Search - Driving Miss Daisy [Fullscreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Adult Language, Suitable for Teens Movie Release: 1989 DVD Release: 04/30/1997 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 39 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Members Wishing: 48 Genres: Drama, Period Film, Message Movie See Also: Driving Miss Daisy [Widescreen] [Special Edition], Driving Miss Daisy [Widescreen]

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Alfred Uhry, Driving Miss Daisy affectionately covers the twenty-five year relationship between a wealthy, strong-willed Southern matron (Jessica Tandy) and her equally indomitable Black chauffeur Hoke (Morgan Freeman). Both employer and employee are outsiders, Hoke because of the color of his skin, Miss Daisy because she is Jewish in a WASP-dominated society. At the same time, Hoke cannot fathom Miss Daisy's cloistered inability to grasp the social changes which sweep the South in the 1960s. Nor can Miss Daisy understand why Hoke's "people" are so indignant. It is only when Hoke is retired and Miss Daisy is confined to a home for the elderly that the two fully realize that they've been friends and kindred spirits all along. The supporting cast includes Esther Rolle as Miss Daisy's housekeeper and Dan Aykroyd as Miss Daisy's son Boolie (reportedly, playwright Uhry based the character upon himself). Driving Miss Daisy won Academy Awards for best picture, best actress (Jessica Tandy), best screenplay (Uhry) and best makeup (Manlio Rachetti). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Morgan Freeman - Hoke Colburn
Jessica Tandy - Miss Daisy Werthan
Dan Aykroyd - Boolie Werthan
Patti LuPone - Florine Werthan
Esther Rolle - Idella

This disc is yet another example of the rubber-stamp policy Warner Bros. employed while turning out its initial line of discs when they first joined the DVD market. The only features present are the theatrical trailer and text-based production notes. To boot, this is a pan-and-scan version of the film; one does not even have the ability to flip the disc for the widescreen version.
In its defense, the image quality is still far superior to any version previously available, and that's a worthy consideration for a film that relies so heavily on carefully crafted close-up shots of its principal actors. Most of the graininess has been removed from the image and there is no digital artifacting to speak of. There are two language tracks present, English and French, both of which are presented in a rather mediocre non-digital 2.0, but the dialogue is always sharp and clear regardless. Overall, Driving Miss Daisy is a wonderful film and a worthy addition to any collection, but those looking for a lot of supplemental features would do well to look elsewhere. ~ Andrew Hercock, All Movie Guide