Wikipedia says the following things about “Driving Miss Daisy”:
· It was made in 1989
· It won four academy awards
· As of 2023, it is the most recent PG film to have won best picture
· Worldwide, it grossed close to $146 million
· A Roger Ebert quote: “After so many movies in which shallow and violent people deny their humanity and ours, what a lesson to see a film that looks into the heart.”
After watching it, I say the following things about “Driving Miss Daisy”:
· It is a good movie. Great actors, cinematography, etc.
· There is no violence or sex. I agree with Roger Ebert.
· There are great cars. There is a 1946 Chrysler Windsor, and a 1949 Hudson Commodore. Which helped to keep my interest, because I used to own a 1948 Chrysler New Yorker and a friend used to own a 1953 Hudson Hornet. Great cars.
· There is a point to it. Characters develop. Issues get illuminated. There is plot progression, and it points in a hopeful direction. Amazing.
On the negative side, the movie did get some criticism for stereotyping; black people “toadying” to rich white people, too much saccharin for some, and the like. Having complained about the profit-driven sex/violence formula of movie makers, I was somewhat surprised that a PG offering became such a big deal, but it’s the first one like that in 35 years, so maybe I was at least partly right.
Did it make me into a movie buff? Well, I didn’t go to sleep, so I guess that’s a hopeful sign. Other than the 5 bucks for Netflix (paid by my wife), it was free. That’s always good. And I did enjoy it, which is the point. I think. That said, I am more curious about the movies than I was at this time four days ago, so who knows. Maybe I’ll be addicted in short order.
One other thing: Goodfellas was widely regarded as “realistic” because of all the nastiness; I wonder if Driving Miss Daisy got the same “realistic” appraisal? Or is it so “non-nasty” that it just seems implausible in our environment? Pollyannish? Just too PG?
Don’t know. Anyway, it’s only 6:30 in the pm right now. Time to grab some snacks, hop into bed, and watch another movie. Can’t wait.
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