Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 101

BY MICHAEL EL PRICE Fort Vvonh Star-Telegram "I wouldn't be in your shoes if the sweet Lord Jesus came down and asked me himself" goes the fair warning offered to a gentle black Southerner named Hoke (Morgan Freeman) after he has enlisted as chauffeur-in-waiting to an imperious Jewish widow Daisy Wert han (Jessica Tandy) a retired teacher whose family is growing wealthy in Atlanta's cotton industry wants no chauffeur But the name of the movie is Driving Miss Daisy and so Hoke must make her understand that he's not sitting around for decoration Daisy has walked away unbruised from an auto accident caused by her impatience she insists that her new 1948 Packard was at fault Her worried son Bootie (Dan Aykroyd) knows the futility of argument Bootie simply hires Hoke a new acquaintance who has solved a crisis at the cotton mill and stations him in Daisy's house About the time Hoke finds himself vaguely tolerated in Daisy's pinched orbit it becomes clear that an honestly great movie is gathering momentum Driving Miss Daisy radiates understanding and forgiveness It is as frank an examination of a troubled American heartland as another masterful picture of late 1989 Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July but significantly sweeter sadder and more good-humored The Motion Picture Academy could save itself a great deal of hassle this spring by taking a cue from Dan Aykroyd's character: Skip the arguments move decisively and plant those best-player Oscars on Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman Throw in a best-support Oscar as well for Aykroyd who contributes a deeply felt straight-acting performance of mingled irritation and affection almost as if forgetting that he is one of our abler comedians With never a false scene never a contrived remark Daisy is marvelously lacking in the over-obvious flourishes in which its director Bruce Beresford has indulged on such pictures as Crimes of the Heart (1986) and Her Morgan Freeman chauffeurs Jessica Tandy to downtown Atlanta in Driving Miss Daisy Film from play is fine set of reels REVIEW Driving Miss Daisy Michael Price's rating: 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 Director: Bruce Beresford Featuring: Jessica Tandy Morgan Freeman Dan Aykroyd Patti Lupone Esther Rolle (emotional intensity mildly coarse language) Alibi (1989) Alfred Uhry developed the screenplay from his Pulitzer-winning stage play Though "opened" to permit sweeping scenic changes with a substantially larger cast the adaptation retains the original's candid simplicity It takes Iloke six days to convince Daisy to put him to work "the same time it took the Lord to make the world" he chuckjes It takes Daisy 25 years to admit to Hoke "You're my best friend" The movie observes tenderly as the two proceed through bewildering social upheavals confront Hoke's inability to read and Daisy's facade of coldness and grow ever more dependent upon one another in facing up to bigotry and advancing age Tandy at age 80 is unforgettable as Daisy Uproariously ornery at first Tandy gradually lets show a fearful vulnerability Freeman in an astonishing contrast with his'embittered New Orleans cop of Johnny Handsome (1989) reads a genteel dignity into Hoke whom he originated on Broadway and whose very bearing discloses a life spent in humble deference to white folks In memorable small parts Esther Rolle accounts for both joyous and sad moments as Daisy's plain-spoken housekeeper And Patti Lupone makes a brittle and domineering wife for Aykroyd's Book her character who is only mentioned on stage develops richly here as Daisy's perceived enemy BY MIC11-ta II PRICE Fort Aonh Star-relegram Morgan Freeman turned the tables on me last year while we were talking about his overdue breakout to starring assignments with a film called Lean on Me "What'd you think of Mississippi Burning?" Freeman asked apropos of nothing but effectively reversing our interview roles He had no part in that film but clearly had developed a strong opinion of it Mississippi Burning Alan Parker's account of a Klan-vs-freedom riders murder case had lately begun attracting condemnation and praise in about equal measures The film's sympathy with the 1960s' civil-rights movement seemed compromised by an inaccurately positive perception of Edgar Hoover's FBI and by Parker's having made black characters unduly subordinate To Freeman's friendly demand I answered in terms of having enjoyed Mississippi Burning as a crime thriller but said it struck me as unlikely that the FBI