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The big screen adaptation of Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play rolls onto the Blu-ray format with a high definition presentation befitting its pedigree. The special features aren't quite as complementary, but the release is a worthy one nonetheless.
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Driving Miss Daisy Release Date: January 8, 2013
Studio: Warner Home Video
Packaging/Materials: Blu-ray DigiBook
Year: 1989
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1:38:58
MSRP: $27.98
THE FEATURE SPECIAL FEATURES Video AVC: 1080p high definition 1.85:1 (modified to 1.78:1) Standard and high definition Audio DTS-HD Master Audio: English 2.0 Dolby Digital: English 2.0 Subtitles English SDH, French, Spanish (Latino) Variable
The Feature: 5/5 After a mishap with her car that makes her practically uninsurable, Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy) – at the behest of her son Boolie (Dan Aykroyd) – must rely on a personal driver to get around town. Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman) is everything you'd want in a chauffeur – even tempered, attentive and kind – but Miss Daisy resists him at every turn, being either too proud or too stubborn to accept his presence. When he eventually reveals the extent of his respect for her household, and ultimately for her, she can't do anything but acquiesce. It marks the beginning of a decent, and not unheard of, working relationship, but over time it will develop into something deeper – friendship on one level; kinship on another. It's made all the more complicated by the pre-Civil Rights Movement Southern environment in which they live, though eventually even those entrenched societal and cultural restrictions will give way to something greater.
Adapted from Alfred Uhry's off-Broadway stage drama and directed by Bruce Beresford, "Driving Missy Daisy" is a film with both charm and power, inextricably tied to its setting and its two main characters, but ultimately brought to life by the standout performances of Tandy and Freeman. Without their work and Uhry's fine instincts (he also wrote the screenplay), the film might have come off as a caricature of pre-Civil Rights Southern culture, but instead we get a sense of the complexities of that society and the dynamics between various members of it. Of course the film could also be accused for sugarcoating things, given the lack of any overt Civil Rights or anti-segregation message. But honestly depicting characters as they live in that culture, and eventually must face a sea change in it, is ultimately more compelling than any agenda-driven narrative would ever be. If there's one message that this character-driven drama has at all, it's about the power of human bonds and their ability to outweigh and outlast all other things.
Video Quality: 4.5/5 Framed at 1.78:1 (a slight modification from the theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1), the film's naturalistic, and sometimes atmospheric, cinematography is shown off to great effect by the 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer. Challenging locations, like the interiors of Miss Daisy's house, exhibit finely controlled contrast and black levels that reveal just enough in the shadow to give one a sense of environment and atmosphere. A slight gauziness to the picture also subtly imparts a sense of both mood and nostalgia, without resorting to more overt vintage effects. The film's color palette is mostly subdued, but outdoor, daylit scenes show a great richness and depth in the greenery and rose colored flora of the settings. While the picture doesn't always look tack sharp, there's never a sense it's the result of the transfer, especially as film grain appears healthy and uncompromised.
Audio Quality: 4/5 Dialogue in 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track is impressively crisp, detailed and intelligible. Though lacking a discrete surround mix, the track's soundstage is sufficiently wide, with bass levels extending to adequate depths for this type of dramatic feature.
Special Features: 3.5/5 The collection of bonus material feels a bit perfunctory, though there's plenty of interesting tidbits from screenwriter Uhry and producer Lili Zanuck. Interviews, either new or archival, with Freeman, Tandy or Aykroyd would have given the set a little more depth though. Their effective absence from the content is ultimately hard to ignore.
Collectible Book: Printed materials integrated into the DigiPack case include essays about the film, actor biographies, and numerous promotional and production photographs.
Audio Commentary with Director Bruce Beresford, Screenwriter Alfred Uhry and Producer Lili Zanuck: Uhry takes the lead in this track assembled from separate recordings of each participant, with Uhry getting the most airtime. His comments usually tie back to the real life people who inspired the characters and story, with a slight tendency toward scene description. Zanuck focuses more on the actual production experience, particularly her and husband Richard's struggles getting the film's financing together. Beresford comes in from time-to-time to offer some technical information or location filming anecdote, but strangely isn't included more. Overall though it's an engaging and informative commentary from those directly involved in the filmmaking.
Things Are Changing: The Worlds of Hoke and Miss Daisy (28:56, HD): The recently produced featurette focuses on the community of Atlanta before and during the Civil Rights Movement, providing a look at the city's African American and Jewish communities and the social policy of segregation. Interviews with history and sociology pundits, as well Morocco Coleman (grandson of Will Coleman, the man who inspired Hoke), and Uhry fill out this overview of a (thankfully) bygone era.
Miss Daisy's Journey: From Stage to Screen (18:36, SD): Details the adaptation of Uhry's play into a film, interviewing producers Richard and Lili Zanuck, director Beresford, Hans Zimmer and others.
Jessica Tandy: Theater Legend to Screen Star (6:43, SD): A too-short reflection on the late actor includes interviews with friends and colleagues, with particular attention on "Driving Miss Daisy's" affect on her career.
1989 Vintage Making Of (6:15, SD): Electronic press kit piece covers the requisite points about the film, from background to production.
Trailer (2:20, SD): Presented at an enhanced for widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 with Dolby Digital Stereo sound.
