The acclaimed film went on to nab four honors at the 62nd academy. Key story elements in this film are characters and actors, story structure, and central themes. Daisy werthan jessica tandy is an elderly jewish widow who needs a chauffeur and hoke colburn morgan freeman is a career chauffeur who needs income. Many other friends, historical figures, former employers and the like are referenced throughout the script. Freeman reprised his role from the original offbroadway production the story defines daisy and her point of view through a network of relationships and emotions by focusing on. Hans zimmers synthesized score for the oscarshowered driving miss daisy seems a strange choice for the film, which spans decades but barely touches the electronic keyboard era. Relate basic concepts of sociological theories of aging in text and middle range nursing theory of healthrelated quality of life in powerpoint to the film, driving miss daisy and identify ageism evident in the film.
In one memorable scene, daisy walks to piggly wiggly, and hoke follows her in her car. Daisy s son boolie hires hoke to be his mothers chauffeureven though she adamantly doesnt want one. Driving miss daisy movie analysis cheryl howard ferris. Driving miss daisy, i thought was a pretty good film, but was nowhere near the grand scale it has been described as. By the end of the film, we have traveled a long way with the two most important people in it miss daisy werthan, a proud old southern lady, and hoke colburn, her chauffeur and we have developed a real stake in their feelings. Discussion of themes and motifs in alfred uhrys driving miss daisy. Driving miss daisy moviecommunication and behavior of the. The bluray is a bit softfocus, but that might have been the intent of cinematographer peter james, as it fits both the mood of the film and atlantas warm and humid environment. Its hard to believe the 1989 movie driving miss daisy came out 28 years ago.
What is the character analysis on hoke from driving miss. In the movie, driving miss daisy, daisy takes her car out of the garage to go to the. Thats the south for yousugarcoating the dark truth. This scene occurs just as it should halfway through the first act at about the twelveminute mark. The film stars jessica tandy, morgan freeman, and dan aykroyd. Driving miss daisy, the first movie to win the best pictureoscar during the decade of the 1990s, is, at its heart, a buddy film. Driving miss daisy original soundtrack hans zimmer. The independent miss daisy resists being driven and hoke, who was hired by miss daisys son dan aykroyd, employs patience and grace.
Driving miss daisy is a 1989 american comedydrama film directed by bruce beresford and written by alfred uhry, based on uhrys 1987 play of the same name. How driving miss daisy became one of the most scorned. Driving miss daisy is a film of great love and patience, telling a story that takes 25 years to unfold, exploring its characters as few films take the. Theme friendships can always be formed no matter how different the two people may seem from each other. Driving miss daisy is a film of great love and patience, telling a story that takes 25 years to unfold, exploring its characters as few films take the time to do. The film, driving miss daisy, also won the 1990 academy award for best picture. As the movie opens, miss daisy still lives in proud selfsufficiency, with only her cook to help out, and she drives herself around in a big, new 1948 packard. Driving miss daisy spans a quartercentury in the intricate relationship of a southern dowager and her chauffeur, and it is a movie that invites you to appreciate the passage of time in more than. Georgia includes some especially interesting melodies, driven at points by a deftly interwoven synthbanjo.
Please watch the movie driving miss daisy, and after viewing it, decide on the best chapter that you think best explains the communication and behavior of the main characters. Driving miss daisy the story miss daisy werthan is a widowed, elderly woman living alone in atlanta, georgia. After his surprise hit, uhry was approached by the olympic games cultural olympiad to produce a play for the 1996 olympic games that would be held in atlanta. Atlantan miss daisy werthan jessica tandy is a fine, rich, jewish lady, says her black chauffeur, hoke coburn morgan freeman. The play is about the relationship between an old jewish woman and her africanamerican chauffeur in the american south. Driving miss daisy deals with some dark themes, but it does so with a sunny demeanor. The charming film about a southern woman daisy, played by jessica tandy and her chauffeur hoke, played by morgan freeman tackled the subjects of racism, antisemitism, and aging in a gentle yet emotional manner.