of a generation ago would have gone so devotedly after white-supremacist hoodlums "You're missing the point" Freeman said "Mississippi Burning is a Southern black story but nowhere does it bother to adopt a black viewpoint Wait'll you see what we do with a black viewpoint in this thing I'm working on" The thing Freeman was working on was Glory which arrives this weekend from Tri-Star Freeman plays the first black officer in a Civil War Union regiment commanded by a greenhorn white abolitionist (Matthew Broderick) Freeman and Denzel Washington in lead-challenging support supply an unwavering black point of view While Kevin Jan-e's screenplay hits some false notes of oversimplification especially by relating that blacks in 1862 were gung-ho to enlist against the Confederacy the film compensates with an unflinching portrayal of the North's discrimination Matthew Broderick stars as Col Robert Gould Shaw REVIEW Glory Michael IL Price's rating: 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 Director Edward Zwick Featuring: Denzel Washington Morgan Freeman Matthew Broderick Cary Elwes John Finn Jihmi Kennedy Rated: (violence emotional intensity language) against black enlisted men Washington in his best performance since the black-storywhiteviewpoint misfire of Cry Freedom (1988) is exceptionally good as a fugitive slave whose tense relationship with Matthew Broderick charges the film's emotional core Broderick uses his boyish appearance to strong advantage delivering a rich enactment that yields wisely to the importance of Washington and Freeman John Finn makes much of his turn as a racist drill sergeant and Jihmi Kennedy is memorable as a hillbilly marksman Director Edward Zwick deals strongly in both character development and epic-scale mob brutality Favorable comparisons are inevitable between Glory and many films of John Ford the great director of Americana especially Ford's Shiloh portion of How the Rest Was Rim (1963) The soldiers of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry parade through the streets of Boston in Glory --I-- 0 i Et 6 6 II 1 I i a a A Aonh Star- relegram ''''n Let your eyes see the 'Glory' of the coming of this movie Fort his overdue breakout to star- assignments with a film called A Cif- BY MICII I I PRICE Morgan Freeman turned the tables 40p 10 do 9 i -k-r s'''" on me last year while we were talking z- Co el lo 4 00101k 0 -4 4 41 about 9 ring t0r4 y-t AI 4 Vtl Lean on Me 1 7 :4 j) Mat'd you think of Mississippi i ''S A' 1 p- Burning?" Freeman asked apropos 1c)00' 11 1 44 trf At! 4 -N of nothing but effectively reversing 4 it 4 4 4 our interview roles He had no part in Al 2 1 I ty -7-t4 that film but clearly had developed a is- 41 14 strong opinion of it Nlatthew Broderick stars lk i 4 1 4est "410 ppi Burning Alan Par- Mississippi ker's account of a Klan-vs-freedom riders murder case had lately begun ain raahcot about nt ge qauma dl emme na sa ut i riems and praise iim REVIEW as Col Robert Gould Shaw L's-: i 0' I 0 sympathy with the 1960s' civil-rights Glory 8 on a "44161'' i ir movement seemed compromised by of Edgar Hoover's FBI and by Featuring lc a of 1 tDo InOz 1 -2 "47 il(r I To Freeman's friendly demand I 4-- fr: Washington 1: 't 2'2' "It -'5 7' an inaccurately positive perception 4 1 z' Parker's having made black charac- Morgan Freeman Matthew Bro- vs 4- cf 44 4 --v '4' ters unduly subordinate derick Cary Byes John Finn Jihmi Kennedy i 1 answered in terms of having enjoyed Bated: (violence emotonal inten- rc- -e-4 0 sity language) i Mississippi Burning as a crime thriller but said it struck me as unlike- 4 li ly that the FBI of a generation ago against black enlisted men ti 4 would have gone so devotedly after Washington in his best perform- 1 et white-supremacist hoodlums ance since the black-storywhite 7 I "You're missing the point" Free- viewpoint misfire of Cry Freedom man said "Mississippi Burning is a I 988) is exceptionally good as a fugiMorgan Freeman chauffeurs Jessica Tandy to downtown Atlanta in Driving Miss Daisy Southern black story but nowhere tive slave whose tense relationship does it bother to adopt a black view- with Matthew Broderick charges the Film fthm play is fine set ofreels point Wait'll you see what we do film's emotional core with a black viewpoint in this thing I'm working on" Broderick uses his boyish appear BY MICI AEI II PRICE The thing Freeman was working on ance to strong advantage delivering a Foil Wonh Sur-Telegram REVIEW was Glory which arrives this week- rich enactment that yields wisely to "I wouldn't be in your shoes if the sweet Lord