Driving Miss Daisy Movie Reaction
Before I get into my blog, when I think about "Driving Miss Daisy" the first thing that comes to my mind is a great scene from my favorite movie "The Holiday". The scene begins when Jack Black is in Blockbuster Video with Kate Winslet and picks out the video "Driving Miss Daisy" and starts to hum the melody and then picks up "Gone with the Wind " and does the same. Those are the two movies you showed us in our class!
The film "Driving Miss Daisy" directed by Bruce Beresford was released in 1989. The movie explores the issues of racial segregation in the mid-20th century American South. The story takes place in Atlantic, Georgia, in the 1940s and spans over two decades. This was a time when racial segregation was deeply ingrained in the layout of Southern Society. Jim Crow laws which enforced racial segregation in public facilities, schools and transportation, were still in effect. This film captures this period of widespread inequality and discrimination, which colored the daily lives of African Americans.
This heart-warming tale follows the evolving relationship between two main characters, Miss Daisy Werthan, who is an elderly Jewish widow, and Hoke Colburn, her African American chauffeur. The movie unfolds against the backdrop of a deeply segregated society, and through the lens of these characters, it offers a captivating look of the complexities of racial prejudice, social transformation, and power of human connection. In the beginning after Miss Daisy backs her car up into a terrain, her son Boolie hires a driver named Hoke. Initially Miss Daisy is resistant on having a chauffeur because she is very modest in showing people she has money since she grew up poor. She reluctantly accepts Hoke's services. In the beginning Miss Daisy shows signs of racial prejudice, but you can see gradually through the movie's examples of her gradual evolution. For example: When they are driving to Alabama, the police pulls Hoke over and asks him what he is doing with that expensive car, Miss Daisy has to interject to deflect the problem but she starts to see first hand how most people are treating blacks. As they drive away the movie gives the audience a derogatory statement made by the police just showing the divide in the South. (
She also see how Hoke, when needing to go to the bathroom cannot use the white bathrooms at the gas station and has to go outside. When she is left in the car and gets afraid, the audience gets to see her vulnerability and the gradual transformation towards greater understanding and acceptance. She also realizes when her temple gets bombed that she too is a victim of prejudice against her faith. She begins to appreciate Hoke's wisdom and dignity. Hoke, in turn endures the challenges of navigating a segregated world while maintaining his composure and grace. When Boolie gets tickets to hear MLK in person, she feels guilty that Hoke is listening to it in the car as she is at the dinner looking at the empty chair next to her. At this point, the audience can see the complexities of racial prejudice, social transformation, and the power of human connection.
Towards the end when Miss Daisy starts to deteriorate and thinks she is still a school teacher looking for her student's papers, we see the love and compassion that Hoke has for her. When he talks some sense to her and gets her into the present moment, she says "Hoke, you are my best friend." and grabs his hand. This is a moment we see the barrier of segregation break down between them. When Boolie sells her home and goes to visit her with Hoke in the nursing home, Miss Daisy only wants to spend time with Hoke. He feeds her the pumpkin pie because she is having trouble holding the fork. We see how much they mean to one another and how she meant her statement that he was her best friend.
This film offers us the profound impact of segregation on individuals and society as a whole. Through its characters, it gives a message of hope and transformation, reminding us of the importance of human connections in the face of discrimination and prejudice.
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