Hoke is now driving daisy s 1965 cadillac and her car is now a 1970 cadillac fleetwood. Race and prejudice are important themes in the play. Dan aykroyd, arranges for her to have a chauffeur, an africanamerican driver named hoke colburn morgan freeman. She has a variety of cars throughout the movie, each one shiny and new. The play driving miss daisy had its new york premiere on april 15, 1987, off broadway at the studio theater at playwrights horizons. The way things are supposed to bewant or need to believe in certain truths fairy tale and happy ever after endings.
Written by alfred uhry and directed by ron lagomarsino, the original theatrical production featured a cast including atlanta native dana ivey as miss daisy, morgan freeman as hoke, and ray gill as boolie. She is very wealthy, a retired school teacher, and jewish. Twentyfive years ago, driving miss daisy hit theaters. Benefits of film analysisallows us to reach valid conclusions on value and meaning of movies. Based on the pulitzer prizewinning play by alfred uhry, driving miss daisy affectionately covers the 25year relationship. Both employer and employee are outsiders, hoke because of the color of his skin, miss daisy because she is jewish in a waspdominated society. Driving miss daisy is a warm heart felt movie about independence, love, trust, honor and friendship. This study guide consists of approximately 44 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of driving miss daisy. Driving miss daisy, american film, released in 1989, that was adapted by alfred uhry from his play of the same name and that starred morgan freeman and jessica tandy. Driving miss daisy, alfred uhrys signature play, pits two people against each.
It is an eloquence of mediumsize miracles, changed minds. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Weve highlighted the key on and offstage players here, who create context for the relationship that forms between daisy and hoke throughout. Driving miss daisy, 1989 a screen play by alfred uhry and directed by bruce beresford, takes place in postworld war ii atlanta, georgia. Buddy holly biopic clear lake gets driving miss daisy. Driving miss daisy is the bittersweet drama about the unspoken friendship between this unlikely pair over a quarter of a century, from 1948 to 1973. First, sociological theories of aging will be explained and then applied to themes in the movie. Driving miss daisy, oneact play by alfred uhry, produced and published in 1987. Why do the oscars keep falling for racial reconciliation. Hoke is now driving daisys 1965 cadillac and her car is now a 1970 cadillac fleetwood. It is exceptionally shocking, because although there is underlying racial prejudice throughout the entire movie, its usually denied by miss daisy, who swears shes never been prejudiced. Set during the years of the civil rights movement, the drama.
Driving miss daisy is a play by american playwright alfred uhry, about the relationship of an elderly southern jewish woman, daisy werthan, and her africanamerican chauffeur, hoke coleburn, from 1948 to 1973. When daisy wertham, a stubborn, elderly southern widow, crashes her new car into the neighbors garage, her son, boolie, forces her to take on a chauffeur. The acclaimed film went on to nab four honors at the 62nd. Pulitzer prizewinning, driving miss daisy, is set in atlanta and spans twentyfive years, from 1948 to 1973. Daisy realizes from the speech that she is probably more guilty of whats happened over the years than the overt racists that have said hateful things and incited violence. Driving miss daisy is the tale of an unlikely friendship between two people who need each other. An old jewish woman and her africanamerican chauffeur in the american south have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.
Legendary musician buddy holly is getting a new movie, as driving miss daisy director bruce beresford has signed on to helm the upcoming biopic clear lake. These tuneful, mellow instrumentals do capture some of the movies sweetness and light. Jessica tandy capped a distinguished career by winning the academy award for best actress in driving miss daisy, which also took the award for best picture. Featuring the incredible pairing of jessica tandy and morgan freeman, the film, based on albert uhrys pulitzer prizewinning play. The play he wrote, the ghost of ballyhoo, won him another tony award the following year. The movie won four academy awards, including that for best picture, as well as three golden globe awards, including that for best comedy or. The play received a pulitzer prize in 1988, and in 1989 it. Driving miss daisy analysis 1820 words 8 pages driving miss daisy is a play from 1987 written by american playwright, alfred uhry.