Jesus Driving Miss Daisy end from Tri-Star Freeman plays the the importance of Washington and i came down and asked me himself" goes the fair warning first black officer in a Civil War Un- Freeman John Finn makes much of Mchael IL tng offered to a gentle black Southerner named Hoke (Morgan -r Price i ers esrafor ion regiment commanded by a green- his turn as a racist drill sergeant and in ectort Bruce Bd :10 on a scale of 1 to 10 Freeman) after he has enlisted as chauffeur-in-waiting to Feat Tandy Morgan Freeman Dan Ay- hom white abolitionist (Matthew Jihmi Kennedy is memorable as a Jessica an imperious Jewish widow kroyd Patti Lupone Esther Rolle Broderick) Freeman and Denzel hillbilly marksman Daisy Wert han (Jessica Tandy) a retired teacher whose (emotional intensitymildly coarse language) Washington in lead-challenging sup-family is growing wealthy in Atlanta's cotton industry port supply an unwavering black Director Edward Zwick deals wants no chauffeur But the name of the movie is Driving point of view strongly in both character develop-Miss Daisy and so Hoke must make her understand that Alibi (1989) While Kevin Jan-e's screenplay hits ment and epic-scale mob brutality he's not sitting around for decoration Alfred Uhry developed the screenplay from his Pul- some false notes of oversimplifica- Favorable comparisons are inevitaDaisy has walked away unbruised from an auto acci- itzer-winning stage play Though "opened" to permit tion especially by relating that ble between Glory and many films of dent caused by her impatience she insists that her new sweeping scenic changes with a substantially larger cast blacks in 1862 were gung-ho to enlist John Ford the great director of Am1948 Packard was at fault Her worried son Bootie (Dan the adaptation retains the original's candid simplicity go 4 01 i 1 against the Confederacy the film ericana especially Ford's Shiloh It takes I loke six dayrs to convince Daisy to put him to Aykroyd) knows the futility of argument Bootie simply compensates with an unflinching por- portion of How the Rest Was Won hires Hoke a new acquaintance who has solved a crisis at work "the same time it took the Lord to make the trayal of the North's discrimination (1963) the cotton mill and stations him in Daisy's house world" he chuckjes It takes Daisy 25 years to admit to About the time Hoke finds himself vaguely tolerated in Hoke "You're my best friend" on Ft Daisy's pinched orbit it becomes clear that an honestly IA litt 0 2 4 0 PI 1 7 great movie is gathering momentum The movie observes tenderly as the two proceed vi I '1 ITIb r'- '1 i t- s-- 1i 1 1 Driving Miss Daisy radiates understanding and for- through bewildering social upheavals confront Hoke's tP' 16 0 inability to read and Daisy facade of coldness and grow giveness It is as frank an examination of a troubled 14 1 N' 14 11 I' American heartland as another masterful picture of late ever more dependent upon one another in facing up to 1989 Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July but bigotry and advancing age a significantly sweeter sadder and more good-humored Tandy at age 80 is unforgettable as Daisy Uproarious- 0 0 0 0 1 0 NILA The Motion Picture Academy could save itself a great ly ornery at first Tandy gradually lets show a fearful 1 i) 7 deal of hassle this spring by taking a cue from Dan vulnerability Freeman in an astonishing contrast with -7 Aykroyd's character: Skip the arguments move decisively his'embittered New Orleans cop of Johnny Handsome I 4 0 and plant those best-player Oscars on Jessica Tandy and (1989) reads a genteel dignity into Hoke whom he origi- 4 1 l'-' 1 Morgan Freeman Throw in a best-support Oscar as well nated on Broadway and whose very bearing discloses a life 9 for Aykroyd who contributes a deeply felt straight-acting spent in humble deference to white folks 1 performance of mingled irritation and affection almost as In memorable small parts Esther Rolle accounts for 'No' 11 41 0 if forgetting that he is one of our abler comedians both joyous and sad moments as Daisy's plain-spoken 0- With never a false scene never a contrived remark housekeeper And Patti Lupone makes a brittle and domi- Daisy is marvelously lacking in the over-obvious flour- neering wife for Aykroyd's Boolie her character who is ishes in which its director Bruce Beresford has indulged only mentioned on stage develops richly here as Daisy's The soldiers of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry on such pictures as Crimes of the Heart (1986) and Her perceived enemy parade through the streets of Boston in Glory I.