Driving
Miss Daisy (****)
review by Jon
Waterman
When Daisy Werthan crashes her car while backing out of the
driveway, her son begins to worry. She’s getting up in
age and perhaps it’s not the best idea in the world that
she drives anymore. So, being that he’s one of the premiere
businessmen in town, Boolie can afford to hire her a chauffeur.
And that’s just what he does. Enter Hoke. He’s
an honest, hard-working man, who’s actually getting on
in age himself. But he can still see well enough and is in
desperate need of a job. That’s all well and good, but
Miss Daisy doesn’t really want a driver. Will Hoke ever
get a chance to actually earn his money?
This is a surprisingly interesting story. Alfred Uhry wrote
the screenplay based on his own play. What’s unusual
about the whole thing is that there’s very little conflict.
You have two strong willed people butting heads, three when
the son gets involved, but after the first half hour or so,
that all really calms down. And even though race is an issue
in the film (Hoke is black and Miss Daisy is white), it seems
like it’s related to the period in which the story is
set than the character’s motivations. It’s not
that Daisy doesn’t want Hoke driving her because he’s
black; it’s that she doesn’t want anyone driving
her period. Thus she becomes the ultimate backseat driver.
If anything, the story shows that the entire country didn’t
have the same segregating mindset. That doesn’t mean
that Daisy doesn’t act stupidly sometimes or say things
or assume things. However, those flaws are confronted and dealt
with in a logical, understanding manner than really helps build
the believable relationships within the film.
That’s not to say that the script doesn’t have
its flaws. It borders on over-sentimentality. The son isn’t
really fleshed out as much as he probably should be and his
wife doesn’t even need to be in the picture. The shortcomings
are overcome by the acting. Morgan Freeman (Hoke) plays the
role of the patronizing hired hand so well, because you can’t
always tell if he’s being sincere or if he’s secretly
mocking. Sometimes you can’t help but snicker yourself.
Jessica Tandy (Miss Daisy) is also fantastic. Her faux strength
never falters, even after being defeated time and time again.
It’s great watching her scramble while still pretending
to be in control of the situation. Tandy provides some incredible
reaction shots. Dan Aykroyd proves he can handle a more serious
role (as well as an accent) while playing Boolie.
If you add to all this Hans Zimmer’s score, then you
really have something. The recurring theme is bouncy and infectious,
yet multi-purpose. Toned down in a more somber form, it can
still carry the emotional weight of the scene. However, it’s
primarily used to add that little comical punch that comes
in at just the right time to provide a bigger smile. The film
will leave you smiling with its unorthodox storytelling and
its ripe, likeable characters. This is something the whole
family could watch and enjoy.
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