Recap and Recommendation The Film: 5/5
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 3.5/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4.5/5
Warner Home Video turns in another great catalog release, giving the 1989 Best Picture winner an excellent high definition presentation and a decent collection of extras. First time purchasers and those looking to upgrade from past DVD editions shouldn't hesitate to make the purchase.
https://static.hometheaterforum.com/imgrepo//flags/LS
Driving Miss Daisy Release Date: January 8, 2013
Studio: Warner Home Video
Packaging/Materials: Blu-ray DigiBook
Year: 1989
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1:38:58
MSRP: $27.98
THE FEATURE SPECIAL FEATURES Video AVC: 1080p high definition 1.85:1 (modified to 1.78:1) Standard and high definition Audio DTS-HD Master Audio: English 2.0 Dolby Digital: English 2.0 Subtitles English SDH, French, Spanish (Latino) Variable
The Feature: 5/5 After a mishap with her car that makes her practically uninsurable, Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy) – at the behest of her son Boolie (Dan Aykroyd) – must rely on a personal driver to get around town. Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman) is everything you'd want in a chauffeur – even tempered, attentive and kind – but Miss Daisy resists him at every turn, being either too proud or too stubborn to accept his presence. When he eventually reveals the extent of his respect for her household, and ultimately for her, she can't do anything but acquiesce. It marks the beginning of a decent, and not unheard of, working relationship, but over time it will develop into something deeper – friendship on one level; kinship on another. It's made all the more complicated by the pre-Civil Rights Movement Southern environment in which they live, though eventually even those entrenched societal and cultural restrictions will give way to something greater.
Adapted from Alfred Uhry's off-Broadway stage drama and directed by Bruce Beresford, "Driving Missy Daisy" is a film with both charm and power, inextricably tied to its setting and its two main characters, but ultimately brought to life by the standout performances of Tandy and Freeman. Without their work and Uhry's fine instincts (he also wrote the screenplay), the film might have come off as a caricature of pre-Civil Rights Southern culture, but instead we get a sense of the complexities of that society and the dynamics between various members of it. Of course the film could also be accused for sugarcoating things, given the lack of any overt Civil Rights or anti-segregation message. But honestly depicting characters as they live in that culture, and eventually must face a sea change in it, is ultimately more compelling than any agenda-driven narrative would ever be. If there's one message that this character-driven drama has at all, it's about the power of human bonds and their ability to outweigh and outlast all other things.
Video Quality: 4.5/5 Framed at 1.78:1 (a slight modification from the theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1), the film's naturalistic, and sometimes atmospheric, cinematography is shown off to great effect by the 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer. Challenging locations, like the interiors of Miss Daisy's house, exhibit finely controlled contrast and black levels that reveal just enough in the shadow to give one a sense of environment and atmosphere. A slight gauziness to the picture also subtly imparts a sense of both mood and nostalgia, without resorting to more overt vintage effects. The film's color palette is mostly subdued, but outdoor, daylit scenes show a great richness and depth in the greenery and rose colored flora of the settings. While the picture doesn't always look tack sharp, there's never a sense it's the result of the transfer, especially as film grain appears healthy and uncompromised.
Audio Quality: 4/5 Dialogue in 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track is impressively crisp, detailed and intelligible. Though lacking a discrete surround mix, the track's soundstage is sufficiently wide, with bass levels extending to adequate depths for this type of dramatic feature.
Special Features: 3.5/5 The collection of bonus material feels a bit perfunctory, though there's plenty of interesting tidbits from screenwriter Uhry and producer Lili Zanuck. Interviews, either new or archival, with Freeman, Tandy or Aykroyd would have given the set a little more depth though. Their effective absence from the content is ultimately hard to ignore.
Collectible Book: Printed materials integrated into the DigiPack case include essays about the film, actor biographies, and numerous promotional and production photographs.
Audio Commentary with Director Bruce Beresford, Screenwriter Alfred Uhry and Producer Lili Zanuck: Uhry takes the lead in this track assembled from separate recordings of each participant, with Uhry getting the most airtime. His comments usually tie back to the real life people who inspired the characters and story, with a slight tendency toward scene description. Zanuck focuses more on the actual production experience, particularly her and husband Richard's struggles getting the film's financing together. Beresford comes in from time-to-time to offer some technical information or location filming anecdote, but strangely isn't included more. Overall though it's an engaging and informative commentary from those directly involved in the filmmaking.
Things Are Changing: The Worlds of Hoke and Miss Daisy (28:56, HD): The recently produced featurette focuses on the community of Atlanta before and during the Civil Rights Movement, providing a look at the city's African American and Jewish communities and the social policy of segregation. Interviews with history and sociology pundits, as well Morocco Coleman (grandson of Will Coleman, the man who inspired Hoke), and Uhry fill out this overview of a (thankfully) bygone era.
Miss Daisy's Journey: From Stage to Screen (18:36, SD): Details the adaptation of Uhry's play into a film, interviewing producers Richard and Lili Zanuck, director Beresford, Hans Zimmer and others.
Jessica Tandy: Theater Legend to Screen Star (6:43, SD): A too-short reflection on the late actor includes interviews with friends and colleagues, with particular attention on "Driving Miss Daisy's" affect on her career.
1989 Vintage Making Of (6:15, SD): Electronic press kit piece covers the requisite points about the film, from background to production.
Trailer (2:20, SD): Presented at an enhanced for widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 with Dolby Digital Stereo sound.
Recap and Recommendation The Film: 5/5
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 3.5/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4.5/5
Warner Home Video turns in another great catalog release, giving the 1989 Best Picture winner an excellent high definition presentation and a decent collection of extras. First time purchasers and those looking to upgrade from past DVD editions shouldn't hesitate to make the purchase.
