Review of Driving Miss Daisy (1989) by Samuel C — 16 Apr 2010

This movie could have very easily been pieced together using a few well placed montages leading up to an overly dramatic, cliche, climax involving either an untimely death or Hoke and Miss Daisey breaking each others wrinkly, old hearts after a tragic love affair... BUT IT DIDN'T.

The passing of time was portrayed beautifully in this film; no date and place displayed at the bottom of the screen, no narrative, and NO MONTAGES! (I really couldn't get over that) Instead, the filmmakers allowed the story to flow along at a pleasant pace as they gracefully transitioned through multiple centuries using subtle dialogue hints and visual clues to accompany the award-winning make-up effects that assured even the most oblivious audience member that a few years had passed in the story while they had been rambling on about how they wished Morgan Freeman was their grandfather.

I don't feel the need to explain the plot in detail because it's pretty much summed up in the title of the movie, instead I will just say this: Driving Miss Daisy really impressed me and I wish I had seen it a long time ago. Beautiful acting, beautiful filmmaking, and hearing Dan Aykroyd repeatedly say "Momma" in a southern accent makes for one great movie.