:
Summary: Movie for all Ages
Review: Driving Miss Daisy is a very touching and heart warming drama. The performances by Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy are geniune and flawless. Parents, Teachers, and Children should all view this film for it's integrity and frienship values that this picture displays. The bond between a Jewish White woman and Colorard Man down in the deep South during the days of Civil Rights, it's not just a picture packed with great performances and a great screenplay, but it sends a everlasting message to society in general, the bigotry that continues even today, and how a strong bond can last over the course of time between two people completly different from one another. All should learn a valuable lesson from this movie, life is not forever, but a friendship can be.

Rating:
Summary: Miss Daisy Is A Lady Of Class
Review: Based on Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, the film adaptation of Driving Miss Daisy, takes the audience on an sweet, huumorous, and dramatic journey that's well worth taking.

Since Miss Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy in an Oscar winning performance) is becoming a menace behind the wheel, her son, Boolie (Dan Aykroyd), ignores her protests and hires Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman), a black chauffeur. When the feisty matron decides to resist necessity and walk to the store, the equally stubborn chauffeur follows her in her car, So begins their unique relationship, that lasts for years going through many stages--highlighted by disagreements, respect and finally even love.

The film opens in late-1940s Atlanta and contnues over a few decades. Director Bruce Beresford captures the esscence of each era and really makes you feel like you are there. The cast is amazing. Tandy and Freeman have excellent chemistry together. I was also impressed with Ackroyd here. I think his dramatic acting is infinately better than most of his comedic roles. The film is a piece of fine filmmaking...made with expert craftsmanship.

The special edition DVD boasts some excellent bonus material as well. The audio commentary with Beresford, writer Uhry and Producer Lili Fini Zanuck gives us a well ronded and engaging discussion about the play and the film. Some of this infomation gets repeated in the documentary Miss Daisy's Journey: From Stage to Screen but it's still worth a look. The original '89 release featurette is woth watching to hear comments from Tandy about the film. Speaking of the late great Tandy, her entire career is highlighted in a fine tribute featurette. The theatrical trailer, Cast/Director/Writer Film Highlights, and
awards notes top off the disc.

Driving Miss Daisy is a great film and comes highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Driving Home a Timeless Classic
Review: This film from 1989 is an absolute timeless gem. Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman give stunningly sensitive performances as a Southern Jewish woman and her Negro chauffer during the most racist of times in America.

The characters in this film are filled with depth and an openness that allows them to be touchable by all classes of people. Living in the Deep South Miss Daisy begins to lose her ability to drive and her son hires a poor black man to be her devoted chauffer. The relationship between these two very different people results in a 25 year long friendship. The story has been adapted skillfully from a play into this extraordinary film well worth watching time and again.

Jessica Tandy won an Oscar for her role as Daisy Werthan, a widowed Jewish woman. She comes across distant and harsh at first but viewers soon learn she is just protecting her fear and lack of confidence. She is funny at times and vulnerable at others but entirely well-rounded and likable. The old school teacher mentality dies slowly in Miss Daisy and she bosses people around like crazy, reminding those of us familiar with old southern women who wears the pants. As Daisy ages her circumstances begin to change and she must rely on those who have surrounded her as loyal servants and family. But her strength lies hidden in the scenes where she teaches Hoke to read and where she discovers the true loyalty of her faithful friend/chauffer along with her encouragement as she listens to the Martin Luther King Jr. speech.

As Hoke, the loyal chauffer, Morgan Freeman shines! He is humble, patient and compassionate in his role as Miss Daisy's driver. Hoke treats Miss Daisy with respect but he also has no qualms about putting her in her place every now and then. He relates to her during scenes where the two of them face racism from the good ole boy white police, a Jew and a colored man in the old south...imagine that! Because of the brilliance with which Freeman plays Hoke, we are able to imagine what it must have taken to endure during such an evil time. Freeman ages along with Tandy and the 25 year old friendship lasts throughout the years without faltering.

Not short on talent are supporting actors, Dan Aykroyd and Esther Rolle. Aykroyd plays Miss Daisy's son, Boolie, with tremendous Southern character. Esther Rolle is Miss Daisy's housekeeper who loyally grumbles along behind Miss Daisy's back with a great sense of humor as only Esther Rolle was capable of. Films with great supporting members are often few and far between but thankfully this film only deepens in meaning because of these two great actors.

This film is fantastic in many ways but most especially in how it brings to light the fear involved in aging and losing the functions of individual independence. Racism is graced upon and passed over as it should have done in real life allowing people to just be people and not a color or creed. The message remains timeless, that true friendships endure the harshest of circumstances and changes with the times surpassing all of the stupid prejudices that society conjures up.


Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, Memorable, Perfect
Review: Not much can be added to the praise of others here, or to the film's enthusiastic reception by the public. I feel that this is one of those rare films that is simply perfect from beginning to end. Even if you don't develop an affection for the characters, and even if you don't care for the story line, it's a stretch to fault this movie in any way. The Special Edition DVD is preferred (not many extras, but those included are worth the effort). After watching my copy 7 times and trying to get really picky with it, I juist can't find anything amiss with Beresford's beautiful production. SO why didn't he win a Director Oscar? Must've been the competition that year, but he certainly deserved to win. Only other disappointment: Freeman nominated, but didn't win. And to think this film was made for less than $6 million, and racked in a fortune and a handful of Oscars!