Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

My Review

The Best Picture of 1989 is…..”Driving Miss Daisy.” It is the story of a friendship between an elderly Jewish widow in Atlanta and her African-American driver, superbly directed by Bruce Beresford (“Crimes of the Heart” 1986), from a screenplay by Alfred Uhry, adapted from his own 1987 off-Broadway play of the same name.

The film is a good showcase for the talents of Jessica Tandy as Daisy Werthan and Morgan Freeman as Hoke Colburn. Both were sent over from central casting, so to speak, perfect for these roles. Tandy won the Oscar for Best Actress, and Morgan Freeman was nominated for Best Actor. Dan Aykroyd was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for playing Daisy’s son.

Co-stars include Patti LuPone, Esther Rolle, Joanne Havrilla, William Hall Jr., Muriel Moore, Sylvia Kaler, and Crystal R. Fox. Two other Academy Awards for this movie were Best Screenplay and Best Makeup, aging the cast gracefully in a story that progressed from the 1940’s to the 1970’s. The film won four Oscars out of nine nominations. Hans Zimmer wrote the classy soundtrack, including the catchy instrumental theme song.

The very watchable “Driving Miss Daisy” was a smash hit at the box office for producers Richard D. Zanuck and Lili Fini Zanuck, The Zanuck Company, and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was filmed in and around Atlanta, Georgia.