Driving Miss Daisy

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Driving Miss Daisy

PG

1989

1h 39m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

106 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy), an elderly Jewish widow living in Atlanta, is determined to maintain her independence. However, when she crashes her car, her son, Boolie (Dan Aykroyd), arranges for her to have a chauffeur, an African-American driver named Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman). Daisy and Hoke's relationship gets off to a rocky start, but they gradually form a close friendship over the years, one that transcends racial prejudices and social conventions.

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Critics Consensus

While it's fueled in part by outdated stereotypes, Driving Miss Daisy takes audiences on a heartwarming journey with a pair of outstanding actors.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

09/12/2023

Driving Miss Daisy retains its coziness and its slightness, but it has been filmed eloquently.

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David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

07/26/2022

Mild but pleasing... The movie, passing in time from the fifties through the civil-rights period, lovingly measures the precise shadings of irritation, affection, and dependence that flow back and forth between two characters.

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Bob Fenster

Arizona Republic

07/26/2022

2/4

Is this supposed to represent an achievement of dignity and freedom?... What I saw was an improbable saintlike character persecuted by a cranky, bigoted tyrant who became slightly less cranky but never less condescending with time.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

02/18/2025

3/4

A pleasant piece, but it’s hardly Best Picture material.

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

06/27/2023

It's hard not to grimace at some of the racial politics in Driving Miss Daisy. Naïve and self-satisfied, the film contrives the emotions rather than earns them.

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

11/16/2022

It has been a long time since a film arrived, at once, very modest and rich. [Full review in Spanish]

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Mickey B.

@Mickerdoo Jun 4

Freeman is a charmer. Glad to see him stand just the right amount of ground to nurture a friendship. Pivotal time in history for the pair.

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Kyle M

@RT77296778 May 28

One of the sweetest, gentlest films with a pure, socially challenged heart that frames a beautifully humane portrait on friendship, and an emotionally earnest look towards life so delicately processed, becoming a well-driven simplicity with hefty merits and exceptional showcases from a nice cast performing at their best. (A-)

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Max W

@MaxthorWoo Mar 31

Heartwarming, simple, and delicately detailed in its slice-of-life portrayal, the interactions between Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy make these everyday moments truly engaging.

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Levi J

@Lev77 Mar 29

Funny, heartfelt movie about friendship with great acting!

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thiago S

@Thiagostone Mar 22

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom, e o drama salva um pouco o filme

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Jacob B

@JB3.0 Mar 20

Not sure if this was good enough to warrant winning the Best Picture Oscar. It does have the feel of a play in movie form, since it was based off of one. Be that as it may, Driving Miss Daisy is still a nice lightweight drama that's more about growing old during some very racially-charged periods of time rather than necessarily about race relations. Morgan Freeman and the late Jessica Tandy's evolving dynamic is the clear selling point and the way it develops over the decades is interesting to watch with a good mix of levity and poignancy, especially near the end with regards to the latter. All in all, one of the weaker Best Picture Oscar winners but still a good film in its own right. Maybe one day I'll see if Do the Right Thing was snubbed and see if it lives up to its comparatively bigger pop culture impact. 1989 really was THE year for blockbusters over artsy Oscar crap, wasn't it?

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Bruce Beresford

Director

Morgan Freeman

Hoke Colburn

Jessica Tandy

Daisy Werthan

Dan Aykroyd

Boolie Werthan

Patti LuPone

Florine Werthan

Esther Rolle

Idella

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Synopsis

Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy), an elderly Jewish widow living in Atlanta, is determined to maintain her independence. However, when she crashes her car, her son, Boolie (Dan Aykroyd), arranges for her to have a chauffeur, an African-American driver named Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman). Daisy and Hoke's relationship gets off to a rocky start, but they gradually form a close friendship over the years, one that transcends racial prejudices and social conventions.

Director: Bruce Beresford
Producer: Lili Fini Zanuck, Richard D. Zanuck
Screenwriter: Alfred Uhry
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 3, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $105.6M
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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