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Driving Miss Daisy

Driving Miss Daisy

The funny, touching and totally irresistible story of a working relationship that became a 25-year friendship.

198999 minPGMidcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Director
Bruce Beresford
Starring
Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Aykroyd, Patti LuPone

The story of an old Jewish widow named Daisy Werthan and her relationship with her black chauffeur, Hoke. From an initial mere work relationship grew in 25 years a strong friendship between the two very different characters, in a time when those types of relationships were shunned.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Driving Miss Daisy?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Driving Miss Daisy streaming on Howdy via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Driving Miss Daisy?

Driving Miss Daisy earns 9 badges, led by Best Picture winner and Top 10% in Comedy.

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  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Driving Miss Daisy worth watching?

Driving Miss Daisy's Midcredits score is the 89th percentile of all films, from 203K ratings across 6 sources. 80% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

89th percentile

Better received than 89% of films

93rd percentile among Comedy89th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)84th
Approval (how many liked it)90th

72 /100

84th percentile of all films

90th percentile among Comedy86th percentile among 1980s

Critics 81 · Audience 71

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.4 — solid but not unanimous.

80% liked it

90th percentile of all films

93rd percentile among Comedy91st percentile among 1980s
80% rated it 7–1020% rated it 1–6

Critics 85% · Audience 81%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

4 Oscars won · 5 Oscar noms · 21 wins / 23 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Actress in a Leading Role
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Makeup

95th percentile

203K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Comedy95th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$7.5M
Opening weekend$74K
Domestic gross$107M
Worldwide gross$146M

Returned 19.4× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A quiet, character-driven film about the growing friendship between an elderly Jewish woman and her black chauffeur in the segregated South.

Fans praised

  • Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy's on-screen chemistry
  • Gentle, subtle storytelling on race and aging
  • Beautiful period detail and music

Detractors panned

  • Simplistic, feel-good racial narrative
  • Dull pacing and talky stage-bound direction
  • Hoke reduced to a subservient 'Magical Negro' stereotype

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Freeman and Tandy's nuanced chemistry as the leads

Ending75

Resonant, bittersweet resolution despite predictability

Emotional impactDivisive70

Heartwarming and moving final friendship moments

Dialogue65

Understated exchanges that convey character growth

CharactersDivisive55

Daisy and Hoke as evolving individuals vs. one-dimensional types

Plot and storyDivisive40

Simple, episodic storyline of relationship over decades

PacingDivisive35

Leisurely pace that some find dull and draggy

OriginalityDivisive30

Familiar 'unlikely friendship' premise, stage adaptation

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 12 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 12 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Driving Miss Daisy like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
WarmHopefulContemplative
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
WarmTender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its characters and their relationship with gentle, sincere warmth, never undercutting their dignity despite the racial tensions.
The rideThe film maintains a gentle, affectionate register throughout, with its most emotionally resonant moments arriving in the final stretch as Daisy and Hoke's bond deepens.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically over 25 years in connected vignettes that build the relationship.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

The answer rests on this: Feel-goodBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a warm, uplifting feeling about the friendship, tempered with the melancholy of aging and loss.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is a character-driven study of a deepening friendship over 25 years, without a traditional plot archetype driving the narrative.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% (this title) · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% (this title) · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of filmsPrejudice · 3% of filmsAging · under 1% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how a cross-racial friendship in the segregated South gradually dismantles ingrained prejudice and confronts the realities of growing old.
StanceThe film affirms friendship across divides as a source of dignity and growth, celebrating the quiet triumph of human connection over prejudice.

The world

Mid 20th centuryDomesticUrbanIn transitRealistic
Orchestral classicalJazzSupportive music · original score · Hans Zimmer
SettingAtlanta, Georgia, spanning the late 1940s to early 1970s
MusicAn early, understated Zimmer score that mixes gentle piano and light jazz motifs to underscore the warmth and era of the story.

Content guide

Is Driving Miss Daisy okay for kids?

PG

Driving Miss Daisy is rated PG. As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (13/100), sexual content at minimal (3/100), language at moderate (37/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (26/100) and frightening material at mild (21/100). Overall it is heavier than 19% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 16 other countries
  • UKU
  • AustraliaG
  • Germany6
  • FranceU
  • IrelandG
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • BrazilL
  • FinlandS
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoC
  • NetherlandsAL
  • PortugalM/12
  • SK12
  • SpainA
  • SwedenBtl
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 5% of all filmsHeavier than 19% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 12%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 3%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 72%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 47%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 19%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 72% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Driving Miss Daisy have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Driving Miss Daisy?

Cast

4 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Morgan Freeman won the Globe for this film.

Morgan Freeman
as Hoke Colburn
Globe win: Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or MusicalTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jessica Tandy
as Daisy Werthan
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Dan Aykroyd
as Boolie Werthan
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Patti LuPone
as Florine Werthan
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Esther Rolle
as Idella
Jo Ann Havrilla
as Miss McClatchey
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
William Hall Jr.
as Oscar
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Alvin M. Sugarman
as Dr. Weil
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Clarice F. Geigerman
as Nonie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Muriel Moore
as Miriam
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Driving Miss Daisy?

Movies like Driving Miss Daisy include Ladies in Black (2018), The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and A League of Their Own (1992). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by Bruce Beresford, and all are period dramas.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Driving Miss Daisy?

8.5K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: period drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.