Review of Driving Miss Daisy (1989) by Filipeneto — 03 Jun 2020

This film is a little forgotten pearl today, and it is a pity that it is so. It has a lot of quality and is delicious to see. The script is very simple but it was well directed and developed, giving basis to a good story: after a small accident without consequences, an elderly woman from a very respectable and well-heeled Jewish family has her own driver, a black old gentleman. At first, the relationship between them is cold, with the old lady feeling the presence of the new employee as rather unnecessary. However, the respectful but frontal way in which he treats her ends up establishing a strong friendship between them, that will last for decades.

Set in Atlanta in the mid-twentieth century, it is clear that it is a film strongly based on racial and intolerance problems, endemic in southern American society. And unlike other films, there are two clear types of intolerance here: the racism against blacks but also religious intolerance, noticeable in the way the Jewish community makes an effort to integrate and to appear respectable and active, despite the way it is invariably treated by others.

Okay, it is a little sugary in some parts and the plot is so simple and direct that it has no density and offers nothing more than the employer/employee relationship, but this is well delivered and done with commitment and competence. Directed by Bruce Beresford, it covers about twenty-five years, ending in the Seventies. This raises problems like the fact that the characters have to look old, which has not always worked well, and the public has to notice the leaps in time, something that has also not been well achieved. I, at least, took my time to realize that the film was skipping in time and that was boring, forcing me to see again from the beginning to have a clear perception of things.

The cast is very good, but as limited as the script: in all fairness, it can be considered as the most outstanding work in the career of Jessica Tandy, an already veteran actress who gave life to the grumpy Miss Daisy. Beside her, the always impeccable Morgan Freeman, with a strong southern accent that didn't always sound genuine but did not take the shine off his work. About 75% of the film is based on their dialogues and interaction, and both were very good at it. Besides them, the film still has the help of actors like Dan Aykroyd and Esther Rolle.

Technically, it is a regular film that does not stand out from most of those that were shot in the late 1980s. With a regular cinematography, it is tiring and misty to the eyes of a 2020 viewer, used to the best of the digital era. It has also great sets and good costumes. Cars are an important part of the film, insofar as they become one of its most important sets or are always, or almost always, in the background. It has almost virtually no special, visual or sound effects, or at least nothing worth noting, but it makes up for it with a decent soundtrack.

Looking back, we can understand why this film was forgotten... despite the professionalism and performance of the actors, despite having a good story, it has no depth and is a very simple film in almost all aspects. Even so, it won a good amount of Oscars (Best Film, Best Actress, Best Make-Up and Best Adapted Screenplay) and other awards, and deserves to be seen and appreciated for what it is.