...a warm, cozy, genial human drama that probably says in its own way as much about getting along with other people as any more overtly "message" film ever has.
There are, however, only a few passing references to the racial tensions of the times: Hoke remarks that he is unable to use the "whites only" restroom at a gas station; a couple of Alabama policemen question Hoke about his driving so fancy a car and then comment to each other about how pitiful it is to see an old black man driving an old white woman, thereby hitting both racism and ageism at the same time; and Miss Daisy's attends a speech given by Dr. King. More subtly, Miss Daisy claims to be non-prejudiced but periodically uses terms like "they" and "them" in reference to blacks. Finally, when the local Jewish temple is bombed by hate mongers, Miss Daisy asks, "Who would do such a thing?" To which Hoke replies, "They always be the same ones." It isn't much, but any more emphasis on race relations probably would have unnecessarily shifted the story's focus from the central characters to some grander themes that the author did not intend.
The movie works best as a lightweight trifle, its inspiration deriving from Hoke's patience and understanding and Miss Daisy's gradual acceptance of Hoke as a personal friend and companion. As the years go by, we see that life is, after all, a passing and a changing. About the best we can do is cope with it and try to make things a little easier for one another. Miss Daisy and Hoke do just that.
Video:
The disc's audiovisual qualities are, like the film, modest. The screen measures a modest 1.74:1 ratio, enhanced for widescreen televisions. The image is very slightly soft, hazy, and blurred by contemporary standards, with a very fine grain noticeable in many of the indoor and nighttime scenes. Darker and shadowy areas of the screen are sometimes murky, revealing less definition than might be desirable. Colors are fairly natural but mainly on the pastel side, with facial hues particularly realistic.
Audio:
The sound is delivered in Dolby Stereo Surround, but for all the stereo there is, it might as well be monaural. Not that this is a bad thing. Ninety-nine per cent of the film's sound is dialogue, and the Dolby Surround does a fine job conveying it clearly and distinctly. Just don't expect many (or any) rear-channel effects or a very wide front-channel stereo spread, for that matter. Occasionally, an automobile will make its presence known by zooming across the screen; that's about it. The audio track forces us to concentrate on the characters and what they're saying; that's its primary job and it does it well enough.
Extras:
In honor of the film's accomplishments, the folks at Warners have fitted it up with a small but accomplished group of bonus items. I'm not sure there are enough items to call it an especially "Special" edition, but that's what WB are labeling it, so who am I to question. The first extra is the obligatory audio commentary, this one with director Bruce Beresford, writer Alfred Uhry, and producer Lili Fini Zanuck. Next, there are two new featurettes that provide detail on the film, the filming, and its star: "Miss Daisy's Journey: From Stage to Screen," about eighteen minutes long, and "Jessica Tandy: Theatre Legend to Screen Star," about six minutes. There are also cast and director film highlights; a brief, original, pan-and-scan promotional featurette; some awards notes; twenty-three scene selections; and a widescreen theatrical trailer. English, French, and Spanish are offered as choices for both spoken languages and subtitles.
Parting Thoughts:
Besides winning the Oscar for Best Picture, "Driving Miss Daisy" won Academy Awards for Best Actress (Jessica Tandy), Best Makeup (Manlio Rocchetti, Lynn Barber, and Kevin Haney), and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Alfred Uhry). It was nominated in five other categories as well, including Best Actor (Morgan Freeman) and Best Supporting Actor (Dan Aykroyd), and it won a slew of other awards from the National Board of Review, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and other distinguished organizations all over the world.
Although the film won international critical acclaim and was widely admired by the public, the movie is at heart a simple character study. Expect, as I've said, no big protest agendas about the struggle of black-white race relations, no trenchant themes about the problems of growing old, no penetrating insights into the plight of the human condition. Do, however, expect a warm, cozy, genial human drama that probably says in its own way as much about getting along with other people as any more overtly "message" film ever has. "Driving Miss Daisy" is a sweet, touching, and sometimes funny picture that attempts only what it can reach, but does so with ease.
The movie works best as a lightweight trifle, its inspiration deriving from Hoke's patience and understanding and Miss Daisy's gradual acceptance of Hoke as a personal friend and companion. As the years go by, we see that life is, after all, a passing and a changing. About the best we can do is cope with it and try to make things a little easier for one another. Miss Daisy and Hoke do just that.
Video:
The disc's audiovisual qualities are, like the film, modest. The screen measures a modest 1.74:1 ratio, enhanced for widescreen televisions. The image is very slightly soft, hazy, and blurred by contemporary standards, with a very fine grain noticeable in many of the indoor and nighttime scenes. Darker and shadowy areas of the screen are sometimes murky, revealing less definition than might be desirable. Colors are fairly natural but mainly on the pastel side, with facial hues particularly realistic.
Audio:
The sound is delivered in Dolby Stereo Surround, but for all the stereo there is, it might as well be monaural. Not that this is a bad thing. Ninety-nine per cent of the film's sound is dialogue, and the Dolby Surround does a fine job conveying it clearly and distinctly. Just don't expect many (or any) rear-channel effects or a very wide front-channel stereo spread, for that matter. Occasionally, an automobile will make its presence known by zooming across the screen; that's about it. The audio track forces us to concentrate on the characters and what they're saying; that's its primary job and it does it well enough.
Extras:
In honor of the film's accomplishments, the folks at Warners have fitted it up with a small but accomplished group of bonus items. I'm not sure there are enough items to call it an especially "Special" edition, but that's what WB are labeling it, so who am I to question. The first extra is the obligatory audio commentary, this one with director Bruce Beresford, writer Alfred Uhry, and producer Lili Fini Zanuck. Next, there are two new featurettes that provide detail on the film, the filming, and its star: "Miss Daisy's Journey: From Stage to Screen," about eighteen minutes long, and "Jessica Tandy: Theatre Legend to Screen Star," about six minutes. There are also cast and director film highlights; a brief, original, pan-and-scan promotional featurette; some awards notes; twenty-three scene selections; and a widescreen theatrical trailer. English, French, and Spanish are offered as choices for both spoken languages and subtitles.
Parting Thoughts:
Besides winning the Oscar for Best Picture, "Driving Miss Daisy" won Academy Awards for Best Actress (Jessica Tandy), Best Makeup (Manlio Rocchetti, Lynn Barber, and Kevin Haney), and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Alfred Uhry). It was nominated in five other categories as well, including Best Actor (Morgan Freeman) and Best Supporting Actor (Dan Aykroyd), and it won a slew of other awards from the National Board of Review, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and other distinguished organizations all over the world.
Although the film won international critical acclaim and was widely admired by the public, the movie is at heart a simple character study. Expect, as I've said, no big protest agendas about the struggle of black-white race relations, no trenchant themes about the problems of growing old, no penetrating insights into the plight of the human condition. Do, however, expect a warm, cozy, genial human drama that probably says in its own way as much about getting along with other people as any more overtly "message" film ever has. "Driving Miss Daisy" is a sweet, touching, and sometimes funny picture that attempts only what it can reach, but does so with ease.
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[release]10707[/release]