Three very talented actors come together in a beautifully spun tale. In fact, Tandy in particular is one of the most talented I've ever seen and is always a delight. Unlike most movies today, this one addressed racism of the day without hitting you over the head with it like a sledgehammer and presented it in a balanced, objective way (and really the main story is about the relationship between these two). Although Miss Daisy has her share of racist undertones, she's not a monster; far from it...and she learns to let go of it as Hoke patiently endures and wins her over. Freeman presents his character honestly - uneducated but wise, and needless to say extremely patient. :) Ackroyd also plays a superb supporting role and has always been an underrated actor in my opinion. Just a great film where everything meshes beautifully and one of the more deserving Oscar winners I've ever seen.

Springtime in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. Elderly and self assured Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy) takes her car out for some errand and instead puts the car in the wrong gear and almost drives her car off a ten foot embankment into her neighbors yard. Concerned Son Boolie Werthan (Dan Akroyd)who runs a successful family textile business tells his Mother that her driving days are over and her insurance premiums are through the roof. Enter Lanky, bespectacled and retired Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman). Boolie hires the retired Milk truck driver as he watched Hoke conduct the men of the textile plant in an elevator crisis. Boolie in the interview laments the fact that his Mother is difficult and has her own ways of doing things. Boolie insists that his Mother no matter what she says she can't fire you. Your job is to drive her around town. Daisy is totally against having a chauffeur right from the start. Despite the cold shoulder from Miss Daisy, Hoke keeps it positive. Even there first meeting Daisy says to Hoke, "What are you doing?" Hoke replies, "I'm trying to drive you to the store." As Hoke left Daisy's home after the first day, Hoke wishing Daisy a Good night saying, "I'm going Miss Daisy." Daisy in a cold tone replies, "Good!". Daisy has a cook/maid Idella played by Esther Rolle who has some classic remarks in the film as well. One morning Boolie came to his mother's house for an inquiry over a can of missing salmon which Daisy insisted that she was one can short in her pantry. Sort of like a scene out of The Caine Mutiny. Daisy was certain that Hoke stole the salmon. Idella and Hoke noticed Boolie's Car in the driveway as Idella quipped," I wouldn't be in your shoes if the Good Lord Jesus come down and asked me himself." Over time Daisy in her difficult way gets used to the fact that Hoke is her personal driver. They have there spats in the car throughout as Daisy would remark and Hoke would let it pass. There relationship grows as the film continues. But I wonder if Daisy's words were sincere or out of convenience. Anyone who had a Grumpy Grandmother,Nagging Mom ,Quibbling Mother-In-Law,Sourpuss Sisters or a craggy Aunt or even an old Blood and guts Human Resources manager can relate to this unfolding companionship. I was pleasantly surprised by the solid performance of Dan Akroyd as a southern businessman. Jessica Tandy indeed deserved her Oscar as the retired school teacher Daisy Werthan. The cinematography and music score complimented the driving scenes. In life, some people you can never please. Rest In Peace MOM!

An old Jewish woman (Jessica Tandy) and her African-American chauffeur (Morgan Freeman) in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.This movie is pretty well known and does not really require a full review. But, suffice to say, it has earned the praise given to it. Some may paint it as a picture of race relations, or even religious relations (there are Jews celebrating Christmas and a synagogue bombing). But it is really a tale of friendship and the race or religion aspects are very minor.Most interesting is the casting of Dan Aykroyd. He could easily have been dismissed as a bad idea, his very presence making this more of a comedy than it was intended to be. But by no means is this the case. In fact, compared to Miss Daisy, his character could even be considered the one "playing it straight".

Driving Miss Daisy lives foremost in Academy Award history infamy more than anything else, not necessarily because it beat anything particularly superior like the next year's Dances With Wolves, but because even for them it's just not up to their standards. Based on a play, and it should've stayed on the stage despite the freedom film gives to driving, it's really stale and bland. Quite backwards and overly simplistic especially among a field of more progressive films of its time. The quirky 'odd couple' relationship between an old lady and black man provides clichéd conflict and saccharine drama, touching on light racial themes as delicately as possible as to not disturb anyone. It has mildly amusing moments, nothing original in the slightest, just flukes where the charm clicks, though it ruins it with something eye rolling inducing shortly afterwards.It actually wouldn't be quite so bad if the ensemble wasn't so unbearable. I've never found Morgan Freeman this intolerable, from top to bottom he comes off as false and irritating. The only moments he's decent are the somber reflective ones, this tone he later took throughout the better part of his career, but otherwise it falls flat. Jessica Tandy is no help to him either being merely okay and Dan Akroyd always looks and feels out of place, one take away from anything natural. It has a clunky contrived rhythm about it that doesn't make anything believable. It's just a sentimental lifetime movie with no real justification of why we have to spend it with these insufferable characters. There's a reason Bruce Beresford wasn't nominated for Director or done anything worthwhile since, he has no vision, if only they realized it for the Picture lineup too. I'm just glad to have gotten it out of the way.5/10