Next, the middle range nursing theory of health related quality of life is presented. The theme of driving miss daisy is the friendship and trust that grows between miss daisy, the elderly lady, and hoke, the chauffeur, particularly having to suffer the various prejudices around. Driving miss daisy movie analysis 2 abstract this paper analyzes the movie driving miss daisy related to basic concepts of aging. Driving miss daisy shows us that friendship is forged through small kindnesses, a slice of pie, a laugh shared, a sigh of consolation. While driving miss daisy isnt exactly a kneeslapper, the film has its share of gentle humor, provided mostly by miss daisy and her reactions to the other characters.
This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of driving miss daisy by alfred uhry. Driving miss daisy 1989 synopsis favorite theater button. Based on the pulitzer prizewinning play by alfred uhry, driving miss daisy affectionately covers the 25year relationship between a wealthy, strongwilled southern matron jessica tandy and her equally indomitable black chauffeur, hoke morgan freeman. Daisy and hokes relationship gets off to a rocky start, but they gradually form a close friendship over the years, one that transcends racial prejudices and social. Adaptation to aging this oscarwinning1989 film also a stage play portrays the complex relationship between the 70something year old miss daisy played by jessica. The filmmaker is hardly alone in his disdain for bruce beresfords 1989 oscarwinning adaptation of the pulitzer prizewinning play. We are led to believe it may be a redemption story, but the change in daisys outlook is less. The 8 best psychology scenes from your favorite movies. Though driving miss daisy has a cast of only three, playwright alfred uhry creates a rich world of characters living in atlanta at midcentury. Learn the major plot points and story structure in driving miss daisy directed by. Then, turn to that chapter to determine which concepts you will use for the analysis. The two primary characters in the movie are daisy werthan and hoke colburn. Daisys son boolie hires hoke to be his mothers chauffeureven though she adamantly doesnt want one.
Appreciate critically the quality of life of the characters that appear in the movie with illustrations to support your argument. Driving miss daisy movie communication and behavior of the main characters. Driving miss daisy is a story about friendship and overcoming the barriers of prejudice. The main character of the movie is miss daisy werthan, a jewish widow in her seventies. Trailing pulitzers and oscars, its difficult now to remember that alfred uhry s adaptation of his own play was a small, lowbudget production it went on to win best film at the academy, earn the best actress award for jessica tandy, and propel morgan freeman on the road to both president of the usa and god uhry s story of the slowly developing friendship between wealthy miss daisy.
Driving miss daisy is the story of an old jewish lady played by jessica tandy, whose son insists that shes too old to drive her car. It is the story of a friendship that develops over a 25year period between daisy werthan, an elderly jewish widow living in atlanta, and hoke coleburn, the african american chauffeur her son hires for her. By this time, he is in his early 80s and she is 95 years old. An introduction to the analysis of driving miss daisy kibin. With morgan freeman, jessica tandy, dan aykroyd, patti lupone.
Driving miss daisy movie analysis 9 grading rubric objective. Im not saying that its a bad affair, but i feel its a bit overrated as well. The golden globe awards divide their categories into drama and comedy categories, and miss daisy was submitted as a. Driving miss daisy shows us that friendship is forged through small kindnesses, a slice of pie, a laugh. Prejudice is demonstrated against both african americans. As you watch the movie make notes of the different themes you come across that relate to the basic concepts of aging. The play was the first in uhrys atlanta trilogy, which deals with jewish residents of that city in the early 20th century. Set in atlanta during the 1940s through the 1970s, alfred uhrys pulitzer prizewinning play, driving miss daisy, is an engaging drama that captures effectively the blossoming friendship.
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